Chapter 890: 889 Grasshopper Arm
One move to lure the serpent out of its hole.
In the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive strategy, this tactic is frequently employed, all thanks to Li Wei. Leveraging Li Wei’s immense individual talent, the offensive group easily uses him as bait to set up tactical plays.
But now, Mahomes is using himself as bait, daringly risking a one-on-one face-off against Donald.
Throughout the entire game, it has been “Li Wei VS Donald,” but they can’t let Li Wei shoulder all the responsibility alone, can they?
After all, they’re a team.
This time, it’s Mahomes’ turn to step up. He is growing, he is transforming.
At this moment, Mahomes fully reveals his audacious courage and bold spirit—daring to take risks, daring to make moves, daring to envision, act, and bear the consequences.
In a critical split second, he manages to complete the pass just before Donald’s collision.
Arm swing, wrist flick, power release—all in one fluid motion.
Following Mahomes’ gaze toward the left wing’s far corner of the Kansas City Chiefs’ field, the target of the pass is revealed—Hill, the Chiefs’ number-one Wide Receiver.
This time, the defensive group fell for it—completely and utterly. Both Li Wei and Mahomes played bait sequentially, while Hill lurked in the shadowed corner. In the “Hill VS Talib” matchup, Hill clearly has the upper hand.
The key now is: will Mahomes choose a medium pass or a long pass? Does Los Angeles still have a chance?
At the exact moment Donald and Mahomes collide, Donald instinctively turns to look behind him—
Donald doesn’t understand. But he knows everything seems to have spiraled out of his control; he can’t even locate the football now.
Where in hell is that football?
Step, step, step. Step, step, step.
Li Wei is charging forward.
After crossing the snap line, he feigns slowing down, briefly tangling with the lineman, but doesn’t give Littleton a chance to step forward and block. Li Wei has already dashed toward the sideline.
From the start to the acceleration, his actions are resolute.
Littleton rushes to catch up, but it’s only through firsthand experience that one can truly grasp how terrifyingly freakish Li Wei’s off-ball speed is.
Littleton doesn’t hesitate or pause; he releases his speed immediately, but still can only watch helplessly as the gap between him and the number twenty-three jersey steadily grows.
Pushing off, exerting force, sprinting wildly.
Li Wei’s steps follow the sideline, sprinting all the way. His light, rapid figure is like a streak of flowing light, sweeping across the edge of the field mightily.
Elusive, understated, deadly.
None of the other defensive players scattered across the Los Angeles Rams’ field notices Li Wei—except for Peters, who keeps a sliver of attention on him.
After all, last season as teammates, Peters had witnessed it all firsthand up close time and time again.
Peters’ heart tightens, an inexplicable foreboding sounding the alarm—but he forgets, a monster stands just in front of him.
Kelsey takes a step forward, blocking Peters’ path to the sideline completely, forcing Peters into his arms like a helpless bride.
Then, in the corner of Peters’ vision, he glimpses the trace left by Li Wei’s full-speed sprinting form—a fleeting streak of motion.
Li Wei runs faster and faster, because he must buy Mahomes time. The later he arrives, the longer Mahomes must fend off Donald, and the greater the risk of Mahomes being sacked by Donald.
Li Wei holds nothing back.
In the blink of an eye, without catching his breath, Li Wei has surged full-force into the Red Zone.
Finally, someone notices the unguarded Edgerunner and the struggling Littleton trailing behind, still unable to close the distance.
Despite not making the Pro Bowl this year and remaining a nobody in the League, second-year Johnson has earned McVay’s trust, firmly holding the starting position as one of the team’s unsung heroes.
Both second-year players, Li Wei and Mahomes are already in the regular-season MVP discussions, while Johnson remains a nameless figure. Does Johnson feel regret?
Because Johnson knows his own capabilities. He’ll prove himself by stopping Li Wei, letting everyone in the League know the name John Johnson—
It won’t take much, just this once, this one critical defense.
Johnson is sprinting. He’s fully aware of how frightening Li Wei’s off-ball speed is; the tiniest hesitation could cost him the chance to tackle.
As he runs, Johnson seems to ignite, as if propelled by a Wind Fire Wheel, racing laterally along the Five-yard line toward a dramatic interception.
Throwing caution to the wind, he targets Li Wei’s figure and decisively leaps:
Johnson assumes an all-or-nothing stance, aiming to shove Li Wei out of bounds directly.
On the Five-yard line!
The two figures rapidly close in, seemingly on the verge of impact.
Then, the unbelievable happens—Li Wei’s speed peaks to an extreme. Like a gust of wind, he surges past Johnson’s block, his light, explosive stride taking one crucial step ahead.
Before Johnson’s leap connects, Li Wei miraculously completes the breakthrough.
No, not the Flash. He’s the Edgerunner, the one-of-a-kind Edgerunner.
Johnson can hardly believe it. Despite unleashing his maximum speed, Li Wei forcefully broke through—how does that guy do it?
There’s no time for regret, nor time for shock; Johnson reacts instantly to follow up.
With gritted teeth and outstretched arms, he makes up his mind to risk it all, stiffly jabbing toward Li Wei’s body with his left arm.
Smack, smack, smack, smack.
Now Johnson finally understands what it feels like to be a Grasshopper Arm against a cart—a hopeless struggle. Suspended mid-air, he’s caught in a vortex, spinning quickly in high-speed rotation, the world descending into chaos.
Nonetheless, Johnson’s interference still disrupts Ansen’s balance.
The faster the sprinting momentum, the easier any interference causes backlash.
Li Wei’s center of gravity also falls into a whirlpool of disarray, spinning rapidly like a dryer.
Pure instinct, no thought or hesitation—he rotates counterclockwise.
Through rotating amidst chaos, he dissolves the force and impact, regains balance.
But in this flash of a moment, it’s still not enough. Staggering, he rotates counterclockwise once more.
This time, before completing a full 360 degrees, and halting at 180 degrees in a chaotic spin, Li Wei catches sight of the football’s trajectory—his gaze locking onto that red-brown shape amidst the turmoil.
And then, Li Wei realizes something is off.
On one hand, Mahomes opts for a blind throw—while facing Hill’s direction, he passes toward Li Wei. Although the Los Angeles Rams Defense fell for it, leaving Li Wei space to advance, the ball’s parabolic control overshoots, dangerously close to going out of bounds.
On the other hand, Li Wei himself, spinning like a top, hasn’t regained full control of his steps.
A golden opportunity arises—and yet, it’s as if it hasn’t.