Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1652 Starting over
"...Oh. You answered it."

As soon as the call connected, a startled exclamation came from the receiver, like a frightened rabbit. The next second, the person tightly shut their mouth and even held their breath, as if a curse was already swirling on their tongue and about to burst out at any moment. Without even seeing it with their own eyes, the image in their mind had already appeared.

Li Wei couldn't help but chuckle, a slight smile playing on his lips. "My friend, weren't you the one who called me?"

Talia immediately realized she had revealed her emotions and muttered in annoyance, "I thought you were probably receiving post-match massage therapy or attending a post-match tactical meeting, busy with something, so I was waiting for a message. I had already drafted it and was ready to leave a message on the phone."

"But you..."

Li Wei's smile widened. "It's alright, just treat it as a message. I won't say anything, I'll just listen here."

Talia immediately exploded, "How is this the same? You were right there, and some of the things you said were extremely embarrassing, okay?"

Li Wei couldn't help but chuckle. "Should I hang up now and you leave a message?"

Talia: "...You're smirking right now, aren't you? If you want to laugh, then laugh out loud."

Li Wei: "No, no, no, I didn't. You continue, you continue."

Talia: "Laugh if you want. The point of my message is to make you laugh."

Li Wei was taken aback. "Are you worried about me?"

Talia replied without hesitation, "Of course I'm worried about you. Dear professor, I've confessed 108 times already. Haven't I made myself clear? If so, I can confess one more time. By the way, did I tell you? I'm already eighteen, and it's been several months."

Outgoing and unrestrained, yet headstrong and reckless.

Those youthful, vibrant words struck Li Wei hard, and a soft laugh rose from deep within his throat. "Thank you for your concern."

Talia let out a long sigh. "So, I got rejected again? It's okay, I'll try again another day." As she spoke, she clenched her fist to cheer herself on. "Talia, you can do it. I believe in you. You did a great job. Keep it up!"

The sound of Levi's cheerful laughter came through the phone, which eased Talia's tense and anxious mood a little.

After hesitating for a moment, Talia still asked, "Are you alright?"

Surprisingly, Li Wei didn't answer immediately, but thought about it seriously for a moment, "I'm not sure."

"Don't get me wrong, I hate losing. Losing is absolutely awful. I thought I would be sad, angry, frustrated, depressed, and maybe even furious..."

Talia: "I'd like to see the professor in a rage, the Bloodthirsty Professor?"

Li Wei: "Haha, that scene might be quite bloody, I don't recommend it."

Talia: "So, you mean you're not angry right now?"

Li Wei hesitated for a moment, "No. I'm not angry. In fact, I feel a sense of relief... I'm sorry, this shouldn't be..."

Talia, “You don’t need to apologize to anyone. You haven’t done anything wrong, and you don’t owe anyone anything. You are who you are, and you’ve always been upright.”

Li Wei chuckled softly, "I understand. But precisely because of this, I can't adapt... I'm sorry, I don't even know what I'm saying. I don't even understand myself. This is a completely new experience. I can't understand myself, haha."

Even at this moment, he doesn't lose his self-deprecating humor; indeed, Li Wei is still Li Wei.

Talia: "No, you actually understand. It's precisely because you understand that you're afraid to face it. But I don't think you're wrong."

It goes around in circles, like playing a riddle.

Surprisingly, Li Wei understood.

Levi took a deep breath. "I'm somewhat relieved. We finally lost. The winning streak has finally ended. The counting can finally stop. Sorry, this sounds so pathetic. God, I can hardly believe it."

Talia, “But this is normal and reasonable.” “People see the glory and brilliance of the winning streak, marvel, praise, and elevate you to a pedestal, as if you are not ordinary people or normal people, as if you are entitled to win, as if you are entitled to rule, as if you are not allowed to fluctuate, not allowed to make mistakes, not allowed to fail.”

"They just treat you like gods."

"But the reality is that you are also ordinary people. You also experience ups and downs, difficulties, fears, and anxieties. The pressure that keeps accumulating will eventually lead to a breakdown. Although no one wants to face this fact, unfortunately, this is reality, this is life."

"So now we can finally put the pressure off the winning streak and start afresh."

Li Wei remained silent on the other end of the phone.

Talia was a little worried, "Levi?"

A complex mix of emotions lingered on Li Wei's tongue. After the match, everyone seemed cautious and timid. No one knew how to face this defeat, nor did anyone know how to face Li Wei. Not only the players, but also the coaching staff led by Reed were hesitant and restrained.

Even Li Yi and Jiang Yin were the same.

Unexpectedly, it was Talia who saw through everything.

There was a bitter taste, a sadness, but also a sense of relief. It was as if a huge weight had finally been lifted from his chest, which made Li Wei lose his composure somewhat.

He carefully concealed his true feelings and joked, "Li Wei? So now you're calling me by my first name?"

Talia retorted without backing down, "Or do you prefer me to just call you 'darling' directly?"

Li Wei, "Jesus Christ".

Talia burst into unrestrained laughter, completely disregarding her ladylike image.

Li Wei laughed along, "A fresh start?"

Talia: "Yes. Starting from scratch. The winning streak is all wiped clean. Now it's a brand new chapter. We can start writing another story. No pressure, no expectations, just a light heart."

"I think this is a good thing, at least better than losing in the playoffs, right?"

Li Wei burst into laughter, "The day we lose in the playoffs will come sooner or later; we can't keep winning forever."

Winning three consecutive Super Bowls is a remarkable feat. If possible, Levi would also like to win four, five, or even six consecutive Super Bowls, but that is obviously impossible.

Just as a regular season winning streak eventually comes to an end, so too does a playoff undefeated streak.

Talia: "That means there are even greater challenges ahead, isn't it? The Levi I know is someone who's passionate about pushing the impossible."

Gently yet heavily, a warm current struck Li Wei's heart, causing his heartbeat to become erratic, and an indescribable happiness was about to overflow.

Levi didn't speak, but Talia assumed he was worried about the fans.

Not all fans can remain rational; in fact, most fans are crazy.

They can elevate a team to heaven when they win, and plunge them into hell when they lose. If even Levi faces such pressure, how will the Kansas City fans fare?

This is the first time in nearly three years that Arrowhead Stadium has lost a game, and Kansas City residents will likely find it hard to process this fact anytime soon.

Even though everyone understands the道理 (principle/reason), the overwhelming emotions are still uncontrollable.

It's hard to imagine what kind of chaotic scene exists on social networks right now.

Talia: "If anyone is unhappy, let them go. You've given enough to this team and this city. You don't owe anyone anything."

(End of this chapter)