People in America: My Uncle Don Quixote

On Friday night, the air along Coney Island Boulevard was filled with the smells of cheap hot dogs, sweat, and old grass.

Li Wei stood at the very center of the team, casually adjusting his arm guards while listening to the heavy breathing of his teammates and Miller's angry shouts.

It's not surprising that they were not confident. After all, Franklin K. Lane High School had never won against Erasmus High School in the PSAL competition. Having not won for more than 20 years, they always seemed a little lacking in confidence when facing the Brooklyn champions.

"Look at the state of you all! Are you in a competition, or have you been starving for three days and are queuing up for relief food?!"

Coach Miller's face was practically touching Travis's nose, spittle flying everywhere. "Look at those 'Dutch' guys over there! They look at you like you look at cheerleaders! Get it? They look at you like you're kittens! If you think that way too, get back to the locker room and change into your skirts right now!"

"So, tell me, are you kittens?!"

"No," the other team members, except for Li Wei, groaned weakly, "we are not."

Clearly, Coach Miller's trash talk failed to ignite the players' fighting spirit.

"Buddy," Levi patted Travis on the shoulder, "I'll feed you more in the first quarter, see if you can make a difference. Look over there—"

He pointed to the grass on the Erasmus side, where more than a dozen scouts dressed in various styles were standing, observing the Erasmus High School athletes.

"This is an opportunity," he said. "Whether you catch the scouts' eye depends on your own efforts."

Travis gave Levi a grateful look and nodded emphatically.

However, when the final whistle blew at the end of the first quarter, Franklin High School was down 0-14.

Travis sat on the bench, panting heavily, his helmet lying to the side, his face covered in dust.

Coach Miller was so angry that he smashed the tactics board, and his shouts almost drowned out the boos from the stands.

"Oh... God," Travis groaned, "I wish this were a nightmare... to be so humiliated in front of thousands of people."

"It's not really that embarrassing," Li Wei comforted her. "Because the vast majority of people support the opposing team, our poor performance is perfectly normal to them."

"Li Wei, you need to step up your game at the start of the second quarter," Coach Miller said as he walked over. "Teach them a lesson, show them what you're capable of."

"OK~" Li Wei said lazily, "I understand."

After receiving a four-star evaluation from Wens scouts, he negotiated with Coach Miller to reduce his playing time and give other players more opportunities. He would only step in to save the day when needed.

Although it might seem pretentious, Li Wei had to admit that compared to crushing the opponent in the first quarter, he did enjoy the thrill of being treated like a savior.

"Looks like I've come at the wrong time?"

A familiar, teasing voice rang out from the sidelines, and Li Wei turned his head in surprise.

Anya was wearing a black cashmere top and a thin cardigan, with a cute bow in her hair and a pair of brand-new black round-toe flats. She looked exactly like a well-behaved college prep student.

"Why do you say that?" Li Wei asked with a smile. "I think it's alright."

Travis glanced at Levi, then at Anya, who looked like a delicate porcelain doll. At that moment, his mind was working seventeen times faster than it had been in class. He immediately sat up and made room for her.

Anya glanced at the still-warm buttocks mark left by Travis after he left, and ultimately leaned back instead of sitting down.

"You're all going to get your heads shaved," she said, pointing to the scoreboard on the big screen. "Is this okay?"

"It's okay," Levi said, putting on his helmet, "because I haven't exerted my full strength yet."

"Oh?" Anya tilted her head. "Is it going to be another magic trick?"

"Leave it to me."

As Li Wei walked towards the stadium, another dialog box popped up in front of him:

You have received the mission: The Last Hope of the Slaves.

[You encountered an enemy while leading your servants into battle, and now their morale is low. They desperately need your intervention. Teach them a lesson and restore their confidence.]

[Task Reward: +0.1 Free Attribute Points]

At the start of the second quarter, Franklin High School gained possession of the ball.

Upon acquiring the rugby ball, Levi didn't immediately try to pass it to Travis. Instead, he tucked the ball into his arms and led the charge himself.

This move drew gasps from the audience.

"Grab him!" the opposing quarterback shouted, and four members of the defense closed in.

However, their strength was far inferior to Li Wei's.

When the first attacker pounced, Li Wei only slightly turned to the side, and the opponent couldn't turn around in time and took a big bite of the grass.

The moment the two players closed in on him, Li Wei's body quickly changed direction, his entire body exhibiting a rhythm that defied inertia. With a very small side slide, he slipped through the gap between the two forwards.

The two forwards, unable to control their momentum, collided violently, producing a dull thud that made your teeth ache.

The last one was the opposing team's star bodyguard. In an attempt to save face, he charged at Li Wei at full speed like a cannonball. However, Li Wei's 2.0 agility and 3.0 physique allowed him to perform actions that seemed to defy the laws of physics to everyone else—

He came to a complete stillness without any warning.

Due to inertia, the security guard didn't have time to brake and could only watch in horror as Li Wei stood still while he himself was sent flying like an out-of-control truck.

Even at the last moment, in order to forcefully shift his center of gravity, his ankle twisted at an astonishing angle on the grass, making a crisp "crack" sound, and he rolled away with a scream.

Li Wei casually clung to the ball and strolled leisurely into the opponent's touchdown zone, 6 points.

The situation has reversed.

...

The rest of the game was completely one-sided. After the opposing star safety went to the bench, Travis was finally able to break through the opponent's defense, and some scouts unknowingly turned their attention to Franklin K. Lane High School.

By the third quarter, Li Wei had created such a large advantage for the team that he didn't even need to play in the fourth quarter.

[Task Completed]

[Free attribute points +0.1]

He took off his heavy helmet, bumped fists with the backup quarterback, and walked off the field amidst cheers from his teammates.

"Is that magic too?" Anya hadn't left the whole time. "You said bending the coin earlier was magic? And walking those people around like a dog was magic too?"

They were standing next to Erasmus's men. Luckily, Anya spoke Russian, otherwise they probably would have started fighting.

"Yes," Levi nodded and said seriously, "that's magic too. You were just hypnotized by me."

Anya's cheeks puffed out again.