People in America: My Uncle Don Quixote

Chapter 72 The Giants' Olive Branch (Seeking First Subscription)

After 8 o'clock, Li Wei and others entered the venue with their number plates to have their height, weight, and bench press data tested. In the first bench press test, he completely crushed everyone else, leaving them feeling hopeless.

Bench press 225 pounds (102 kg) 32 times consecutively!

"Fuck!" A scout in the stands jumped up. "Is that a quarterback? Is that a high school student?"

Even the NFL's strongest quarterbacks might not be able to push that many times.

Dynamic testing goes without saying.

Levi ran a 40-yard sprint in 4.32 seconds after only a short warm-up. For a quarterback, this means that even in the NFL, no more than three people could keep up with his speed.

In the passing accuracy test, Li Wei stood at the tee spot and casually made a super long pass of 78 yards, which landed precisely in the wide receiver's arms, directly breaking the NCAA record.

For quarterbacks, the current prodigy Mahomes' 65-yard long pass is already a headache for other teams in the league, and Levi has pushed that record even further.

No one dared to provoke them, because most of them had been humiliated by Li Wei during the PSAL.

Without any obstacles or setbacks, Li Wei has broken all the high school and NCAA records in all his tests, and some are even approaching NFL records.

While other high school students were still undergoing high-dose drug training a week before the competition and trying combination drugs 48 hours before the competition,

By checking the weather and wind speed, and superstitiously praying to achieve a good condition, and finally obtaining the certification of a 2-star or 3-star player, Levi had already driven his big truck and mercilessly run them over without any notice. This was because even these high school students, who were on drugs, could not pose the slightest obstacle to him.

What is that? He thought it was a speed bump.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," the training camp director glanced at Li Wei with a complicated expression. "Go back and wait for the results; they should be announced tonight."

"Thank you," Li Wei nodded politely to him, "May I take these with me?"

He pointed to the commemorative T-shirts and towels he was handing out.

"Uh...of course," the person in charge hesitated for a moment, "please—wait a minute!"

Under Li Wei's puzzled gaze, the person in charge jumped off the stage, took an unopened commemorative T-shirt, looked it around, and handed it to Li Wei, whispering, "Could you sign this for me?"

"You're amazing!" Wen Si exclaimed, still showering Li Wei with praise as they left the training field. "I bet you're going to be the No. 1 high school student in the entire US this time! Ha! Just you wait! All the college recruiters will be scrambling to find you!"

"What should we eat later? Pizza? Or Chinese food?" Coach Miller was as happy as a 40-year-old child. "My treat!"

The training camp was held in New York, where he saw many coaches from other schools with whom he had a bad relationship but who had to maintain a facade of politeness. They would swagger around and make sarcastic remarks when his students had good grades.

But now that Li Wei is here, he's had a chance to really show off.

"How about some fried chicken? And some watermelon too?" Wen Si had gotten to know Coach Miller much better now, and her jokes were much bolder. "There's a newly opened Jollibee fried chicken place up ahead, it's pretty good, let me treat you."

"Don't think I don't know you're making a racist joke," Coach Miller roared, giving Wens the middle finger. "Besides, isn't Jollibee a chain? Haven't you eaten there before?"

"No, that's not it," Wen Siqiu said, stroking his chin, "because the receptionist at this store is a pretty blonde girl."

"Stop talking," Coach Miller waved his hand. "I suddenly realized I haven't had fried chicken in ages."

However, Li Wei ultimately failed to get to eat with Coach Miller.

As the three of them walked out of the training camp, Wen Si's scout phone rang.

"This is Arthur Vince," Vince answered the phone. "Yes... I understand, okay, okay, okay."

He hung up the phone and looked at Li Wei with a strange expression.

"What's wrong?" Li Wei asked. "Whose call was that?"

"Mr. Mara's secretary," Wen Si looked at Li Wei with a complicated expression, "it seems he has received your physical test data. He wants to meet you and have a meal with you alone."

"Uh..." Levi paused, "Who is Mr. Mara?"

When talking about the NFL, there's only one name that comes to mind: Marathon.

John Mara, owner and CEO of the New York Giants and chairman of the NFL Board of Governors Executive Committee.

Half an hour later, a black Cadillac Escalade pulled up in front of a restaurant called Capitol Steakhouse in Manhattan.

The waiter at the door was a young and handsome white man. When he saw Levi dressed casually and enter this upscale boutique steakhouse, a flash of displeasure crossed his face.

Another tourist in casual clothes, an Asian who doesn't know the rules.

He put on a fake smile and blocked Li Wei's path.

"Sir," he said, "formal attire is required here."

Before Li Wei could speak, the driver who had brought him came forward and introduced him as Mr. Mara's guest.

The waiter's expression changed, and he turned to lead the way for Li Wei.

The tables at the Congress Steakhouse are spread out, with only a few tables even in the main hall.

The waiter led Levi and the driver to a private room with a silver plaque that read "John Marat" and opened the door.

Contrary to his reported net worth of hundreds of millions of dollars, John Mara appears to be just a simply dressed, thin old man.

A bottle of soda water sat in front of him, while a bottle of fine Cabernet Sauvignon sat opposite him.

"I'm sorry, I'm currently battling cancer," he smiled gently, his face crinkling into crevice. "The doctor said I can't drink alcohol or eat red meat."

The waiter pulled out a chair for Li Wei.

"But this is a steakhouse," Levi said, sitting down opposite him. "Since you can't eat red meat..."

"Because the steak here is really good," Mara said with a smile, "and I like the ambiance here."

"I've been eating at this steakhouse almost every month for the past 30 years, and the head chef at this branch, Jeff, is my favorite chef," he said, raising a glass of soda. "You have to try their ribeye; it's really good."

Li Wei glanced at the Cabernet Sauvignon in front of him, then at the soda water in front of Marat, and politely pushed the bottle away a little.

"Since you can't drink red wine," he said, "I'll just have soda water."

Mara's cloudy but sharp eyes lingered on Li Wei for a moment before revealing a hint of approval.

He waved to the waiter, signaling him to change Levi's soda water. At the same time, he ordered Levi a bone-in ribeye steak that was cooked to the highest doneness and had the largest portion, while he himself only had a plate of thinly sliced, well-done lemon-fried halibut in front of him.

"As a high school student, especially an Asian high school student," Mara said, "I have to say, young man, your stats are amazing."

"Thank you for the compliment," Li Wei said, cutting a sizzling piece of steak. He hadn't eaten much all afternoon and felt like he could eat a whole bison. "Maybe I just have more talent, but on the court, it's all about the result. Winning the game is the most important thing."

"Well said, victory," Mara put down his fork, his expression gradually becoming serious. "Victory is what the New York Giants lack most."

He put down the halibut he had only taken two bites of, wiped his mouth with a pocket square, and then stated the topic of the meal: "I think that little guy Arthur Vince has already mentioned that plan to you? Let you skip the NCAA and go straight to the NFL."

"They did try to subtly inquire about it with me," Li Wei wiped his mouth, "but I've checked the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, and it seems like I can't possibly meet the age requirement, right?"

"This is an agreement, not a law," Mara shrugged. "I have a Juris Doctor degree and am the chairman of the NFL's executive committee, while you have a doctor's certificate proving you're no longer fit to play in the NCAA. So, under appropriate circumstances, perhaps we can think of a solution."

"And it's not without precedent. Maurice Clayret previously sued the NFL, arguing that the agreement violated the Sherman Antitrust Act," he said. "Although the appeals court rejected the case, it wasn't entirely without merit..."

'

"But what are the conditions?" Levi said. "I don't believe the Giants would pay such a high price just to let me enter the league."

"Of course there are conditions; it's all a deal," Mara said. "In the new Democratic administration, we need to tell a diversity story, and at the same time, we need to expand into Asian markets and fight for more Asian American voting rights."

"But then I could just join the NFL," Levi said. "Can't I just not join the New York Giants?"

"Of course you can, son, it's your prerogative," Mara said with a smile. "But I don't think you'd refuse a request from an elderly person with cancer who doesn't have long to live, especially since we'll offer you a very competitive price."

"Just tell me straight, what are your conditions?" Li Wei shook his head, not buying it. "I don't believe that the owner of a team worth tens of billions of dollars would do such a purely charitable thing."

"Don't rush, young man," Mara smiled and began to pull. "There are still 5 months until the NFL draft and 9 months until you graduate from high school and officially become an adult. This is only our first contact. It's too early to start negotiating terms right away."

At this point, why don't they say they have cancer and don't have long to live?

Li Wei would only believe about 1% of what this old fox said.

After a pause, Mara held up her soda water. "So we'll be dealing with each other a lot more often in the future, huh?"

Mara clinked glasses with Li Wei in the void and snapped his fingers.

The driver came in, carrying a dark green piano wood lacquered box.

"Nice to meet you," Mara said. "This is a small gift."

Li Wei opened the box, inside was a Rolex with a cold, metallic sheen, its gold and green dial gleaming under the light.

"How much is this watch worth?" Li Wei asked.

John Mara paused for a moment, then shook his head and said with a smile, "To be honest, I don't know, after all, I didn't buy this watch myself."

For a fleeting moment, Li Wei considered asking if the watch could be exchanged for cash—because he wasn't yet wealthy enough to wear a Mercedes on his wrist.

But in the end, he kept those words to himself, since saying them seemed a bit too impolite.

The meal was reasonably pleasant for both host and guests. John Mara told Levi some celebrity gossip, including some Hollywood stars and international sports celebrities, as well as some juicy and spicy secrets and scandals.

Most of them revolve around the story of a poor boy who becomes famous overnight, followed by money, fame, and women.

"I'm really looking forward to your performance at the All-Star Bowl."

As they parted, John Mara said to Levy.

"The operation of the team and the league takes time. Perhaps when you win the All-Star Bowl, we can talk about the salary cap and contracts. At that time, I can also persuade my colleagues to inject some fresh blood into their rotten and rigid minds."

On the way back, Levi kept thinking about what John Mara had said before he left. He really was a cunning old fox; his empty promises were endless.

The idea that the team and league need time to operate clearly indicates they intend to assess his actual performance before making any decisions.

However, it's understandable that John Mara would have such concerns.

This is because it's not just a difference in physical fitness, but also a matter of mindset.

The PSAL league that Li Wei and his friends are currently playing in only attracts a few hundred spectators per match, with almost no cheers or shouts; most of the attendees are classmates or their parents.

The NFL is the number one sport in the United States. Although the New York Giants have not won a Super Bowl in the last ten years or so, and have only made the playoffs twice in the last 10 years, the players they have spent a lot of money to acquire are paper tigers in terms of statistics. They poop in their pants as soon as they step on the field.

Even with such a team, the Giants still manage to attract a consistently high average attendance of over 65000 people and a noise level exceeding 110 decibels when playing at their home stadium in New York.

Especially when a touchdown is scored, the cheers and jumping of the fans can even cause a small earthquake!

In a 2011 playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints, Seahawks running back Marshall Lynch scored a phenomenal touchdown that sent the crowd into a frenzy, creating a mini-earthquake that lasted for 30 seconds and was described as a 2.0 magnitude earthquake!

Imagine someone with no prior major competition experience walking out of the locker room, surrounded by cheering and dancing cheerleaders—beautiful women at the top of their lungs. The entire stadium is packed, and all eyes are on you.

There are more than three-digit reporters and high-speed cameras on the sidelines, constantly observing your every move and accurately capturing your every mistake and expression.

Many newcomers are statistic geniuses, but they falter in big games. In fact, in the professional sports world, these players have a special name: "Underwear Olympic Champions".

However, if he could skip the three years of NCAA and go directly to the NFL, it would definitely be a good thing for him.

Because playing in the NCAA at university, aside from selling NIL's image rights, doesn't actually earn you a salary!

Is it the All-Star Bowl?

Li Wei thought to himself.

The All-American Bowl is the largest and most attended live sports event for high school students, with an average attendance of over 45000. While it may not be as large as the NFL, it still speaks volumes.

It seems that in addition to getting his first piece of equipment, he now has another reason to participate in the All-American Bowl.

After all, a quarterback's value is very high if he can go directly to the NFL, and his popularity will also increase.

The following day, Sunday, 247Sports updated its rankings of high school football players on its official website.