Chapter 663: Warm Welcome
Shhh, shhh.
The airport's automatic doors opened, and a moist breeze blew in, carrying a faint scent of the ocean. A hint of a clear, light blue color was vaguely visible, and a gentle drizzle could be felt in the air, but it wasn't bothersome at all. It was mixed with the smells of sunshine, the sea, and the beach, making you feel warm and immersed, as if you were in a warm, swirling mist.
The view was bustling with a surge of people, swarming in from all directions. In an instant, you could feel the hot and frenzied wave of cheers. Lu Ke plunged headfirst into that mist, unable to tell which way was up, like Alice entering Wonderland and getting lost.
"Bambi! Ahhhh! Bambi, Bambi, Bambi!"
The heartbreaking screams were like the scorching sun of summer, tearing through the bleakness and desolation of January. In an instant, it completed the feat of transitioning from San Francisco to Hawaii, from winter to spring. Every pore opened up involuntarily, greedily breathing in the hazy heat. The fatigue and exhaustion from the long flight disappeared without a trace.
Lu Ke blinked, standing still and at a loss.
Even after experiencing the red ocean of Candlestick Park and the hundred thousand strong crowd at the Rose Bowl, the scene at this moment was completely different.
The momentum of the crowd was like a stampede of a thousand horses, rushing forward like thunder. Before the people could even get close, a fierce wave of energy had already rushed over. The powerful visual impact seemed to stir up huge waves, making it impossible to resist. He searched through all his past experiences in his mind, but he couldn't find a suitable way to deal with it.
Before, at San Francisco International Airport, Lu Ke and his teammates were warmly welcomed by loyal fans. But that scene was more like the cheers and support in Candlestick Park, passionate but orderly. Today's scene was completely different. It was a fanaticism that was impactful and aggressive, like a sharp point, coming down on him from all directions.
On the field, he could single-handedly face the fierce collision of the entire defense. But off the field, he was helpless when faced with the enthusiastic siege of fanatical fans.
Subconsciously, Lu Ke's muscles tensed to the extreme, ready to spring into action, as if he was back on the field, ready to take a hit. But in the next second, the fans' footsteps stopped abruptly beside him. The enthusiastic and excited faces around him were shining. The pairs of eyes, smiles, and shouts were all around, firmly surrounding Lu Ke.
Only then did Lu Ke realize his blunder, and his smile became a little awkward. However, his tense muscles still couldn't relax.
Using his height advantage, he scanned the area. The not-so-spacious plaza at the exit was packed with fanatical fans. Although there were only about two hundred fans, they were crowded together, row after row, extending all the way to the road, creating the magnificent illusion of a massive crowd. The whole world seemed to have no end.
"Bambi! I love you!"
"You're a hero! A hero!"
"You're a genius! The Hail Mary! The Hail Mary, did you hear me?"
"Super Bowl, aim for the Super Bowl next season!"
"Bambi! Bambi! Bambi! I'm crazy about you!"
...
All kinds of shouts were like waves. The frenzied and passionate cheers were even more intense than in San Francisco. Who would have thought that in this unfamiliar city of Honolulu, Lu Ke would be able to enjoy such a heroic, god-like treatment? The sounds rose and fell, intertwining with each other, and finally turned into meaningless syllables, like a huge wave, creating a tsunami.
"Ahhhh! Ahhhh!"
Just the simplest and most insane monosyllables perfectly showed the turbulent emotions deep inside them.
Everyone couldn't wait to reach out their hands, constantly patting Lu Ke's face and body, vying to express their thoughts. "...that game against the Steelers," "the last four minutes against the Saints...," "...the Hail Mary." They were trying to express their excitement in this way.
"Autograph, Bambi! Can I have your autograph, please?"
In the midst of the crazy noise, a chubby, red-bearded middle-aged man, drenched in sweat and looking disheveled, squeezed his way to the front. But the excitement on his face didn't lessen at all. He stood still amidst the chaos, his eyes full of anticipation as he handed a pen to Lu Ke, trying to convey his request in a hoarse voice.
Lu Ke was slightly stunned. The next second, the man seemed to have opened Pandora's box. Countless hands rushed toward Lu Ke's face. "Autograph," "Me, me too," and "I love you" were mixed together. There was even a pen that went straight toward his eye.
Luckily, Lu Ke was tall enough and reacted quickly enough to avoid a tragedy.
Lu Ke lowered his head, took the pen from the red-bearded man, and scanned the area with his eyes. The man seemed to have read the meaning in Lu Ke's eyes and immediately moved his shoulder forward. "Here! Here!"
Lu Ke glanced at it. It was a white San Francisco 49ers away jersey, with the familiar number fourteen on it.
Lu Ke quickly signed his name on the man's shoulder. Then, he heard the man shout loudly, "Bambi! I believe in you! I've always believed in you! You can do it!" In the midst of the chaos, it was the simplest and most honest sentence, yet it was full of deep passion and frenzy, instantly touching a soft spot in his heart.
Afterward, the man turned around and was slowly swallowed by the crowd. Finally, he gradually left the crowd, raised his hands high, and cheered while spinning in circles. "Bambi gave me his autograph! Haha! I got Bambi's autograph!" He looked like an old kid, even jumping awkwardly, just like Paddington Bear, making people laugh.
But for Lu Ke, what was even more precious was that it was his honor to have such a fan.
Lu Ke looked away and noticed that he was still holding the pen, but the red-bearded man had disappeared into the crowd. Lu Ke could only laugh awkwardly, then turned to the next fan and continued to sign autographs.
The person standing in front of him was a young woman who shouted at Lu Ke passionately, "Me! Me!" Then, she pulled her round-neck T-shirt down, revealing her fair skin. She widened her watery eyes and blinked them. "Here, sign right here!"
Lu Ke was slightly stunned. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and almost choked on his own saliva. But he quickly composed himself, furrowed his brows slightly, and confirmed again, "Are you sure?"
The woman didn't say anything. She just leaned forward slightly, and a certain charm flowed from her eyes.
Lu Ke didn't hesitate anymore and quickly signed his name. Then, the woman raised her right hand, shook Lu Ke's right hand, and said loudly, "Thank you." Then she let go of his hand, but a piece of paper appeared in Lu Ke's hand. Before Lu Ke could respond, the woman backed away, and the continuous surge of people once again swallowed her.
"Bambi! Me! Give me an autograph!"
A thunderous roar, like a lion's roar, exploded in Lu Ke's ear. He turned his head and saw a super muscular man with a thick beard. His strong muscles were no less impressive than those of the offensive linemen. He stood in the crowd like an unmovable reef, his eyes wide. "Me! Me!"
Lu Ke laughed heartily. "Of course, no problem!"
...
One after another, wave after wave, Lu Ke thought that two hundred people didn't seem like a lot, and they would eventually disperse. What's more, he wasn't the only player who arrived at the airport today. There were also other players from the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans. If they all helped out and shared the load, the situation would soon be under control.
But that was not the case.
Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes passed. Lu Ke felt as if an entire century had gone by, but the crowd around him showed no signs of thinning. What was even more terrifying was that he could see people continuously gathering from all directions. The scene looked like it would truly never end.
More importantly, he could see Logan, Marcus, and Watt standing behind him. There were a dozen or so fans surrounding them, but overall, it was calm and orderly. The stark contrast was too obvious, so much so that Lu Ke couldn't believe his eyes.
"Hey! Guys!"
Lu Ke shouted for help. But Logan and the others didn't move. They just stood there, talking and laughing, seemingly joking about "whether to help or not." Their leisurely manner made Lu Ke furious.
In the end, it was Watt who was the most helpful. He honestly went forward to help, and then with the movement of the other football players, the crowd finally dispersed. They broke through the blockade of the fanatical fans, and then everyone looked at Lu Ke and chuckled.
At that moment, Lu Ke's hair was a mess, his jersey collar was askew, his belt was broken, and his pants and shoes were so dirty that they were unrecognizable. He looked as if he had just returned from sleeping on the streets. There were still streaks of sweat and dirt on his face. He was in a miserable state. Every detail showed the immense power of the fans.
The question was: why?
This was Honolulu, not San Francisco. Just look at the other players. The fans didn't seem so crazy, so why were they only so crazy about Lu Ke?
Could it be that in just one rookie season, Lu Ke's popularity had already become so insane?
But before Lu Ke could ask further, the giggling laughter temporarily subsided because two neat rows of Hawaiian women appeared in front of them, wearing traditional hula skirts, lined up to welcome them.
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