Wearing a blue jumpsuit, holding a mop and dragging a red plastic bucket with wheels, wearing a pair of fat bright yellow rain boots, with dreadlocks but neatly dressed, he looked like a Hollywood comedy from the 1980s The characters who come out of the movie are ordinary, especially the fat and stocky super-large body, which has a comic-like exaggeration, which makes people's mouth curl up.
"Hey, can you please lend me your cell phone? I need to make a call." Lu Ke sat tiredly on the steps and asked the black brother in a loud voice.
The black man stopped and took off the earplugs in his ears. He could still vaguely hear the deafening rap, and then he said with confusion on his face, "What did you just say? Brother?"
The wonderful rhythm was like that of a rapper, and the rising tone was full of natural banter. Even Lu Ke, who was exhausted both physically and mentally, couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly, and he repeated his request.
The black man looked at Lu Ke up and down, not hiding the probing look in his eyes. "Man, do you know where this is? I know you. You were so merciless just now, and now you are actually planning to borrow my phone from me." ?”
"So, are you willing to borrow it? Or not?" Lu Ke didn't argue, he just said with the corners of his mouth raised slightly. His tone was no longer as tense as at the press conference, and he was gradually relaxing.
The other party thought about it seriously, then took out his mobile phone from his pocket, "Of course, why not?" He handed the mobile phone to Lu Ke, but before Lu Ke took it, he expressed it emphatically own point of view.
"Honestly, I thought that foul was too obscene. Even if this was my home team, I couldn't speak for him shamelessly. But note, it's not because I don't like my team. I still I don’t like you, but I still think you gave us a humiliating defeat, which is unforgivable; however, I insist on defeating you in an upright and aboveboard way, rather than clumsy and despicable fouls. That is not our frankness. Pirates of Pawan, although our name is pirates, we are definitely not the uncivilized guys like the Vikings, understand? I don’t want to ruin our reputation because of that guy!”
"Can you understand what I mean? Brother?" The other party placed the phone in front of Lu Ke again and asked with a serious face.
If it weren't for the other party's serious expression and the long and rhythmic dialogue, Lu Ke almost thought that the other party was inviting him to a rap showdown. He raised his right fist and pointed at the other party. Stretching out, the two people fist bumped in the air, and without much words, they had reached a consensus.
Lu Ke took the other party's phone and said thank you; the other party turned and left coolly, leaving Lu Ke a private space to talk. Just when the figure was about to disappear, he stopped and turned around and said, "What you did for Patrick Willis was really cool, man!" before walking away.
Lu Ke paused for a moment, his heavy heart relieved a little. He stared at the phone in his hand and did not take any action for a long time. Finally, by mistake, he dialed Lu Zhengze's number.
"Good afternoon, this is Jack, who's calling?" Lu Zhengze quickly answered the phone. Different from his usual voice at home, his voice at this moment seemed a little more serious and formal, a bit unfamiliar.
"Dad, it's me, Xiao Ke. I... I was still at Raymond James Stadium and borrowed a staff member's mobile phone..." Lu Ke explained the whole story in the simplest way.
"Oh, Xiao Ke, are you okay? You're not injured, right? I just had to work overtime for some work, and I didn't watch the last bit of the game. Are you okay?" Lu Zhengze immediately became worried, and even his voice I couldn't help but tense up.
"No, no, no, I'm fine." Lu Ke denied repeatedly, "I just...Dad, I didn't disturb your work, right? Don't you have a temporary job and need to work overtime? If you still have a job, I can... "
"It's okay, it's okay. If you have something to say, it won't delay anything." Lu Zhengze interrupted Lu Ke's worries and said nervously and uneasily.
In fact, Lu Zhengze is relatively close to the father in traditional Chinese culture. He is taciturn and dedicated, hiding all responsibilities and emotions. Even when facing his son, he rarely shows them. Of course, after immigrating here and being influenced by the culture here for many years, Lu Zhengze has improved a lot, and he has also begun to learn to express himself, but his communication with Lu Ke is still not frequent.
At this time, Lu Ke suddenly called him, and Lu Zhengze was also a little panicked.
Similarly, Lu Ke was not sure why he dialed his father's phone. He even had the urge to hang up, but if he thought about it seriously, maybe it was because of "responsibility". The words he had swallowed again came again. Speaking out, "...Dad, if I feel that I can't hold on anymore and I don't know what to do, does that mean that I can't lead the team well?"
"Of course not." Lu Zhengze didn't think at all and gave the answer reflexively. But after he said it, he began to think carefully, "Xiao Ke, do you know? When I first immigrated here, I was particularly I am particularly anxious. It seems that there are countless things to worry about every day, because I am the head of the family and the backbone of the family. There are too many things that need to be dealt with by me. I am always worried about my slight negligence. Will I let you? You and your mother suffered.”
This is not easy for Lu Zhengze, but he is learning, learning to open his heart, learning to communicate actively, and learning to share his feelings. No one is perfect, and no one is omnipotent, not even a "father" or even a "leader", they are not.
"During that time, I was worried every day, and I secretly smoked before going home every day. The more anxious I was, the more addicted I was, and the more worried I was, the later it would be to go home. I always dared not face you and you. Mom. You know your mother, how could someone so keen and careful not notice it? Do you know what your mother did?" At this point, Lu Zhengze himself couldn't help but smile again.
Lu Ke didn't speak, just listened quietly.
"Your mother put a pack of chewing gum and a bottle of mouthwash in my briefcase. She was dissing me because my finishing work was not meticulous enough and exposed too many flaws." Lu Zhengze's words made Lu Ke's lips whisper. He smiled and said, "That's when I realized that your mother had always known about my anxiety, but she didn't push me or relieve me. Instead, she silently worked hard in her own way."
"Although at home, my income is higher than your mother's. It seems that I am the main source of income and the breadwinner of the family. I am the head of the family. But you know? The reason why we can be called a family is because we have I, because of you, this is a complete family. The pressures and difficulties I face are also faced by you; at the same time, you are also working hard."
"Remember? When you first told me that you wanted to join the school football team, aside from the joke that your mother and I knew nothing about football, I was actually surprised and relieved. Because you are working hard too.”
"The problems I faced in the workplace and living environment, you also faced, and you are still so young, it is more difficult to deal with these things, but you did not hide under the wings of your parents, but bravely stepped out to face it During those hardships, I even took the initiative to participate in local sports. At that time, I knew that we were a team, we were all working hard in our own way, we relied on each other and supported each other, and then we got to where we are now step by step."
Lu Zhengze carefully told the stories of the past. His language was very clumsy and simple. An interesting story was also told in a rigid manner, even a little nervous, but the content was extremely sincere. He told Lu Ke bit by bit. Those fragments of memories that I don’t know about.
"Xiao Ke, I'm not a leader, and I don't have much experience. I don't know what is right, but I think the meaning of a leader is not to take on all the pressure and all the work, but to bring everyone in the team together Together, even if it is sadness, pain, or setbacks, you have to face it together, and you are always at the forefront. This is the real leader."
"If you think that you are higher than other members, that you need to pay more for them, that you need to think more for them, then this mentality itself is wrong. When you encounter difficulties, you should seek them With help, I believe your teammates are very willing to share the pressure for you. This is also the most valuable spiritual wealth of the San Francisco 49ers, what do you think?"
Lu Zhengze's words were plain and cautious. There were no impassioned emotions or ups and downs of emotional outbursts. Instead, they flowed slowly and silently like drizzle moistening things, gradually calming down Lu Ke's anxiety and panic.
Finally, Lu Ke also let out a long, long breath, and the tension on his shoulders and the anxiety deep in his heart were quietly vented.
In fact, why doesn't Lu Ke know these truths?
It’s just that many times, the authorities are obsessed and the bystanders are clear, and it is easy to lose yourself in it. At this time, you need the guidance and help of an outsider, and then things will become clear again: the San Francisco 49ers are not Lu Ke’s team alone, this is a collective. As a team, they need to face difficulties and challenges together, and they also need to face setbacks and tribulations together. Even the captain should be part of the team.
He and them, the captain and the players, are all equal to each other. Without anyone, the team is no longer the same team.
The truths that he told Al Dong personally were now told to him by Lu Zhengze in a different way. This also made Lu Ke realize again that he, like Al Dong, still needs to learn and grow. He still has a lot to work on on his way to becoming a top player.
Fortunately, they can work together. Fupin Chinese
