Lu Ke thought of that afternoon last fall. Although the team had been winning, and after defeating the New Orleans Saints, the winning streak had reached 12, and it seemed that it was not far away from a full-win season, but it was like The Green Bay Packers suffered an unexpected defeat after fourteen consecutive wins in the 2011 season. The pressure of the winning streak also began to breed unexpected difficulties and setbacks. The San Francisco 49ers encountered a completely unexpected and serious locker room problem - —
All conflicts broke out in the tit-for-tat confrontation between the offensive team and the defensive team, which also made the team's state become precarious; and in two weeks, they will face the powerful New England Patriots, and the winning season seems to be over. It's within reach, but it's possible that everything is in the mirror. The huge pressure gradually accumulates, and no one is sure whether it will crush them. Then they stand on the edge of the cliff, looking like flowers, but actually hiding murderous intent.
Lu Ke, Willis, Akens and others are all making unremitting attempts and efforts, but... with little success. They themselves are also in the game, trapped in the game, and cannot be exceptions.
Against this background, Lu Ke met Ryan in the hospital.
At that time, Ryan's condition was still slowly deteriorating. After his ability to walk, his ability to speak was also deteriorating. Daily life that was once a matter of course was becoming a difficult problem; but even so, Ryan still did not give up his attempt to fight. , this is not blindly optimistic - Ryan also has his own negative emotions, but the stubbornness that refuses to surrender in desperate situations.
Sometimes, knowing that your struggle may not change the outcome, you still try your best to give it a try, letting the process of hard work and struggle shine bright and dazzling.
"Life is as gorgeous as summer flowers, and death is as quiet and beautiful as autumn leaves." This is a poem from the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, which vividly explains the meaning of life: everyone's ending and fate are the same, and the finish line of death is not the same. Change; but the journey before reaching the end is ever-changing. Everyone has the right to choose and live their own life in their own way. In the end, it is definitely not the end that determines the weight and color of life, but the process.
Ryan is using every minute and every second of every day to interpret this in his own way, because every moment that belongs to him now is the best and happiest moment in the future.
In Ryan, Lu Ke saw his former self, the self who ran for his dreams and hopes at all costs: Everyone said that he had no way to become a professional rugby player - in fact, people's views were correct. Yes, without the help of the system, Lu Ke's dream is destined to be impossible to realize. He may be like John Ward. Graduating from college is the end of his career.
But Lu Ke never gave up. It was important to realize the dream, but more importantly, the process of working hard for the dream. Those days of sweat, tears, and blood, every minute and every second are precious and irreplaceable. , even if the end result is destined to be failure, so what? Who can say that the process of hard work is worthless? Is the journey of hard work fruitless?
From Rui En to Lu Ke himself, they saw two communities inside and outside the mirror, but the difference is that Rui En's ending has not been changed. It glides across the sky like a gorgeous meteor, blooming with endless light, and finally disappears. The night sky; and Lu Ke's ending has changed because of the system. He is on the road to realizing his dream, carrying his own beliefs, as well as Ryan's persistence and commitment.
More importantly, Ryan's spirit still exists, lighting up the entire Bay Area like the dazzling golden ocean beneath his feet.
Being in this golden ocean, staring at the tombstone in front of him, Lu Ke's shoulder lines relaxed slightly, and even the curvature of the corners of his mouth became much lighter.
"Obviously, defending the title is definitely not an easy task. The problems we are facing now may be more severe than at any time in the previous two seasons." Lu Ke exhaled deliberately and exaggeratedly. His exaggerated acting skills made Curry dumbfounded. , I was feeling a little sad just now, but now I can’t help but want to laugh.
Lu Ke ignored Curry, who was riding a roller coaster of emotions, and still looked at Ryan, and continued seriously, "But it is precisely because the challenges continue to escalate that this is what motivates us to continue to make progress and make breakthroughs, isn't it? The more difficult it is, the braver we are, because we are warriors, warriors who will never give up easily, let alone surrender, warriors who will fight until the last moment on the battlefield even if their heads are broken and bloody."
Those impassioned words were spoken in a calm tone. Although Lu Ke still had a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes, Curry could feel a sense of loneliness behind those heroic words - the comrades fighting side by side were one by one. After the loneliness and loneliness dissipated, the unspeakable sadness made the soul gradually become heavier. The brighter the smile, the more painful the wound, but it never showed... loneliness.
"How about it, are you starting to feel regret now? Now are you realizing what kind of excitement you have missed? I know it!" Lu Ke said in a brisk tone, with the joy of joking and ridicule, "We will try our best We will try our best to defend the title. This season's playoffs will definitely be an exciting journey! You can look forward to it now and see with your own eyes how we move forward step by step and finally hit the crown!"
silence.
The words were cut off and silenced, without beginning or end, without any warning, as if sprinting forward in a straight line with all his strength, but suddenly found that there was a cliff in front of him, as smooth as a mirror, with a ninety-degree knife and axe, and a sharp cut. All routes were cut off immediately, and the surprise and panic caused by the sudden stop inevitably surged.
Curry instantly understood the meaning behind the silence: Ryan was absent. Ryan will be absent from this wonderful journey starting next week.
The sadness revealed in just one moment of silence made his chest full of cotton, making him so uncomfortable that he could not speak. Curry shifted his gaze in embarrassment, raised his hand and rubbed his eyes to hide his sadness.
"Don't worry, you won't miss the most exciting core part." Lu Ke's voice came from the wind again, and even if you didn't see his expression, you could still catch the faint smile in his words, The tenacious and optimistic spirit shines down like the sunshine after the storm, "I think the nine people will definitely tell you all the news as soon as possible. Their speed is much faster than me, which makes me feel like a tractor."
This joke...could it be colder?
"What's more, you have never gone far, right? You have always been with us, fought with us, experienced the beauty of the peaks and the pain of the troughs. No matter what lies ahead is mountains of swords, seas of fire or wilderness, we will stand side by side. Move forward until the last drop of blood is burned, and then embrace the final outcome and refuse to leave any regrets, right?"
Rui En is like this, and so is Lu Ke. The same is true for the current San Francisco 49ers.
"Hey, did you know? This golden ocean in the Bay Area will never disappear." Lu Ke still maintained a bright smile, but his voice was slightly choked, and the surge of emotions caught him off guard, making him a little embarrassed.
The pain and difficulties endured by the San Francisco 49ers are far less brutal than the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that Ryan faced. Only by truly experiencing the ups and downs can we truly understand what happened to Ryan when he stood up from the wheelchair. It took a lot of effort to truly understand how much sweat it took for Ryan to say "persistence" and "fight". He may have to work ten or even a hundred times harder than others to achieve what others can achieve effortlessly. His movements were just like Lu Ke's in the past four years.
The same is true for the current San Francisco 49ers. Because of injuries and the lack of major generals, they need to work harder and pay more to achieve the feat last season; they may even grit their teeth and try their best but still not be able to defend the title, and in the end they can only face sadness helplessly. ending. But they will not give up. The slogan "The fight never stops" is definitely not just words. Just like the golden ocean in front of them, it will never dissipate.
After clenching his fist and then loosening it, a soreness burst out between his knuckles and palms due to excessive exertion, but Lu Ke was always reminded: Never relax! Only by running with all your strength can you chase that thin and ethereal glimmer of hope. This year's playoffs are a narrow escape for the San Francisco 49ers, and they must go against the odds and use their own hands and feet to carve out a bloody path. .
Bending down, Lu Ke placed the bouquet of daisies he brought in the flower array in front of him, becoming an insignificant part of the golden ocean.
"Stephen, let's go." Lu Ke gently patted Curry on the shoulder and noticed Curry's slightly red eyes. He joked again easily, "Don't envy us, one day in the future, you will also be in the NBA. Have your own world.”
Curry pretended not to hear and shifted his gaze to the distance, hiding his emotions.
At this moment, the thick fog above the head slowly receded, gradually revealing the crystal clear baby blue behind. A bright ray of sunlight fell down without any cover, and it was vaguely visible. Seeing the sun that was like an egg yolk, the whole world was shrouded in gold, and the vast golden ocean began to steam like this. It seemed that the entire cemetery had turned into a mirage, and the warm air was gurgling. It's flowing, and people can't help but wander in it.
Everything is like a miracle.
