Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 559: 558 Crisis Awareness Chapter 559: 558 Crisis Awareness The sky was beginning to brighten.

Above, the inky darkness gradually blended into a light shade of deep blue, framing the distant sunrise on the horizon that quietly woke the sleeping city.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

The rustling of footsteps approached from afar, disturbing the peace within the training base, and the sparrows perched on branches all turned to look as a young man in a white shirt and blue shorts entered their view, his brow dripping with sweat that was transforming into rising steam.

A hint of early spring chill lingered with each breath he took.

Li Wei’s biological clock had adjusted to the Watt Training Camp routine.

He had agreed with Mahomes the night before that today they should get back to their regular training schedule, pushing back their bedtime and wake-up time.

But when the time came, his body naturally awakened.

Since he was already awake, there was no reason to lie in bed and be lazy.

So, he jogged all the way to the training base.

In the back of his mind, he was beginning to look forward to the new challenges the upcoming season would bring.

Hmm?

Wait.

There was already someone at the training base.

Could it be Mahomes?

Entering the training field, the figure who was setting up a rope ladder paused at the sound, turned around, and they both froze.

Li Wei had not expected anyone to arrive earlier than him, an intensity surpassing both himself and Watt.

The other person had not expected it to be Li Wei either, the newly-crowned Super Bowl MVP at the height of his career, the team’s key player to develop, yet here he was at the voluntary training camp on the very first day, arriving early at the training base.

There was a moment of surprise, followed by some silence.

“Good morning, Chris,” Li Wei was the first to recover, breaking the silence with a smile and a greeting.

The tall, muscular man in front of him seemed a bit tense, not responding verbally but politely nodding his head in acknowledgment before returning to focusing on the rope ladder in his hands.

Chris Jones had joined the team a year before Li Wei, selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round, thirty-seventh overall pick in 2016, as a Defensive Tackle.

Last year, first-year players like Li Wei and Mahomes, as well as sophomores from the year before, often got together to discuss tactics and train, helping each other out.

Jones was included in that group.

However, as a Defensive Tackle, Jones was not part of the same unit as Li Wei in daily routines.

Plus, whenever Jones was with them, he always seemed a bit slower—

Not slow-witted, but more like a sloth nicknamed “Lightning,” habitually sluggish in response, often choosing silence over engagement.

As a result, the two of them were not particularly close, merely acquaintances who nodded to each other in passing.

Seeing Jones here now was a bit of a surprise for Li Wei.

Typically, Defensive Tackles one after the other were like solid mounds of flesh, akin to sumo wrestlers in their day-to-day life.

Those like Aaron Donald who practically lived in the gym were still the minority.

And now, an early riser?

Working with a rope ladder?

Training?

This was not quite normal.

But Li Wei didn’t ponder much; regardless, it was a good thing that Jones was willing to train actively.

Without exchanging words, Li Wei too began to focus on his own training.

Jones sneaked a peek and found Li Wei’s training regimen truly terrifying, wondering if it was a part of the Navy SEALs’ daily routine.

No wonder they called him a devil, he thought.

After one offseason, he had even upgraded—

From T800 to T1000.

Ah, shoot, their eyes met.

Jones felt a stiffening in the muscles of his neck.

His attempt to avert his gaze was a beat too slow, making it even more awkward.

He muttered a couple of curses under his breath and turned his gaze back to Li Wei, who courteously flashed him a smile, bringing Jones some relief and silently bolstering his courage.

“Rookie,” Jones called out, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.” Li Wei continued warming up his joints, answering loudly from where he stood.

Jones took a deep breath, “Can you train with me one-on-one, in grappling and dodging?”

Li Wei laughed, “Of course, I can.” He was expecting Jones to come up with something significant, but this?

That’s it?

Li Wei came forward, wiping off sweat, “Competitive or technical?”

“Technical.” Jones hurriedly said.

He tried to explain but after a full circle of thoughts inside his head, he still didn’t know how to start, so without words, he rolled up his sleeves and began immediately.@@novelbin@@

The first time.

Li Wei executed a pendulum-like lateral feint, breezing past easily.

The second time.

Jones preempted with an attempt to grapple, his hands already touching Li Wei, but before the grip closed in, Li Wei spun 360 degrees clockwise on the spot, evading while brushing past Jones’s body.

Not only did he break free on the right side, but he also used the impact of the collision to nearly send Jones stumbling forward.

Jones felt embarrassment, it was hard to tell if his dark cheeks were flushed, all he said in a subdued tone was, “Again.”

The third time.

Li Wei made a false start, as if he was going to step forward, but instead waited a beat, confronting Jones.

One sought to grapple and the other to evade.

As their arms began to entangle and Jones was about to impose a physical suppression with his size and strength, Li Wei seized an opening.

He moved forward, colliding with Jones’s shoulder, exerting force, and their bodies shifted past one another.

Li Wei broke through once more.

Panting heavily.

Jones breathed hard, the quick succession of confrontations, although more technical and less about full-force head-on combat, still quickly enveloped his body in a burning sensation.

Jones glared at Li Wei, his eyes flashing with reluctance—

Once more.

He wanted to say this, but the words reached his lips, he swallowed them down this time.

This was the pressing issue he needed to address:

The stability of his grappling.

In his freshman year, relying on the recklessness and spirit of a newcomer, his performance was decent.

Moreover, people tend to be more forgiving towards rookies, so he made it into the nationwide all-rookie team.

In his sophomore year, however, he suddenly discovered that the grappling techniques that had been effective in college and the previous year were no longer working.

Even when he managed to grapple his opponents, they often escaped easily.

This caused a noticeable decline in his performance, starting in only five games that season, appearing otherwise as a rotation player or in the Special Duty Group.

Before he knew it, his junior year had arrived.

Pressure built even further, especially after last season, when he witnessed how the rookie Li Wei became a pivotal pillar of the team with his unparalleled performances, becoming a leader both on and off the field.

To say he wasn’t envious would be a complete lie.

Jones knew he needed to refine his grappling techniques and fight with all his might for a spot on the team, or the next year would be his last on his rookie contract, leaving him with little time to prove himself and continue to grow.

A sense of crisis made the Chargers start to buckle down.

During the off-season, Jones had been practicing grappling and honing his skills.

He believed he had grown and improved, but in the face of Li Wei, he completely fell apart—

Physically, standing at 6.6 feet (198 centimeters) and weighing 310 pounds (141 kilograms), Jones was certainly two sizes bigger than Li Wei.

This off-season, he even added more weight and muscle to further strengthen his physical advantage, yet he still utterly collapsed.

His self-esteem and pride shattered into pieces.

So, what should he do now?

Angry and frustrated, regretful and annoyed.

Jones wanted to turn and walk away but ultimately, he controlled himself.

He needed to improve and understand what the problem was.