"Is there anything I need to look out for?" Li Wei asked. "For instance, anyone I should be suspicious of?"

"I’m not sure about that," Mara said. "Besides, we have a good relationship with them on the surface. The NFL and the NCAA Alliance have to work together, you know. They have to show us some respect, so I doubt they’ll target you too overtly. But you need to be especially careful with your diet. Don’t get an upset stomach or let poor sleep affect your performance. We are in a hotel, after all, with dozens, even hundreds, of media outlets right here."

Li Wei nodded.

"Alright, I just wanted to give you a heads-up. Don’t feel too pressured," Mara said. "On another note, I have some good news for you."

"Oh?" Li Wei’s interest was piqued. "What is it?"

"The current NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, will be watching this event as well," Mara said, patting his shoulder. "We’ve already discussed it, and Roger has no objection to fast-tracking you. Of course, the condition is that you have to earn the MVP title during the workouts, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you."

"He’s very interested in you," Mara said. "The NFL is actively expanding into the Asian market. If you can make it straight onto the Giants’ roster, Roger said he’ll personally step in to land you a nice endorsement deal."

"So I guess I’m working for an endorsement deal now?" Li Wei shrugged.

"I look forward to the day you breathe new life into the NFL." Mara stood up and shook his hand. "I have to be in Los Angeles tonight for business. If you think your roommate is trying to mess with you, you can stay here."

With that, he snapped his fingers. The middle-aged man who had led Li Wei in earlier placed a black card from his hand onto the table.

Mara pulled another black keycard from his pocket and placed both in Li Wei’s hand.

"This..." Li Wei started, "Isn’t this against the rules?"

"It is," Mara said. "But right now, I need you to maintain absolute focus and be at your peak. You cannot afford to fail, understand, kid?"

Li Wei looked into Mara’s eyes, then down at the two keycards in his own hand.

He was somewhat familiar with the Giants’ recent situation.

Ever since the Giants won a Super Bowl over a decade ago, their performance had plummeted over the next ten years. They had only made it to the playoffs twice in that entire span.

Their record for the last three years was even more abysmal.

6-11, 3-14, 4-13. In fact, just last year, around the time John Mara had approached Li Wei, the Giants’ head coach had been fired. An enraged Mara had completely overhauled the management, and now they desperately needed to spin a new narrative, to create a new savior.

"In that case," Li Wei said after a moment’s thought, "let’s give this suite to my uncle and cousin. My cousin mentioned their room is right by the highway, and people are always out there revving their engines."

John Mara’s expression didn’t change. He simply nodded.

"I hope you know what you’re doing." He took back the keycards and called the staffer over again. "Give these keycards to a Mr. Don Quixote Cervantes."

’Of course I do. I can read, after all,’ Li Wei thought to himself.

[Knight · Silver Body (Extraordinary) 2/4]

[Moderately increases physical resistance. Provides effective protection against bladed weapons, small-caliber firearms, plagues, and diseases.]

’Effective protection against plagues and diseases.’ He felt that as long as he wasn’t given a lethal poison, he was practically immune.

After saying goodbye to John Mara, Li Wei got back in the elevator and went down to the ground floor. He checked the time and realized it was time for dinner.

The hotel’s ground-floor restaurant had clearly been set up to cater to the athletes.

Massive floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the golden sunset outside. The interior was brightly lit, and the air was filled with the aroma of grilled steak and black pepper. Long buffet tables were piled high with high-protein red meat, carbs, and fresh fruits and vegetables. On the other side, uniformed chefs bustled in front of a teppanyaki grill, ready to prepare meals to order.

Li Wei grabbed a plate and, without a second thought, helped himself to two large servings of ribeye steak and a portion of spaghetti bolognese.

Even though John Mara had warned him about food safety and potential tampering just a few minutes earlier, he wasn’t actually concerned.

With an Extraordinary constitution that granted him a high probability of immunity to plagues and diseases, he was confident that as long as he didn’t ingest a lethal poison, he would be fine. Things that would be a disaster for any other athlete—laxatives, or the diarrhea, dehydration, and food poisoning from spoiled food—were no issue for him.

As for someone sabotaging his clothes or shoes to intentionally injure him?

’What a joke.’ A handgun shot probably wouldn’t even break his skin.

He grabbed some dessert as well. Carrying a plate piled high like a small mountain, Li Wei avoided the noisy central area and found an inconspicuous corner to sit.

It was the peak of the dinner rush, and the restaurant was already clamorous.

A quick glance around revealed that the top football talent from nearly every state in the US was gathered here. Young men with powerful physiques and thick necks stood around in small groups. The air was thick with the smell of athletes’ sweat and body odor.

"Hey! Jack! I heard you broke the state touchdown record in Texas last year?"

"You know it. But that’s nothing compared to your performance in Florida. I saw you made the top 10 on ESPN’s forecast."

Li Wei devoured his meal while observing the social dynamics of the room.