"That’s right, Mike. Li Wei," Kurt Warner chimed in crisply, as the classic photo of Li Wei’s seemingly physics-defying vertical jump appeared on screen. "This week, this young man from New York has been like an alien who appeared out of nowhere, shattering our entire concept of a ’High School Quarterback.’ A 4.29-second 40-yard dash and a 46.5-inch vertical leap... If I saw those stats for an opposing Quarterback in the NFL, I’d suspect a printing error."

"So you’re saying those numbers would be astonishing even in the NFL?" Mike said. "We’ve also noticed a lot of female viewers are watching the game this time, Kurt. Why don’t you explain to everyone what those numbers really mean?"

"It’s like..." Kurt Warner paused for a moment. "You’re facing a grizzly bear with the explosive power of Bolt."

"Let me elaborate. The fastest 40-yard dash for a Quarterback in history was Michael Vick’s 4.33 seconds, which he ran during his college workout. And Li Wei, as a high schooler, just beat that record by a full 0.04 seconds," he added. "Even looking at the history of all positions in the NFL, that’s an extremely rare number. It means he’s faster than 99% of the current wide receivers and cornerbacks in the NFL."

"In other words, this is a nightmare for the Western Conference All-Stars," Mike Tirico said. "It means that as a Quarterback, Li Wei not only has vision from within the pocket, but once the pocket collapses, his instantaneous Burst is enough to shake off every linebacker on the field, and maybe even leap right over the secondary."

"But I still have my doubts about his in-game performance," Kurt said. "Those numbers are a little too outrageous, and there’s another issue—football isn’t a game where you can just ignore all teamwork and single-handedly lead your team to victory just because you’re physically gifted."

"I bet you haven’t seen any of Li Wei’s game tapes, Kurt, though there’s precious little of it to go around," Mike Tirico said with a smile. "When Li Wei led his team to the PSAL championship, it was on the back of his unique and ferocious individual ability. He played football like a one-man show, reminding us of a second legendary figure named ’Li.’ I guarantee he’s going to bring a surprise to the NFL."

"I know, but the level of competition is different," Kurt was still not optimistic about Li Wei. "He was Superman in an ordinary public high school league, but this is a Top 100 game in the country. And in the future, there’s the even higher level of the NFL. As for his actual abilities, we’ll have to wait and see."

"Exactly, let’s wait and see," Mike said. "Alright, our director is telling us the ceremony on the field is ready to begin. Let’s take it back down to the stadium."

...

「Meanwhile, over 1,200 miles away from San Antonio, in a multimedia conference room inside the NFL headquarters at 345 Park Avenue, New York.」

The massive high-definition screen on the wall was split into several feeds. The center feed showed the live broadcast of the All-American Bowl, while several smaller windows around it displayed an encrypted video conference with several important figures.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was holding a cup of coffee, chatting with Giants owner John Mara through the screen.

"Viewership has broken 3.3 million," he said. "And that’s before he’s even taken the field. His influence is nothing to scoff at."

"I told you, Roger," Mara said with a smile. "My gut feeling was right."

"Let’s see his on-field performance first," another influential team owner said. "I’ve always felt that pushing this kind of diversity for the sake of the new president isn’t a good thing. The NFL should stick to tradition. Our base is right-wing, traditional Americans—the red states."

"A new era calls for a new narrative," Roger said, settling the matter. "In any case, it’s just a special provision. We’ll have to see how things play out, one step at a time."

But it wasn’t just the NFL professionals who were watching the game.

「The Caribbean Sea, Dominican Republic, Casa de Campo Resort.」

Here, it was 11 AM in the Eastern Time Zone. The sun was strong, and the Caribbean breeze carried its characteristic salty humidity and warmth.

Elizabeth Mellon was sitting on the terrace of a private ocean-view villa. Behind her was the seventh green of the world-famous "Teeth of the Dog" golf course.

She was dressed in a white, casual linen outfit and a wide-brimmed sun hat. On the round table in front of her sat a glass of iced lemon tea with a mint leaf, and a propped-up iPad Pro.

"Liz," a young woman with a London accent said as she approached. "It’s time for the next tee-off."

"You guys go ahead," Elizabeth said without turning her head. "I’ll wait until I finish watching this quarter."

「Monaco, Monte Carlo Port.」

A superyacht rocked gently with the waves of the Mediterranean Sea.

On the sun-drenched deck, Anya lay lazily on a lounge chair, wearing oversized sunglasses and a bikini.

On the table beside her, a large-screen television connected to a satellite signal was also showing the live broadcast from the NBC Television Network.

...

Don Quixote and Lily sat inside a VIP box in the Alamo Dome Arena. His palms were slick with sweat.

The soundproof glass here blocked some of the deafening noise from outside, but they could still feel the entire structure vibrating from the crowd’s stomping.