Chapter 41: 041 First Time Drawing the Sword
A block from Wide Receiver number one, Foster, once again widened Li Wei’s field of vision, allowing him to continue on without any hindrance, his speed still increasing.
Bit by bit, Li Wei’s speed was unleashed.
Just then, a figure appeared on his left, leading by four or five steps ahead of Li Wei in a diagonal direction—it was Tight End Hentges, who quickly glanced back at Li Wei.
Although the two men didn’t speak, Hentges immediately understood his job. With a turn of his head, he charged at the two linemen flying towards him, taking them both on in a block.
In an instant.
Hentges was just one person and simply couldn’t stop the two linemen charging down like tigers, only managing to create a fleeting moment for Li Wei.
However, that was enough.
Pick up speed.
Run.
Sprint.
Li Wei’s speed entered the high-speed running phase through the start and acceleration zone, his light footsteps continuously breaking forward, moving from the five-yard to the ten-yard line in the blink of an eye.
First down, achieved.
The entire field, stunned.
While some fans had already witnessed the capabilities of number twenty-three in the team scrimmage, it was still a novelty for others.
Moreover, this was against the Clemson Tigers, the Tiger Team who had been rubbing their offensive group into the ground in the first half.
In the stadium, there was silence, even the exclamations had completely disappeared.
With Hentges’ blocking clearing the obstacles, Li Wei smoothly broke through the ten yards to complete the first down conversion, then from the corner of his eye he could see O’Daniel’s flying tackle, but this move was useless against Li Wei.
Push off the ground.
Lift a leg.
With a light leap, Li Wei’s footsteps landed delicately and agilely, his cheetah-like speed and posture cleverly maintaining balance, utterly undisturbed, continuing to sprint at high speed, crossing into the Tiger’s half at the forty-five-yard line in just a few short steps.
This, still wasn’t the end.
Run.
Full-on sprint.
Free from restraint, Li Wei’s speed was completely unleashed.
Forty-yard line.
The Safety appeared.
Tanner Muse knew he was the last line of defense for the Tigers, he couldn’t miss the tackle.
But the problem was, for the entire first half today, the Tigers’ backfield almost hadn’t been challenged at all, the safeties were practically strolling around, and when Muse rotated on during the second half, he thought he was just there to go through the motions. But unexpectedly, a shockwave came out of nowhere and hit him face first.
What if he missed the tackle?
A thought, a moment of hesitation.
Before Muse could make a move, Li Wei, whose speed had fully picked up, had already surged past: overtaking.
This poor unlucky guy frantically changed strategies, charging forward with Li Wei side by side, looking for an opportunity to make the tackle.
But this was not easy.
Thirty-five-yard line.
When two people are both in a high-speed sprint, any movement that disrupts the center of gravity is especially difficult. The correct approach is to slightly suppress the opponent’s speed, then use this slight deviation to make the move.
This is what Muse thought, but the ideal is plump and the reality is skeletal.
Thirty-yard line.
In just a breath, the Red Zone seemed to already be in sight, and if he didn’t make his move now, it would be too late.
Muse knew this, so he made his move—
Just as he raised his hand, his center of gravity began to shift, balance starting to tilt, and just as he was about to touch number twenty-three’s shoulder, he found the other player accelerating.
Incredibly!
Accelerating!
Speeding up for the second time while already at high speed, entering a state of full sprint.
Muse had just raised his right hand when he could visibly see number twenty-three pulling away. He leaned slightly forward, his steps started to falter, any more hesitation and he would miss his chance—there was no time left.
Twenty-five-yard line.
A push, a dive, Mus launched himself into a desperate lunge, crashing hard into Li Wei’s back amid the jostling tumult, attempting to tackle, but there was no chance, absolutely no chance.
The world spun chaotically, his body completely out of control.
Bang!
Mus: Did I succeed? I must have succeeded! Even if I didn’t secure the tackle, I disrupted his center of gravity, right?
However.
Looking up, in the midst of losing total control, Mus saw the figure wearing number twenty-three stabilizing his steps amidst continued lunges, moving further and further away, gravity pulling his body downward, his eyes filled with despair.
The twenty-yard line.
Li Wei’s back was hit hard, with all his speed, balance, and center of gravity forcibly disrupted, his knees weakened, he stumbled forward.
He was about to kneel!
Li Wei bit down hard, with only one thought in his mind:
Push off.
Push off!
He pushed off with all his might, using inertia to surge forward at full speed, not only out of control but also further unleashing his pace.
The fifteen-yard line!
Charge.
Ten yards.
Dive.
Five yards!
Barely maintaining balance, knees unable to continue supporting, but Li Wei, with the momentum of his run-up, leapt into the air, his whole body lunging forward like a flying fish surging upwards.
Soaring, gliding.
Crossing the End Zone Line, landing in a vast and dazzling expanse.
Touchdown.
Blackley couldn’t believe his eyes; this unknown number twenty-three had shed the Tiger Safety’s coverage with sheer speed—
Absolute speed.
An explosive sprint akin to Sonic the Hedgehog! And Blackley, a professional, would never forget the series of swift stops and turns that shook off the Defensive End earlier, the true beginning of everything, the dazzling moves that created an opportunity for the Crimson Tide Storm on third gear.
Third and eight?
No, number twenty-three transformed the third-down challenge into a fifty-two-yard long touchdown run with an inconceivable performance.
Though this wasn’t the Tiger Team’s starting Defensive group, they were still substitutes; but don’t forget, the Crimson Tide Storm’s Offensive group was completely unable to open up the game in the first half but reversed the situation entirely in the second half because of a running back.
Blackley turned to look at Pash: ???
Pash wore a satisfied smile.
Ah!
Ah! Ah! Ah!
At last, Bryant Denny Stadium exploded with energy, the long-awaited touchdown finally came, and in such an exuberant manner.
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
The University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide Storm began to roar!
The roar reverberated, hovering over the stadium.
Allen, the Defensive group captain, exchanged a look with another Defensive Captain, number ten Foster—
Their nightmare was now the opponent’s.
What was this slight sense of schadenfreude?
Allan’s lips curved up, "The rookie proved himself this way; he’s slapping us in the face, showing disdain for our Defensive group’s poor performance. So, what now?"
Foster, a man of few words, shrugged slightly, "Hit back."
In the first half, the Crimson Tide Storm’s vaunted defense didn’t perform well, getting completely outplayed by Watson; now their main force was finally on stage, and Watson shouldn’t be playing anymore. If they still didn’t perform well, in front of that rookie, Li Wei, they might lose face completely.
Allen was eager to try, were those young Tiger cubs ready to face the real Crimson Tide Storm?