Chapter 1358: Chapter 1357: Open and Aboveboard
The Old Oak Tavern was bustling with people coming and going.
In the corner by the bar, near the pool table area, a crowd had gathered, not only West’s tour group but also some individual customers.
Even regulars couldn’t resist—stories about Li Wei remain fresh no matter how often they’re told; his whirlwind journey over the past three years seemed like a dream.
His spontaneous escapades, and countless fun stories, everyday life’s little episodes… Anderson wasn’t the only one; the regulars enthusiastically chipped in with details, piece by piece painting a picture of Li Wei’s life in Kansas City. They all got immersed unknowingly.
Then, a discordant voice came from the crowd, “Is it true or not? Anyway, it’s all just words; you can say whatever you want. Now you’ve turned Li Wei into a god to worship, naturally making it sound as exciting as possible like you wish to bow to him daily. It’s not surprising if these stories are all made up.”
Ha ha.
The provocation didn’t cause any attacks, instead, the tavern regulars burst into laughter.
Anderson was all smiles too.
“You don’t have to believe it. You’re free to express doubts, and I don’t have to convince you to believe because the facts are there for everyone to see. They don’t exist because I said so, and they can’t be erased just because you deny them; everyone living in Kansas City can see that.”
“We don’t prepare or need to prove ourselves to every skeptic.”
“The rookie said if all voices consistently praise, that’s the most frightening, because without different voices, there’s less chance to recognize one’s shortcomings. Although he might want to strangle all the haters, he won’t do that.”
“After all, hatred is those people’s only reason to live, so pathetic that even just breathing elicits sympathy.”
Uproarious laughter, collective chuckling.
The previous hostile eyes toward the discordant voice now all turned serene.
Take a look at the Old Oak Tavern regulars—each at ease, relaxed, exuding a confidence that cannot be faked.
Silently and naturally, no one paid attention to those haters anymore; those ugly and dirty gazes quietly swallowed by the darkness, forever living in the shadows, not warranting even a glance, as they basked and relaxed in this light-hearted and joyous atmosphere.
Then, someone in the crowd asked, “Excuse me, do you know what’s going on? I saw Li Wei at the airport this morning.”
In an instant, murmurs erupted, “Li Wei?” “Are you serious?” “Couldn’t have mistaken someone else, could you?” “What was Li Wei doing at the airport?” “Aren’t there any paparazzi?”
The person was equally puzzled, “I doubted my eyes too, but others at the airport also saw him. He wore a bucket hat, wasn’t particularly disguised, and was greeting others warmly; it’s not just me who saw him. Someone probably took a picture; maybe you could find it on social media.”
“But, why?”
“The conference finals are this weekend, yet he’s not training in Kansas City and has gone out? Could it be for some personal commercial event again?”
A similar situation has occurred more than once this season, in New York before the season, during the season in London, and now this is the third time?
Although Li Wei didn’t let those previous occasions affect his performance, due to his strong retaliations, the end of the season is different since distractions could be problematic.
Furthermore, the timing is unusual—not a rest week, no special holidays from the division match to the conference finals, just a normal training preparation period from Monday to Saturday, and any interruption could impact the match status, things aren’t that simple.
Moreover, with under three weeks left till the season’s end, couldn’t commercial activities wait?
The crowd was buzzing with chatter, seemingly normal to Anderson; anyway, Li Wei is currently a target—
No news, and people would condemn him for being off the radar and disappearing, fabricating stories to slander and defame.
With news, people decipher from all sorts of perspectives and angles, launching their own interpretations and sieges.
Simply put, no peace, people always find a way to stir up controversy.
Before, Kansas City Chiefs fans were outraged, always defending Li Wei’s reputation; but they got used to it, realizing those people are just foul-mouthed troublemakers, and responding only plays into their hands, creating traffic.
Gradually, they began to abandon self-justification.
As the saying goes, a hater will always be a hater.
This scene reminded Anderson of the storms they’ve weathered over the past three seasons.
“Yes, that’s the rookie.” Anderson said.
Wow.
The crowd roiled once more.
West happened to come out, seeing this scene, gave Anderson a glance, and Anderson explained briefly, and West immediately caught on.
“The rookie didn’t want to drive himself to the airport, so he called a ride-share. The driver is also a regular here, so we knew right away.”
“If the rookie didn’t want us to know, he would have driven himself. Otherwise, in Kansas City, news about the rookie doesn’t stay hidden for fifteen minutes, and the whole city knows.”
“However, the rookie seems to have never hidden anything; he’s always been open, so you don’t need to cover up like he’s done something wrong.”
Someone in the crowd immediately retorted, “But, the conference finals are on Sunday.”
West didn’t give room to argue, shooting back directly, “But today is just a recovery training day; the rookie and the team know what they’re doing.”
“The rookie went to Houston…”
Without waiting for the words to finish, gasps came from the crowd, leaving them all stunned.
In an instant, the murmurs were silenced, making the noise outside the Old Oak Tavern seem particularly jarring.
West and Anderson exchanged glances, both breaking into laughter.
Prost came over, smirking as he teased, “Our team leader headed into enemy territory alone at such a critical moment, and everyone’s scared silly. Aren’t we a bit too calm?”
With a carefree demeanor, they even had the mood to joke?
The traveling fans in the tavern were all left agape, stunned—
Was it that they were overreacting, or were the Kansas City Chiefs fans in front of them all oddballs?
And, what’s going on?
…
The plane landed smoothly in Houston.
Of course, Li Wei didn’t use commercial flights. With the support of sponsor Net-Jet, he flew on a private jet, saving the hassle of maintaining a private plane while enjoying the travel convenience, making everyday life much easier.
In less than two hours, Li Wei’s feet were already on Houston soil.
JJ-Watt, who had specially come to the private tarmac to welcome his friend, looked up and down at the unburdened Li Wei, “Where’s your luggage? You didn’t just come like this, did you?”
Light as a feather, not even a suitcase, let alone a handbag, briefcase, or backpack—no wallet in sight—his demeanor was no different from someone taking out the trash.