Chapter 940: The darker, the redder

“Li Wei surprises at the global premiere of ‘Avengers 4’!”

“‘Avengers 4’ global premiere: Li Wei steals the spotlight.”

“From the Super Bowl to Hollywood, the spotlight remains on Li Wei.”

“Li Wei: I still hate Los Angeles.”

“The one and only true superstar–Li Wei is equally sought after in Hollywood.”

“Enjoying panda-level treatment–Li Wei shines at the ‘Avengers 4’ premiere, red-hot in demand.”

Focus, focus, unquestionably still the focus.

Even in Hollywood, even at the premiere of ‘Avengers 4,’ Li Wei bursts onto the scene, stealing all attention and standing at the center of the storm.

Grand and dazzling, news headlines flood every corner.

Is this all a joke?

This is the ‘Avengers 4’ premiere, a galaxy of stars, brilliance overflowing–every single actor, every single role in this film holds an incredible fan base. And putting that aside, as a finale of a decade-long buildup in the Marvel Universe, its topical heat is off the charts.

But then, Li Wei?

A football running back–where did this gate-crasher come from, breaking into the party and effortlessly hijacking all the spotlight?

Is this normal? Are we sure it’s not a joke? Even if it were an April Fool’s prank, wouldn’t this go too far?

Especially on social media, one photo caused a massive uproar–

A group of Marvel superheroes surrounding Li Wei, the scene resembling stars orbiting their sun, leaving Li Wei unquestionably in the spotlight as if the megastars themselves became mere props.

Like Snow White and the seven dwarves.

Unbelievably, hardcore ‘Avengers’ fans flooded Li Wei’s social media, unleashing an onslaught of vitriol so shocking it broke boundaries and expectations.

What they didn’t realize was that Li Wei never personally manages his social media accounts. All that trash talk ultimately became nothing more than junk data, entirely incapable of hurting Li Wei.

At the same time, the more hate, the hotter the fame.

The attackers’ flowing traffic pushed Li Wei to the top of trends, completely overshadowing the promotional buzz of ‘Avengers 4.’ What was supposed to be a moment for the movie turned into a prime opportunity for Li Wei’s explosive publicity growth–full marks for going viral.

Things are starting to deviate from the intended track.

And it’s not just happening on social media; traditional print media caught wind of it as well. Leading outlets like the ‘New York Times’ shined a spotlight on last night’s entertainment scene.

Li Wei, once again, became a headline keyword.

The assumption was that with the NFL off-season, free agency opening, and the draft approaching, professional players might temporarily step out of the public eye.

Who could’ve predicted that Li Wei’s exposure rate would skyrocket instead? Whether it’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ or the ‘Avengers 4’ premiere, he effortlessly dominated attention. Amid this whirlwind craze, Louis Vuitton emerged as the biggest winner of the year so far–

Following Nike’s lead, another bold risk-taker harvested an extraordinary reward as Li Wei’s market value continued to climb!

Amidst the loud clamor, the news of Li Wei and Kroenke chatting amicably at the ‘Avengers 4’ premiere lost its punch–

After all, Marvel superheroes wield endless charm, with all the attention pooling there.

Moreover, Kroenke has always been discreet. Even at the premiere, his photo was almost absent from news coverage–attending but effectively invisible.

Yet, sharp-eyed insiders still noticed the interaction. Despite the lack of emphasis in reporting, industry experts keenly sensed a storm brewing.

Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams.

It’s widely known that Kroenke rarely meddles in team matters. Precisely because of this, when Kroenke speaks, few can refuse.

With the 2019 season about to begin, what kind of shake-up might occur if Kroenke is determined to bring in Li Wei?

After all, the ‘Cosmic Rams’ are akin to a Galactic Battleship now, with a hundred reasons to recruit the league’s hottest superstar.

Of course, skeptics will say, “Impossible! Li Wei’s rookie contract still has two years left. How could the Kansas City Chiefs let him go?”

But on the flip side, this is the Professional League–if the size of the paycheck is big enough, anything is possible.

Just visualize it: an offensive group with Goff and Li Wei, and a defensive group with Aaron Donald–having the league’s strongest offensive weapon and defensive pillar united under one roof. What kind of spectacle would that be?

Gurley: I should just stay under the car.

Rumors have quietly started circulating, and at this very moment, professionals realize that the off-season’s battlefield of scheming has officially begun–

Everything commences with rumors surrounding the league’s most high-profile superstar transfers.

Forget about opening a social media account–even lifting a traditional newspaper, it’s effortless to spot Li Wei’s face splashed across the sports, entertainment, and even society sections.

Knock knock.

A rapping noise at the door, followed by Alex Smith’s voice, “Come in.”

The door swung open, and a tall figure peeked inside. Without raising his head, Alex could sense an unmistakable hint of mirth in the voice, “Hey, Alex.”

Smith looked up, his lips curling into a grin. “Aren’t you supposed to be in San Francisco watching the game?”

The visitor paused briefly. “How’d you know?”

Smith flipped open the ‘Los Angeles Times.’ Turning it around, he displayed the page. “It should’ve been Warriors’ victory taking the headlines, but over half the section was about someone being cheered at Oracle Arena.”

“I couldn’t overlook it even if I wanted to.”

At the center of the sports section, a striking photo of Li Wei high-fiving Curry in celebration dominated the space, as if Li Wei were part of the Golden State Warriors.

The visitor was indeed Li Wei.

Li Wei flashed a smile. “The atmosphere was truly amazing. It’s different from our football games. The smaller venue lets you sit close enough to high-five players right from the front row. Maybe because the team’s moving to San Francisco next season, Oakland is savoring these last games even more.”

“This year, the Warriors are unstoppable again–strong chance of defending their title.”

Smith offered no mercy and quipped, “After seeing you, Oakland fans wouldn’t throw water bottles at you?”

Li Wei shrugged lightly. “I’m sure they’d like to, but they’re afraid they might lose the fight. They’re all on good behavior.”

The banter drew hearty laughter from Smith–

The real story is that Warriors fans knew Li Wei and Curry were good friends. Earlier this year at the Super Bowl, Curry even traveled to Atlanta to show support. So when Curry invited Li Wei to Oracle Arena, fans greeted him with the highest honors, warmly welcoming his presence.

Nonetheless, Li Wei didn’t linger in Oakland; he promptly returned to Los Angeles.

And now, seated on a sofa diagonally across from Smith, Li Wei closely observed Smith’s heavily bandaged right leg.

Like a Mummy.

Li Wei turned his gaze toward Smith. “So, when does rehab start?”