Chapter 9: 009 Continuous Change of Direction
Over there, Allen finally started moving.
Here, Li Wei was also having a tough time.
His left shoulder bore immense pressure; the burst of power and impact possessed destructive energy, concentrated ferociously at the pivot point of his left shoulder.
Boom!
His muscles tensed up as he forcefully endured it. At that moment, the function of his equipment became apparent—the armor on his left shoulder distributed the impact forces, allowing his entire shoulder to absorb the shock, preventing his body’s balance from being completely overturned.
Li Wei had mentally prepared in advance; he knew what he was up against in this seemingly desperate situation, actually seizing the initiative himself.
Also, his body, having practiced combat from a young age, possessed excellent resilience to strikes and pain tolerance, which helped Li Wei keep his mind cool.
A turn.
With premeditation facing unpreparedness, Li Wei also began to rotate as he followed the force of Allen’s strike, turning counterclockwise. Unlike Allen, Li Wei’s footwork and power followed the counterclockwise motion quickly, completing a 360-degree turn and already rushing toward the right amidst the swaying center of gravity.
Then—
Humphrey.
In his sight, the high-flying, hands-raised Humphrey lunged at him.
Unlike the first time, his entire reaction, initiation, and stepping up improved a notch, and with that, the sense of pressing urgency and impact force also increased.
Danger.
Danger danger danger!
Every cell in Li Wei’s body was sounding the alarm, but he was not surprised; far from retreating in fear, his adrenaline burst forth completely. In his excitement, he became even calmer, instantly grasping the situation.
He saw not only Humphrey but also Foster coming from the left side for a wraparound.
In the blink of an eye, Li Wei had already sprung into action.
His right leg pushed off, slamming on the brakes urgently.
The burst of power fiercely plunged into the ground; his muscles nearly burst as the surging reactionary force propelled his body to make an urgent change of direction toward the left.
A flash, a retreat.
Sudden stop and sharp turn, along a diagonal line to the forward left, he took a large stride without hesitation, the sudden change of direction briefly staggering Humphrey.
Humphrey: ???
A pause.
Humphrey, completely unprepared for this, didn’t expect that Li Wei could still change direction amid such chaotic circumstances. He was not ready and then just watched as Li Wei brushed past his right arm and dashed forward.
Damn!
Freaking hell!
Humphrey had missed again. Again!
However, Li Wei didn’t dwell on his self-satisfaction; no sooner had his front foot passed Humphrey than his back foot had already unwittingly crashed into Foster’s embrace.
What to do?
Don’t panic.
Li Wei, following the direction of his change, turned counterclockwise again, dashing and spinning simultaneously like the elegant steps of a ballet dancer, turning 180 degrees to face Foster head-on.
A full embrace crash.
Foster grunted: Uh.
His chest took the direct hit, his breath caught, and the head-on collision of forces stirred up roaring gusts, loosening Foster’s grappling motion significantly.
He managed to embrace, but couldn’t capture—
His arms didn’t close in time.
The next second, there was no one in his arms; Foster gasped for breath, his vision darkening.
Li Wei absorbed the full force of the head-on collision with his back and, propelled by the impact force, dashed forward, spinning counterclockwise back on his right leg as his left leg pushed off, moving like a waltz back around.
Change of direction, a second change of direction.
Saban’s eyes went wide, and he instinctively turned to look at Burns next to him: This?
Burns paid no attention to Saban but was transfixed on Li Wei, not only for his changes in direction but also for his movement relative to other players and his judgment of the space on the field, all which demonstrated Li Wei’s unparalleled potential.
This, was the point—
The hallmark of becoming a top-tier running back.
As Burns watched Li Wei, he could see Li Wei’s weaknesses.
In tough contests, his body still seemed a bit frail; after consecutive impacts and changes of direction, his steps visibly staggered, shaky and dangerously unstable.
However, it wasn’t necessary to be too demanding, after all...
Wait a minute!
Just as Burns thought Li Wei’s carry might be coming to an end because Jackson was rapidly closing in, suddenly, the situation on the field dramatically changed.
Just as Jackson was about to complete the tackle, Li Wei, in a tottering and precarious state, unexpectedly pulled off a brake, miraculously burst forth with infinite potential to execute his third change of direction, similar to Jerry teasing Tom in "Tom and Jerry," and incredibly outran Jackson on his left side.
Jackson lunged from left to right and tried to grasp him, but Li Wei sharply cut to his own left; Jackson’s grabbing motion couldn’t keep up. As his body twisted counterclockwise, he was restricted and could only watch helplessly as Li Wei passed him by.
Li Wei moved between Jackson and the sideline, staggeringly charging forward as if walking a tightrope, appearing about to fall at any moment, yet relying on the momentum of his forward movement to maintain his balance.
Then, all the way trembling, he incredibly burst into the end zone again.
Astounding.
Stunned, the whole field stunned.
The first time was underestimating, also a fluke.
So what about the second time?
Incredible!
Including Burns, no exception.
The agility and explosive power in Li Wei’s direction changes were what Burns most valued for his potential, but he didn’t expect more surprises. Although the four defensive players still underestimated Li Wei, leading to such ludicrous and comical situations, Li Wei’s performance breaking expectations and showcasing even more potential was undeniable.
Heart, just stuck in the throat, uncontrollably began to soar.
Saban also revealed a smile, "Burton, you really picked up a treasure to bring back."
However, Saban had not finished the tryouts but began shouting loudly.
"Allen, use your brain."
Saban pointed to his head, his face serious—
Delighting in Li Wei’s performance was one thing, but the performance of his own defensive group’s four main players was another. If this happened in a match, not to mention defending the championship, they might lose everything.
Once might be an accident, twice could be overlooked, but not a third time.
Saban wouldn’t accept a third mistake.
"Pull yourselves together, observe, anticipate, coordinate. Don’t tell me that you four, facing a rookie, could really allow two runs of fifty yards each resulting in touchdowns, and then let a third happen?"
"If there’s a third time, today’s training will consist of you running laps until you puke."
Saban was not joking.
Allan’s face was full of shame as he quickly gathered the other three together, uncommonly starting to discuss tactics, determined not to underestimate the situation again.
Indeed, the third time, Li Wei faced unprecedented resistance and challenges.
On one hand, Li Wei himself, having thrice exerted high intensity in one-on-four situations, was somewhat unable to keep up with his explosive capabilities.
On the other hand, the four defensive players really gritted their teeth this time, showing a completely different demeanor and intensity right from the start.
Li Wei, with all his might, darted and dodged, but this time he ultimately couldn’t escape.
After being tripped by Allen, he encountered a pincer attack from Foster and Humphrey, managed to charge forward a few steps with great effort, but was finally held back by the two burly men, unable to break through and then felt a third force coming down on him, the proverbial last straw that broke the camel’s back, and fell with regret.
Damn!
Li Wei was somewhat frustrated with his performance, dissatisfied with himself, yet unaware that upon standing up, he would see that the whole field was in shock, not a sound to be heard, jaws and glasses all over the floor.
Li Wei didn’t understand: What’s happening?