Zhao Dong washed his hands carefully, mentally preparing himself for the long-anticipated lottery.
This talent draw had been on the table for years, and today—finally—it was happening. He wasn't going to leave anything to chance.
Washing his hands three times with soap, he returned to his seat, exhaled slowly, and said with restrained excitement, "System, let's draw."
As soon as he spoke, a large turntable appeared on the virtual screen. It was divided into twelve segments, each labeled with a legendary skill:
Tom Brady's long pass, Terry Bradshaw's short pass, Lawrence Taylor's tactical literacy, Peyton Manning's mid-range pass...
Zhao Dong's eyes sparkled.
"Ha! All of them are elite talents."
Every name on the board belonged to a household figure in NFL history—half of them were already enshrined in the Hall of Fame, while the rest were active players with a high probability of joining the ranks in the future.
Take the first one, Tom Brady—nicknamed Amazing Tom. He'd entered the 2000 NFL Draft and was picked by the New England Patriots at the tail end of the sixth round.
Back in college, Brady had been considered average. His arm strength, speed, and physical attributes didn't stand out—especially for a quarterback. While his performance improved in the latter part of his NCAA career, scouts weren't impressed. He slipped deep into the draft, passed over by most teams.
At that time, the Patriots already had a star quarterback—Drew Bledsoe—and two backups. Brady was fourth on the depth chart and didn't even get to suit up for most games. But through relentless effort during his rookie season, he clawed his way up to become the second-string QB.
Zhao Dong remembered this vividly. Not just because of Brady's climb—but because of the fierce rivalry between the New England Patriots and New York Jets in the AFC East. (The NFL is divided into two conferences—the National and American Football Conferences—each with four divisions: East, West, North, and South.)
On September 23, 2001, the Patriots faced off against the Jets. During the game, Jets linebacker Mo Lewis delivered a brutal hit on Bledsoe, causing internal bleeding. The injury was severe, and Bledsoe was out indefinitely.
That moment opened the door for Tom Brady.
He seized the opportunity and dazzled throughout the season—passing for 2,843 yards, scoring more touchdowns than Peyton Manning, and even earning a spot in the NFL All-Star Game, the Pro Bowl.
Of course, Zhao Dong's memory didn't stop there.
In his previous life, Brady went on to lead the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships and three runner-ups, claiming four Super Bowl MVPs. He was eventually hailed as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
"If I land Brady's long pass ability," Zhao Dong thought, "that'd be incredible."
The turntable began spinning rapidly. After three seconds, the momentum started to fade.
Zhao Dong leaned forward, excitement boiling beneath his calm surface.
Honestly, no matter what he drew, it would be a win. Even without the draw, his age and athleticism gave him confidence to break into the NFL. But if we're talking about the most valuable ability on the board—there was no contest.
Lawrence Taylor's tactical literacy.
Taylor retired in 1993 and had long since become a Hall of Famer. A New York Giants legend, he was famed for his vicious defense and raw explosiveness. He led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories and won Defensive Player of the Year three times.
He was also the first and only defensive player to win NFL MVP in the 1986 season.
For football purists, Taylor wasn't just a legend—he was the gold standard. Every defensive star after him was compared to his greatness.
Off the field, however, Taylor's life was... let's just say, less polished. Once asked about his private lifestyle, he famously said, "I drink and do drugs." During his career, he'd been suspended multiple times for testing positive and even arrested on several occasions. It was said that he ended up bankrupt.
Still, his influence in New York was undeniable.
Zhao Dong had even spotted him once at Madison Square Garden, though they'd never met face-to-face.
Just then, a system prompt echoed in his mind:
Congratulations, Host! You've drawn Lawrence Taylor's Tactical Literacy. Would you like to overwrite your current ability?
Note: The skill can be upgraded to a maximum of Level 80, in accordance with system rules.
Zhao Dong's heart leaped.
Yes! Taylor might've been a defensive monster, but his offensive tactical awareness was off the charts. That's what made him so dangerous—he could read plays faster than most offensive coordinators. It was why NFL rookies had to go through written tactical tests before even getting drafted.
As for the level cap? It was a system limitation. From Level 80 onward, only real-game performance could raise the skill further.
"Overwrite it," Zhao Dong confirmed.
With a buzz of energy, his tactical literacy shot up from Level 35 to Level 80.
If it weren't for the level cap, the system might've taken it even higher. Still, it was an enormous boost.
Suddenly, a flood of information poured into his mind—over 20,000 offensive and defensive football tactics from different eras.
The sheer overload made his head spin. He felt drunk on data—lightheaded, dizzy—like he'd just pulled an all-nighter studying the entire NFL playbook.
"Level 80, huh? Damn, that saves me so much time."
Originally, Zhao Dong had planned to bury himself in tactical manuals, learning the fundamentals one page at a time.
Now? He could focus purely on training.
The system's prompt came swiftly:
"Due to the improvement in tactical literacy, several related skills have also been enhanced."
"Nice!"
Zhao Dong grinned and immediately opened the interface to check the upgrades.
Sure enough, the boost was impressive.
The 14th skill, route running, had surged from Level 50 to Level 80—a massive leap.
Next was kick return, which jumped from Level 50 to Level 70.
Then came a series of solid increases in defensive techniques:
Run interception rose from Level 70 to Level 75,
Pass interception from Level 72 to 77,
and Contact interception reached Level 80.
Five total skill upgrades. Zhao Dong nodded with satisfaction. His judgment had been right—this reward was the most valuable of the ten he'd seen.
Aside from long passes, every other skill had now surpassed the third-tier level. It reminded him of his rookie days in the NBA seven years ago—comprehensive, explosive, and versatile.
Even though he hadn't trained much in football before, he often played pickup games in his downtime. With his freakish athleticism, it made sense that his technical foundation was this solid.
Truthfully, football—just like basketball—was a sport that revolved around explosive physicality.
And maybe even more so... except for quarterbacks.
In the NFL, talent rules all.
Now came the next important question: what position should he play?
With his all-around skillset and the bonus from the Level 1 Savage Charge talent badge, the obvious answer was either running back or wide receiver.
The badge's effect was simple but lethal—the faster the charge, the greater the power.
These two positions involved the most sprinting and acceleration on the field.
In football terms, they were the highlight reel machines—the ones with the most eyes on them.
But even Zhao Dong had to admit reality:
With his current status, it would be nearly impossible to land a key role right away. He might not even make the roster as a backup.
His role would likely be decided by the coaching staff.
If nothing else, starting on the special teams wouldn't be a bad idea.
Kick returners, after all, had their own brand of glory.
A single 100-yard return touchdown could shake the stadium—and skyrocket a nobody into stardom.
In the NFL, an unknown returner making a miracle play could find himself promoted, earning a fat new contract, and, if you believed the gossip, dating a pop star by the weekend.
Of course, returns were also the most dangerous plays on the field.
Bone-crushing collisions happened constantly.
Injuries were common. Sometimes... fatal.
Still, Zhao Dong wasn't afraid.
His return skill had already reached Level 70, and once he started charging, the Savage Charge bonus would activate—adding a 5% to 15% boost to his already terrifying explosiveness.
He hadn't tested his top-end speed in a full sprint yet, but if he could trigger a full charge, his return ability could easily break Level 80.
Given his burst, he could hit full stride in just five steps—at least enough to activate a solid 10% boost.
The potential?
Insane.
---
Morning of the 28th.
Zhao Dong arrived at the New York Jets headquarters, accompanied by his agent Wells and a small security team.
Four years ago, Zhao Dong had sold the Jets to Robert Wood Johnson, a businessman and one of the major investors in Tianlong Investment Bank. The relationship remained rock-solid.
Technically, Zhao Dong could buy the team back any time he wanted. But as he'd told the media, he had no interest in using his status to influence roster decisions or secure playing time.
He was here as a player, plain and simple.
He didn't care about the contract either. The money didn't matter. This was about competition.
When they arrived, the entire Jets front office was there to greet him—including Johnson, the coaches, and a massive crowd of media.
Over a hundred reporters had gathered.
Even CCTV had sent a three-person crew, led by none other than Yang Yi.
"Zhao Dong, welcome back to the Jets," Johnson greeted warmly.
"Thank you," Zhao Dong smiled. "This time, I'm just here to play."
The two hugged briefly, then Johnson began introducing him to the current staff.
"This is General Manager Maureen Phillips."
"Hello, Zhao Dong. Welcome home," Phillips said with genuine enthusiasm.
He was in his fifties, a white man who had been with the Jets for nearly a decade. He was also Zhao Dong's former employee, back when Zhao still owned the team.
Zhao Dong had always been a Jets fan, even before he bought the franchise. He used to visit the training base often, and he knew many of the coaches personally.
Though there had been turnover in recent years, many familiar faces remained.
Still, a round of introductions was in order.
The NFL was a different beast from the NBA. A team had over 50 regular players, and the number of coaches, trainers, and staff could balloon into the dozens.
In fact, NFL regulations capped a franchise's total base employees—coaches included—at 100. No more. No expansions allowed.
In 2001, the Jets had also brought in a new head coach: Herman Edwards.
Previously an assistant with Tampa Bay, Edwards had been poached by the Jets and became their 13th official head coach.
Just last year, he led the team to win the AFC East Division championship—a promising sign.
"This is Coach Edwards," Johnson said.
Zhao Dong extended a hand. "Hello, Coach Edwards."
"Glad to have you aboard, Zhao Dong," Edwards replied, cracking a tight smile as he shook his hand.
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