Leonardo DiCaprio was in a bit of a mess.
He was desperately grabbing the rear door of the taxi, trying to get into the back seat, but the right hand on his shoulder, which seemed to be using no force at all, had him pinned firmly in place. From behind, screams of almost-uncontrollable excitement were closing in on him, like a relentless pursuit.
Sweat slowly trickled down his forehead. The collar of his T-shirt was stretched out of shape and hanging loosely. The baseball cap on his head was barely hanging on, precariously close to falling off. To make matters worse, he felt like his shoes were about to come off.
He wasn't just a bit of a mess; he was a complete mess.
"Sir... I know you hailed this taxi first, but how about this? We can share this one. I just need to get out of this area, and you can drop me off anywhere. I'll pay for the ride. What do you think?" Leonardo said in a flustered voice. "Thank you. I mean, thank you so, so much."
"Leo! Ahhh!" The heart-wrenching screams were getting closer, like a menacing flood.
"Alright," Leonardo felt the right hand on his shoulder let go. He scrambled into the taxi, waving frantically. "Go, go!" As soon as the other person got into the car and closed the door, a series of "bangs" could be heard. Countless hands were pounding on the taxi's windows. Without needing a reminder from Leonardo, the driver immediately started the engine and drove away, leaving the commotion behind.
But turning around, you could still see those persistent figures running as if their feet were on fire, refusing to give up until they caught up. However, with the taxi speeding away, those figures gradually faded into the distance and eventually disappeared.
Only then did Leonardo let out a long sigh of relief, relax, take off his cap, and wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Young man, let me make you a deal. You find another taxi to go to your destination, and I'll pay you a hundred dollars. This taxi is for me. What do you say?"
"Sir, how about this? I'll pay you a hundred dollars. You take another taxi, and I'll stay here. What do you say?" Lu Ke's calm and composed reply stunned Leonardo. His expression froze, and he was completely caught off guard by being outmaneuvered.
Leonardo wasn't angry. On the contrary, he was intrigued and sized up the young man in front of him.
First, he was very young, looking to be in his early twenties. Since he was Asian, it wouldn't be a stretch to say he was under 20. Second, he was very unfamiliar, looking like an ordinary person. Third, he was wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, and he didn't look like a millionaire.
So, things just got interesting.
"May I ask..." Leonardo started to speak, then realized something and laughed at himself, correcting his words. "First, I must thank you for helping me just now. This is your taxi. Second, may I ask why you're so insistent? You could easily take another taxi. I don't see any urgent reason for you to use this specific one."
Leonardo realized that the young man in front of him was not someone he could easily fool. So, he changed his strategy. He first expressed his gratitude, then asked the question.
"How do you know that I don't have an emergency at home or have to get to the hospital and must use this taxi?" Lu Ke's retort made Leonardo's smile freeze at the corner of his mouth, and he looked a little flustered.
Then, Lu Ke smiled. "The truth is, I'm a football player, and I have to get back to the hotel to meet my team. We need to go to the airport. I don't want to be late and get on the coach's blacklist."
Lu Ke was always mindful of his time out. The ride here took about 35 to 40 minutes, and the return trip had to account for traffic, so he had to rush back. Otherwise, Lu Ke wouldn't have had any problem giving the taxi to Leonardo.
Leonardo's mouth fell open, and his expression was slightly stunned, but he found himself unable to argue. He looked embarrassed, wanting to apologize but not knowing how, and realizing he had already said thank you. So, he simply changed the subject. "Football. In Los Angeles, we only know basketball. My only knowledge of football is Tom Brady."
Los Angeles was a city for basketball and baseball and didn't have an NFL team at the time.
"Is it because he has a lot of Super Bowls, or because of his wife?" Lu Ke's words were a bit teasing.
For a moment, Leonardo got a little angry and glared at Lu Ke, but then he realized that he couldn't win in a physical confrontation, so he let it go. Leonardo turned his head in annoyance, trying to vent his anger, but then he turned back out of curiosity. "So you're saying you knew who I was all along?"
"I live in the 21st century, Mr. DiCaprio. If I may, I grew up watching your movies," Lu Ke said with a smile.
Leonardo found that he couldn't get the upper hand against this young Asian guy. This feeling of being cornered was just like... facing reporters.
Tom Brady's wife was Gisele Bündchen, and Gisele's ex-boyfriend was Leonardo.
Gisele and Leonardo had a very deep history. She was the only woman Leonardo ever took to the Oscars as a date and the only girlfriend he ever proposed to. After they broke up, Leonardo admitted that Gisele was his biggest regret in life.
Their relationship was so famous that it was almost common knowledge. After they broke up, Leonardo's subsequent girlfriends were all Victoria's Secret models. The most recent one was Erin Heatherton, the "Erin" that Miranda mentioned earlier.
"Grew up watching my movies? Wait, how old are you?" Leonardo asked a little irritably.
"'Titanic' was released when I was eight years old," Lu Ke answered politely. It was worth noting that Erin was born in 1989, the same year as Lu Ke.
Leonardo's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't let it out or swallow it. He thought of a few comebacks but then rejected them all because he felt that saying them would still be a loss. "You said you're a professional football player? Are you sure you're not a reporter or something? Do you work for 'The Washington Post' or 'The New York Times' or something?"
"That's one of my dreams," Lu Ke admitted candidly. "Does Mr. DiCaprio mean that my interviewing skills are worth praising? I'm sure my college professors would be very happy that my professional sports career hasn't made me forget my professional skills."
Leonardo felt a sense of frustration. He held it in, held it in, and finally just said, "Don't call me Mr. DiCaprio. Leo is fine. Leo."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Leo. I'm Lu Ke," Lu Ke introduced himself amicably.
Leonardo opened the taxi window and took a deep breath of fresh air. He felt a little better. "I know you. The first Chinese-American quarterback to start in NFL history, right? If I remember correctly, you're the one everyone's been talking about."
"Wow, you've actually heard my name. Does that mean I'm one of only two football players you know, along with Tom Brady?" Lu Ke smiled broadly, deliberately widening his eyes and speaking in an exaggerated tone, bringing up a sore subject. It was obvious that Leonardo knew more than just two football players.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Leonardo finally realized this and bravely brought it up.
Lu Ke shrugged, neither confirming nor denying it, but it was as good as admitting it. And he did so openly, without any sign of embarrassment.
Leonardo was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. He couldn't blame Lu Ke. First, he had tried to aggressively steal the other person's taxi. Then, after getting in the car, he tried to get the other person to get out and had even started the attack himself. The habits he had formed in Hollywood had made him defensive and aggressive, and he couldn't control it.
After thinking it through, he calmed down. Leonardo now truly looked at Lu Ke, and he said with curiosity, "Everyone keeps saying you're skinny, but for God's sake, you're built like a bull!"
"That depends on the standard of comparison," Lu Ke said. Compared to ordinary people, and even other athletes, Lu Ke was indeed strong, especially with the strength training he had done in the past few weeks. But compared to professional football players, especially the giants on the defensive line, Lu Ke still didn't measure up.
Leonardo also realized this and laughed happily. "See, I told you that in Los Angeles, we only know basketball." Leonardo also made fun of himself, and his frustration gradually turned into a pleasant mood. It was a good experience to occasionally talk to a complete stranger, especially one with a good sense of humor.
Unknowingly, Lu Ke had arrived at his destination.
Leonardo insisted on not letting Lu Ke pay for the taxi. After they said their goodbyes, he watched Lu Ke get out of the taxi and close the door. Just as the taxi was about to start again, Leonardo suddenly remembered something. He told the driver to stop and opened the window on the other side. "Lu Ke, what team are you on again?"
"The San Francisco 49ers," Lu Ke said, pointing at his teammates behind him. Many of them were wearing San Francisco 49ers hats as they were leaving the hotel. Leonardo nodded in understanding. "Have a nice trip." Then, he closed the window and drove away.
Behind him, the noisy voices of Logan and Marcus came. "Hey, Bambi, why did you come out first? We were just saying you might have gone to the bathroom."
Sure enough, these dense guys didn't even realize that Lu Ke had been gone for almost two hours.
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