"Welcome back, our hero. We have a distinguished guest here today," Sophie said with a polite and radiant smile.
Lu Ke's gaze fell on Sophie. He always felt that there was a hidden meaning in her words, and a deep look in her eyes. Every time they met, it was the same, a clash of wills and a lack of harmony. Today was no exception. The subtle sharpness behind her smile and her straight back showed a strong stance. However, this was just a momentary clash. Sophie then looked away, turned to Leonardo, and made the introduction. "Mr. DiCaprio, it seems we are in luck. We just happened to catch the return of a hero."
"This isn't the first time I've asked. Please, call me Leo. The pleasure is all mine," Leonardo said with a charming smile, which made Sophie laugh heartily.
Seeing this, Lu Ke blinked and said seriously, "If that's the case, then I must have walked onto the wrong set. The hero of today's game is still behind, being interviewed by reporters. Should I go out and tell them for you? Or have you already made an appointment?"
A game hero. This title felt a little awkward, especially coming from Sophie. To Lu Ke, it sounded like an insult. Michael Crabtree, David Akers, or even head coach Jim Harbaugh, if they wanted the title, he would gladly give it to them. Lu Ke had no objections.
Faced with Lu Ke's serious answer, Sophie and Leonardo were slightly stunned. They were not familiar with Lu Ke's sense of humor. Logan and Marcus, who were standing nearby, had already started to chuckle, but they still didn't understand. Sophie thought Lu Ke was serious and was a little flustered. She looked back and forth between Lu Ke and Leonardo. "I thought you were friends... Leo, didn't you come here specifically to visit..."
The question was immediately answered. Leonardo had come specifically to visit Lu Ke and even claimed to be his friend. Leonardo's face was the best credential, so he couldn't have been a fraud. People naturally accepted this and didn't ask any further questions.
But after one question was answered, new questions arose: he and Leonardo? Friends? Why didn't he, the person in question, have any idea? When had they become friends? If he remembered correctly, the last time they met in Philadelphia, Leonardo should have been in a terrible mood.
Leonardo chuckled, not flustered at all, and made another joke. "An excuse, that's just an excuse. I just wanted to come to the locker room to peek at the most mysterious space. What happened in here during halftime that led to the tense second half and, of course, the spectacular finish?"
His serious expression vividly explained the true meaning of talking nonsense with a straight face. "I don't have any friends on the team, so I borrowed this young quarterback's name to come and have a look. I hope I wasn't too presumptuous."
At first, everyone thought Leonardo was joking and was about to laugh. But then they realized that Leonardo's attitude was too serious. Now they were all confused, unable to distinguish between what was real and what was fake, so they couldn't laugh anymore. Their eyes moved back and forth between Leonardo and Lu Ke, completely puzzled.
Lu Ke spread his hands. "Sophie, have you ever considered another possibility? That this is an imposter? You know, on the streets of Las Vegas and on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, so many artists make a living by impersonating stars. Besides, have you never seen Mission: Impossible?"
As he spoke, he demonstrated. Lu Ke raised his right hand, fumbled around his chin for a while, and then made a motion of tearing off a fake face mask. The realistic action startled everyone, and you could even see the prankster Logan take two steps back, which was truly hilarious. Why did the cheerful and lively atmosphere suddenly turn into a thrilling detective story? The tone seemed... a little off.
Leonardo watched Lu Ke helplessly and then saw the smug smile on Lu Ke's face. He knew Lu Ke was not an easy opponent to deal with. He had learned that in the taxi last time, and today was an even bigger lesson. He had originally wanted to play a prank on Lu Ke, but he ended up getting pranked himself.
Shaking his head slightly, Leonardo spread his hands. A good actor plays the whole part, so he went along with it. "Okay, you've caught me." Then, Leonardo lowered his head and began to fumbled around his chin, as if he was about to perform the horrifying scene of peeling off his face in front of everyone. Kaepernick and Crabtree were both startled and took a half-step back.
Seeing this, Lu Ke laughed heartily, and Leonardo also chuckled. In a sea of stunned faces, Leonardo nodded to Sophie, Kaepernick, and the others. "Thank you for your company. I think this Lu Ke-Skywalker can give me a tour of Candlestick Park." Lu Ke-Skywalker, not Lu Ke-Skywalker. The subtle difference in tone was noticeable, and in a subtle way, Leonardo was also making fun of Lu Ke, showing that he was paying attention to the recent news.
Then, Leonardo looked at Lu Ke and gave him a questioning look. "Do I have that honor?" "Of course," Lu Ke said graciously, stepping aside and making a gesture of invitation. Leonardo and Lu Ke left the locker room one after the other. In the swinging door, everyone seemed to finally come to their senses.
Kaepernick frowned, with an indescribable sense of annoyance in his heart. He couldn't tell if it was because he was jealous that Lu Ke had made friends with a top Hollywood superstar, or because he was anxious and uneasy about his current situation. "What was that all about? Was that guy a fraud?" Under the joint act of Lu Ke and Leonardo, it was hard to tell what was real and what was fake. Everyone was a little confused. Professional football players weren't stupid; they just tended to let their bodies lead their minds. In many cases, their first reaction was to respond with their bodies rather than their minds. After a hard-fought battle today, their brains had all gone on strike.
Sophie, who was standing nearby, was speechless. She looked at Kaepernick and frowned slightly. "Are you serious?" The subtext was, how could you ask such a stupid question? "This is Candlestick Park, not Hollywood. That's Leonardo DiCaprio. He was in the VIP box watching the game today."
There was a moment of silence. Everyone looked at each other, processing Sophie's words and replaying everything that had just happened. Suddenly, Logan raised his hands. "I knew it! Bambi and Leo are friends! They're friends!" Otherwise, how could the two of them have fooled everyone with their act? How else could you explain their chemistry?
After realizing this, Logan started cheering. "God, how did Bambi meet Leo? That's Jack! Right? Jack Dawson! The guy who saw Kate Winslet's... ." Logan didn't say the word in the middle but used his hands to draw a curve on his chest, which was enough to make the meaning clear. Instantly, the locker room started buzzing again.
Even though they were in San Francisco, Hollywood and movie stars still felt incredibly far away, and a top superstar like Leonardo was even more so. They never expected him to just show up in the locker room today! After a moment of daze, Aldon was the first to shriek. "I just shook hands with Leonardo! Yeah!" Then, the others also started cheering.
Standing in the crowd, Kaepernick felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness. This was not the blueprint he had envisioned for his career at the draft combine.
After just returning to the locker room, Lu Ke left again. This time, however, he didn't go toward the player tunnel but in the opposite direction, toward the stands. All the noise and cheers were left behind, and it gradually became quiet. But the air still had a sense of excitement and thrill, quietly surging. The lingering effects of the victory were still floating around.
"So, are we really friends?" Lu Ke asked.
"So, are you really not a hero?" Leonardo asked back.
"No. At least, from a humble perspective, I should say so." In fact, Lu Ke didn't think so either. Football was a team sport, and he wouldn't be so arrogant as to think he had saved the entire team.
"Yes. At least, I think we are friends to some extent, more than strangers." Leonardo gave a smile and extended a friendly olive branch. "Remember? You invited me?" Lu Ke was slightly stunned, and then he remembered. He had indeed invited Leonardo last time, suggesting that if he had a chance, he should come and watch a game live. So, Leonardo showed up, coming specifically to Candlestick Park to show his support.
Lu Ke nodded in affirmation and let out a wry smile. "So, how did you feel about the game? Have your views on football changed at all? I remember you weren't interested in football at all."
"I have to say, football is more... than I thought." Leonardo paused, thought for a moment, and then said, "More intelligent. It's not just about hitting and tackling. The dazzling plays and strategic planning are truly eye-opening. I thought basketball was complex enough, but I was clearly wrong."
Lu Ke didn't comment but added, "The good thing is that this was your first official live game. Otherwise, it could have been a disaster and made you stay away from football forever."
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