Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 327: 326 Christmas Gifts

The ripples shimmered, and the sound of water flowed gently, as the golden sunlight of winter in Kansas City filtered sparsely through the treetops, casting dappled patterns on the surface of the indoor swimming pool.

A sturdy yet slender figure swam straight along the lane, and upon close observation, one could notice that he primarily propelled himself using his upper body, his legs not exerting much force, merely faintly flapping to aid his movement.

The pace was not fast, even slow, but he remained focused, meticulously swimming with precision as if he was using every muscle in his body to feel the nuances of his exertion, his soul completely merging with the water.

On the shore, a man dressed in a dark blue hospital rehabilitation uniform followed along the lane, maintaining his focus and close observation, yet he did not speak to break the silence, leaving only the sound of swimming quietly flowing in the air.

This was rehabilitation—

Tedious. Long. Slow.

Until the rehabilitation session ended, Eric Berry stopped at the end of the lane, supported himself out of the water onto the shore with his hands, wiped the water off his face, and took a long breath.

The man on the shore approached, "Eric, you’re in good shape today. I think we can start trying some ground activities tomorrow."

Berry’s eyes lit up, and he looked up sharply, "Really?"

Three months had passed since the season-ending Achilles tendon rupture, and Berry had been enduring the rehabilitation, patiently and calmly following the plan.

Explore stories on novelhall.Côm

Although he never showed it, rehabilitation was undoubtedly a torment.

Sometimes it went smoothly, other times not; not every day brought progress, and occasionally there might even be setbacks; despite strictly following medical advice, not every effort received positive feedback.

Not only was it tedious and prolonged, but it was also a difficult struggle.

Berry thought about giving up, more than once, but he ultimately couldn’t bear to—

He wanted to fight once more, he wanted to stand and compete on the field again.

However, it was not easy.

The words "hold on" and "keep it up" felt light and weightless; but putting them into action meant continuous, torturous struggle.

Besides gritting his teeth and persevering, there were no shortcuts.

Until today, Berry had always been engaged in aquatic rehabilitation activities to avoid putting too much stress on his ankle, but now, he finally heard some good news.

The man flashed a smile, "Stay calm, Eric, stay calm, we need to remain patient, remember?"

On the TV screen, the live broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium was showing, the vast wave of red from the camera spreading to every corner of the hospital lobby.

Undoubtedly, in Kansas, nothing could be more exhilarating than a Chiefs’ game.

Involuntarily, Berry paused—

"... backpedaling, Smith is reading the defense and looking for a passing target."

"Passing... oh, no, a fake run after a feint, the football is handed off to Li Wei."

"Dolphins!"

"Beautiful, Li Wei makes a sharp stop and turn, successfully shaking off the first wave of tackles from the defensive line, and Dolphins linebacker Hewitt seizes the opportunity precisely."

"Tackle!"

"God, Li Wei, Li Wei, Li Wei!"

"Li Wei makes a complex spin move, like a tango, slipping past Hewitt’s back and sidestepping the tackle, which is a disaster for Hewitt, as the Dolphins’ linebacker group continues to be devastated by injuries this season."

"Li Wei shakes off the tackle, and his advance continues!"

"Five yards!"

"Pincer move! The Dolphins’ Red Zone defense finally shows its strength, but here comes Li Wei—wait, how did he do that, was that a Marseille turn? Wait, Li Wei has used a soccer-style move to dodge the tackle for a second time, shifting his route forward again."

"God!"

"End zone, touchdown!"

"Twelve-yard ground rush for a touchdown! Li Wei, the twenty-third overall rookie Top Scholar for the Chiefs, scores the first touchdown of the game for his team!"

"Wow, I mean..."

"Uh, wait, Li Wei stands in the end zone, lifting his jersey, and beneath it, he wears a white sweatshirt inscribed—"

Berry was stunned, seeing an entirely unexpected message from Li Wei written under his jersey:

Hey Eric, we’re coming.

Unexpectedly, Berry’s eyes were fiercely hit by a warm surge.