Chapter 920: 919 Absolute Focus

“… A galaxy of stars.”

“A lavish feast…”

“… Witnessing Li Wei’s dazzling debut.”

“Once again, Li Wei stirs up a storm…”

Everything unfolded just as Donald Yee predicted–

Despite a packed schedule, Li Wei still wanted to organize a charity party. It was one of his goals for this offseason, something he didn’t want to miss.

Since Li Wei had already expressed this desire, Donald naturally had no reason to refuse.

Thus, Donald proposed an idea:

Why not make it more formal, more grand–turn it into Li Wei’s official debut in the social scene and truly ignite his influence to its full potential.

The plan proceeded without a hitch.

The next day, major news outlets and social media platforms responded in full force.

Li Wei. Li Wei. Still Li Wei.

Every news page, large and small, was dominated by coverage of Li Wei’s first charity party, showcasing his cross-industry influence from every angle.

Without a doubt, it was a breakthrough.

As unbelievable as it might sound, Li Wei was indeed expanding the influence of football–even on its home turf, the North American continent.

Incredible!

Yet, this is the reality–this is the level of influence Li Wei commands now.

…

Snap snap snap.

Blinding flashes flooded the scene, the sound of shutters roaring in all directions.

At the same time, calls erupted one after another, echoing through the streets.

“Li Wei! Li Wei!”

“Li Wei, over here, here!”

“Rookie, hey, rookie!”

“Edgerunner!”

“Fly, Li Wei, fly!”

Every kind of shout imaginable competed for Li Wei’s attention.

A brand-new silver-gray Mercedes-Benz slowly pulled to a stop in front of the crowd. Li Wei had just stepped out, barely steadying himself, when the sea of flashbulbs engulfed him, plunging the world into a cacophony.

Then.

“Ariana Grande!”

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream tore through the crowd. The sheer surprise and wildness of it stunned everyone as all eyes instinctively turned toward the source of the shout, their faces brimming with astonishment.

The reporter responsible: Uh…

Looked utterly startled, shoulders hunched. “I didn’t think that would actually work.”

Ha ha, ha ha ha.

The crowd collectively burst into laughter.

At an event teeming with reporters, where voices often drowned in the noise, breaking through the chaos required unconventional tactics. Thus, reporters tried all sorts of bizarre methods to grab their target’s attention–

Whatever worked, worked.

So in the press horde, Li Wei often heard weird and random calls. At the Super Bowl’s media day, someone had even yelled out “Crimson Tide Storm.”

Of course, it succeeded in catching Li Wei’s attention, who responded with a clenched fist and replied, “Crimson Tide Storm.”

And now, here was another wild display–someone shouting Ariana’s name.

As for the reporter, they looked utterly bewildered, unsure of how to react: You’re kidding, it worked?

Under the spotlight of everyone’s stares, the reporter blinked rapidly, swallowed nervously, and looked at Li Wei, blurting out instinctively.

“So, are you and Ariana dating?”

The question, which had been lingering in their mind, slipped out involuntarily.

In the next moment, all eyes turned to Li Wei in unison–

Last night, Li Wei’s first charity party had been filled with numerous highlights; even so, Ariana’s presence easily captured the spotlight.

A smile played at the corners of Li Wei’s mouth. “No.”

A crisp, straightforward reply. No hedging, no explanation. A clean and gracious denial that left no room for speculation.

Not even the typical “we’re just friends” excuse–just a single flat denial, shutting down any lingering fantasies. The reporters were stunned–

Since the Super Bowl, had all those rumors been wishful thinking on their part? The “Royal Couple” they had imagined, their dream pairing, was shattered just like that?

Li Wei could clearly see the shock and disappointment in the reporters’ eyes. It was as if they were witnessing a genuine breakup, the “Golden Boy and Wildflower” parting ways after failing to live out a fairy tale ending. The sighs of regret were palpable.

This look, that gaze–it was too much for Li Wei, and he couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

Oh.

Audible sighs echoed through the crowd. Li Wei’s grin grew even brighter. Why did this feel like a “my OTP ended before it even began” moment?

Soon after, a reporter quickly followed up. “Tonight, you’ll be making your debut on ‘SNL.’ Did Ariana give you any advice?”

A tactical maneuver!

Nearby, the shippers revived like phoenixes, brightly-eyed and hopeful as they looked at Li Wei in eager anticipation.

Ha.

A sly glint appeared in Li Wei’s eyes, his mischief unmasked, as he looked at the reporter. “Justin feels so betrayed, like he’s been shot straight through the heart.”

A brilliant move, effortlessly diverting attention and extinguishing the freshly reignited flames of gossip, leaving the reporters visibly deflated.

As Li Wei watched one disappointed face after another, he decided not to linger. He turned toward the imposing Blackstone Building ahead and strode forward.

The reporters, dumbfounded like puppets on strings, helplessly watched as Li Wei, the puppet master, effortlessly controlled the scene. They could only step aside, unconsciously creating an open path–a grand welcome procession of sorts.

The connection from the car to the building complete, they could only watch as Li Wei moved on.

It wasn’t until Li Wei disappeared into the building that the reporters snapped out of it–

What just happened?!

Had they really just let such a big fish slip away?

They weren’t like some laid-back fisherman waiting lazily by the river; this was supposed to be *The Old Man and the Sea*!

In an instant, the reporters surged forward like a tidal wave, chasing after Li Wei.

But Li Wei, tall and long-limbed, widened the gap in just a few swift strides. Before the reporters could encircle him again, the Blackstone Building’s security team had already slammed the glass doors shut.

Thud, thud, thud. Bang, bang, bang.

One reporter after another collided with the glass like sparrows, producing muffled thumps. A tide of people pressed forward, packing the entrance tight, shouting, pounding, pushing, all trying to elicit a response from Li Wei.

From a distance, their faces contorted wildly, pressed up against the glass. Even from a slight remove, one could hear the glass creaking and groaning under the pressure, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

It was like a scene straight out of *The Walking Dead*.

Li Wei realized he couldn’t linger further. Otherwise, the reporters wouldn’t back down, and the situation might spiral out of control, leading to a true disaster.

The best way to regain control was simple: leave.

After all, when the “food” disappears, the zombies will naturally disperse.

With the help of security, Li Wei quickly entered the elevator.

The world finally grew quiet.

The undead, now deprived of their new target, began wandering the streets aimlessly–

A crisis averted.

Yet, they still didn’t retreat. One by one, they set up camp at the entrance, lying in wait.

The second opportunity was still to come. They knew Li Wei would leave from here. One hundred percent.