Chapter 924: Witty Banter
Jay Leno didn't expect Lu Ke to turn the tables on him. Lu Ke hadn't given a direct answer but had instead put Leno in his own trap. He parted his lips slightly, and several counterarguments flashed through his mind, but no matter what he said, he would be at a disadvantage. It would only make him seem difficult.
This was a talk show, not a debate. They weren't looking for a winner, but for a witty exchange.
So, Leno went with the flow and said, "Interesting." It was a simple adjective, but in the context of Lu Ke's earlier statement, it was very meaningful. It referred to the conversation itself and Lu Ke's quick response. The audience immediately looked intrigued.
Although Lu Ke had been in the league for a year and a half and had done countless media interviews and even participated in the Pro Bowl skills challenge, journalists were already very familiar with his wit and humor. But for the general public, their impression of him was still limited to his on-field persona. Simply put, Lu Ke without his helmet and uniform was still a mystery.
This was mainly because he hadn't been in the league long enough, and he hadn't had enough exposure in commercials. The Tonight Show would be the perfect platform for him to showcase his personality, which was also part of the league's plan.
Leno followed up, "Are there many players in the NFL with a talent like yours?"
"If you're curious about Tom Brady, I don't know any more than you do." This was a standard question to transition the conversation. Unexpectedly, Lu Ke's answer was a pleasant surprise. "You know, all I know about him is from his Super Bowl press conferences."
Pfft. Leno was the first to let out a short laugh.
This was an inside joke.
Because Brady always looked like a gentleman during media interviews, flashing a handsome smile to get out of difficult questions, his media image was always boring. His critics loved to make fun of this, and it was no different at the Super Bowl press conferences.
If you read between the lines, Lu Ke was saying that he wasn't interested in Brady other than at the Super Bowl press conference. This was a playful way of showing that they were rivals.
With a simple sentence, Lu Ke once again went head-to-head with Leno in a humorous way.
No wonder Leno couldn't help but laugh. "Now I finally know why you've won the hearts of San Francisco fans."
"Just San Francisco?" Lu Ke pursed his lips. This made the entire audience start clapping, creating the illusion that fans all over North America were cheering for Lu Ke.
Leno nodded and skillfully transitioned to the main topic of the conversation. "I believe you're the type that many female fans love. You know, if no one had told me beforehand, I wouldn't have thought you were a professional football player. You don't even look like a quarterback."
"Really? But I don't look like a real estate agent either," Lu Ke said, spreading his hands to show his innocence.
"No, you look like... I don't know, a university professor? Or an academic researcher?" Leno said seriously.
Lu Ke's jaw dropped in realization. "I know. You guys always expect a beast full of male hormones under the helmet. Sorry to disappoint you."
Instead of giving a sappy speech about fixed stereotypes and prejudices, Lu Ke chose to address it with sarcasm, which once again made the audience laugh.
"But you have to admit, you don't look like a typical professional athlete, not just in football, but in other sports too. Of course, tennis or golf is an exception, and equestrian, and archery... anyway, you know what I mean." Leno couldn't help but laugh at himself as he was speaking. "So, what made you choose football in the first place?"
Lu Ke's lips curled into a smile. "Wow, that's a good question. This must be the 1,008th time someone has asked me that. It must be an excellent question for me to hear it on The Tonight Show again."
This obvious sarcasm was too much for Leno, and he raised his hands in surrender.
Lu Ke didn't push any further and said with a lighthearted laugh, "I think I should write an autobiography, and the first chapter would be a serious discussion of this question. I'll make up a great origin story, like I'm the chosen one. That way, the autobiography will sell very well."
Lu Ke had clearly mastered the art of self-deprecation.
"Actually, the reason is simple. I just wanted to not be 'the new kid,' or 'the kid who looks different from everyone else,' or 'the kid from Chinatown,'" Lu Ke finally gave his answer in a light and simple way.
If this were The Oprah Winfrey Show, he would be talking about his painful childhood memories, the scars they left, and his inspiring story of rising up again. But this wasn't Oprah.
Leno raised his chin in understanding. "Oh, survival instinct."
Lu Ke snapped his fingers. "Exactly."
With their back-and-forth, the audience once again burst into laughter.
"I think this is very interesting. Are you your parents' only child? Before they immigrated, was China still in the one-child phase?" Other countries were well aware of the history of birth control, so the culture of the only children born in the 80s and 90s was also well-known.
"Yes."
"So, did your parents have any issues with you choosing football?" Leno asked out of curiosity, using a little trick to dig into Lu Ke's family memories without being too aggressive. He knew when to stop.
Lu Ke laughed heartily, but his guard was up. "Actually, at first, they thought it was soccer."
That one sentence immediately made the entire audience laugh in unison.
Lu Ke continued in a light tone, "They're just like any other parent. On one hand, they worry about their child's health, and on the other hand, they want their child to be happy. I'm very lucky that they eventually chose to support my decision. Otherwise, I might really have become a researcher."
"So, have you ever regretted it?" Leno asked, going deeper.
Lu Ke cut off Leno's curiosity and other possibilities. "You're making me regret it right now. This isn't The Oprah Winfrey Show, is it?"
Lu Ke changed the subject, implying that he was regretting agreeing to be on the show because The Tonight Show was turning into a sappy talk show like Oprah. This was not a good sign. Lu Ke had no interest in sharing his private family matters.
Without missing a beat, Lu Ke had countered him.
Leno knew when to back down and raised his hands in surrender again. "Don't expose my mask." This was also a self-deprecating joke, as if to say, "The person under my mask is Oprah Winfrey, don't expose me." After successfully easing the tension, Leno added, "I guess for San Francisco fans, this is a good thing. But for rival fans, it's not so great."
"Oh, I never knew I was a threat to you guys," Lu Ke said, immediately bringing up Leno's identity as a Patriots fan again. A confident smirk was hidden in his words as he looked at Leno, as if waiting for an answer.
Recognition from an enemy was the highest form of praise.
Leno clenched his right hand into a fist and coughed twice, muttering "bullshit" to show his strong protest and refusal to praise his opponent.
The entire audience heard him and burst into laughter, clapping and cheering. The atmosphere in the studio was very lively.
Leno pretended nothing happened and said loudly, "Today, we have Lu Ke with us, and we also have a co-guest. Please give a warm round of applause to Emma Watson!"
At the same time, Leno gave Lu Ke a meaningful look, as if to say, "The show isn't over yet. Let's see who's better."
For the first time in a while, Leno's fighting spirit was ignited. It was a lot of fun to face a guest who was his equal.
Amidst the applause, Emma, who had finished getting ready, finally appeared in front of the audience.
Lu Ke stood up, clapped, and politely gestured for her to sit in the empty spot next to him, showing his gentlemanly side.
After Emma hugged Leno with a smile, she walked onto the stage. She saw Lu Ke's polite gesture and her eyes moved slightly, but she didn't show any unusual reaction. She sat down in the empty seat and officially joined the show.
After a few brief pleasantries, Leno went straight to the point. "Emma, why are you and Lu Ke on our show together? I've never thought there was any connection between you two. You're not a football fan, are you?"
"No, no, no, I know nothing about sports," Emma said, waving her hands and showing a generous smile. "In fact, I've always had a misunderstanding and prejudice against football."
"It wasn't until recently that I had the chance to watch a real game and feel the unique charm of this sport. That's when I realized that my previous thoughts were wrong. So, I recently joined this project to eliminate prejudice and hope to let more people understand the sport of football. Even if they don't like it, at least they can have the right attitude."
Emma immediately got into character.
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