Over there, Jason Kelce had already given up resisting. The fork in his hand kept clinking against the porcelain plate, and because he was laughing so hard, it only shook more.
Meanwhile, on this side, Lance picked up his own fork and began tapping his plate. The crisp sound rang out rhythmically, and unexpectedly, he and Jason found themselves in sync, playing an improvised percussion duet.
All eyes were on Lance.
Lance glanced at Jason. "We could form a percussion duo... the Beggars' Duet."
Hahaha! Hahahahaha!
The room burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Perhaps the calmest and most composed person in the room was Watt himself. Even Derek and TJ were panting heavily, but Watt seemed completely at ease.
This little detail was enough to show just how intense Watt's recovery training had been after coming back from his injury.
Watt was unhurriedly enjoying his breakfast—like a hungry hippo.
From vegetables to protein to whole grains, even a bit of dessert on the side.
Just a rough estimate: what he was eating probably matched an entire day's worth of meals for an average person.
Watt ate calmly, with a serene expression, as if he'd just had a good night's sleep. "So, how is it? You guys holding up okay?"
He wasn't just asking Lance; he was also asking Mahomes, who was sitting nearby.
In simple terms, he was checking in on the two rookies.
Mahomes' knees were also shaking. He had come here full of ambition, ready to shine, but on the first day of training, the very first session, he was thrown straight into hell mode.
He couldn't even fake a smile.
Then, Lance, with a straight face, responded earnestly, "No. I'm not okay at all."
Pfft!
Mahomes almost spit out his water.
Even Watt couldn't hold back his laughter.
Before Watt could say anything, Hopkins threw out another cold remark.
"You know, it's still not too late to quit. You can go back to your soft, comfy bed, find a couple of women, have a drink, soak up some sun, and play some video games while lying on your Super Bowl MVP trophy.
Why go through this kind of suffering?
For a Barbie doll like you, giving up on training would be completely normal. Don't worry—I wouldn't laugh at you."
Even Watt couldn't stay silent this time.
But Watt was a step too late. Mahomes had already snapped, his eyes blazing. "What the hell are you talking about? If you can't speak like a human being, just shut up."
It was rare to see Mahomes lose his temper.
Normally, Mahomes was always smiling, always laid-back, but you shouldn't mess with him. When the nice guy finally snaps, it's truly terrifying.
Lance quickly calmed Mahomes down and then turned to Hopkins with a smile—
No matter what, Lance wanted to give Watt some face.
Besides, with someone like Hopkins, who just babbled on and on endlessly, arguing with him wouldn't solve anything. He would never stop. If you really wanted him to shut up, you had to hit him where it hurt—right in his area of expertise.
And do it in a way that left him with nothing to say.
So—
Lance smiled and said, "I didn't know you liked Barbie dolls. I'll make sure to remember that next time I'm shopping for gifts. Thanks for the suggestion. But I think I'll stick it out a little longer."
Hopkins: …
At that moment, Watt gave Hopkins a sideways glance. "DeAndre, if you have a problem with the guests I invite, you can come to me directly."
Hopkins took a deep breath. "Sorry, JJ, I don't have a problem."
He shut up obediently.
Even so, he still shot a glare at Lance.
Lance noticed but just found it amusing. Hopkins was like a child—he'd been in the league for years now, yet he still acted like an immature kid.
Lance didn't want to waste any more time. He had his own training to focus on. There was no time to play games with a child.
From the NCAA to the NFL, Lance had always trained hard and grown quickly. People always half-jokingly called him a "training maniac."
His reputation preceded him.
Lance never felt arrogant or complacent, but over time, he couldn't help but develop a bit of pride.
After all, he had entered the football world like a force of nature, rising to the top almost effortlessly.
It had been smooth sailing—everything just fell into place.
Until now.
Today, not only was his reputation as a "training maniac" being put to the test, but he also truly felt for the first time how much room there was for improvement—
To be honest, purely from a training standpoint, Watt was brutal.
Lance knew that going from his rookie year to his sophomore year would be a huge challenge.
But knowing is one thing, feeling it is entirely different.
Now, Lance's fighting spirit had been ignited. Since Watt had presented this challenge, there was no reason not to go all out.
Lance genuinely looked forward to the upcoming training.
Just thinking about the hellish routine had him feeling a bit excited.
Sitting next to him, Mahomes was the first to notice the change in Lance. His energy was subtly more vibrant and eager, as if he were just itching to get started.
Total maniac.
Wait!
Mahomes took a deep breath, steeling himself. He needed to step up too. He had to follow Lance's lead. He needed to push himself, to take this training camp as a challenge, to test his limits and grow stronger.
He didn't think he could surpass those two monsters, Lance and Watt, but he couldn't afford to fall too far behind.
You got this!
Mahomes clenched his fist, hyping himself up.
When he looked up, he saw Lance watching him. Mahomes was taken aback—uh…
Unexpectedly, Lance's lips curled up. "Sherlock, there's more training waiting for us. Come on, let's get ready. We can't afford to fall behind that devil, JJ."
Watt chimed in, "Only a devil can recognize another devil."
Lance: "Wait, isn't the original phrase supposed to be 'Only a champion recognizes another champion'?"
Kelce, with his head down, murmured, "Only a freak can recognize another freak."
Hahaha!
The room erupted in laughter.
After breakfast, there was time for massages and preventive treatments to make sure everyone's bodies could handle the intensity.
After a bit of relaxation, the training officially began.
From the swimming pool, they moved to the ocean, then to the beach, and finally back to the gym.
In just a few short hours, Lance finally understood the true meaning of "through mountains and waters"—
In the most literal sense.
The intensity of the training even surpassed that of the morning. It wasn't monotonous; the endless variety kept everything fresh. But the brutal intensity left their minds in a haze.
When the four-hour morning session finally ended, Lance's mind was completely blank—
Who am I?
Even for Lance, it was a bit too much. He didn't want to use the excuse that he hadn't slept well or wasn't in good condition. Watt's training intensity was truly in a league of its own. Even with personalized adjustments by their private trainers, it was still beyond expectations.
Luckily, after lunch, there was some rest time—
Sleep. That was the best way for professional athletes to recover and regain energy.
Two hours, a precious two-hour nap—priceless.
But—
Watt wasn't planning on napping. He was heading out to play golf.
"Lance, want to come?"
Watt extended the invitation cheerfully, but when he saw Lance's dark eye circles and exhausted expression, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Buddy, get some rest. There's still more training in the afternoon. You can't quit now."
He even gave Lance a fist bump, his eyes filled with sincerity.
Now, Lance finally understood just what kind of devil Watt really was.
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Powerstones?
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