Normally, the restaurant closed at 9:30 p.m., but tonight, thanks to the nonstop waves of visitors, it stayed open until 11:00. The crowd kept coming, wave after wave, until Lance finally had to take control of the situation. He cracked a few jokes with the fans and said—
"Don't worry, we'll meet again at the Super Bowl in two weeks."
Only amid laughter and cheers did the restaurant finally close its doors. The entire Chinatown neighborhood had been drawn out, transforming the street into a new nighttime landmark in New York. Even after the doors shut, the streets buzzed with people reluctant to leave.
Even Lance was exhausted—let alone everyone else.
Josh slumped into his seat, face blank with fatigue. When his eyes met Lance's, they both couldn't help but chuckle.
"Coach Reid probably never imagined this kind of vacation training, huh?"
Even during time off, he was still "training." Not in a traditional way—but this kind of tireless work ethic was rare even across the whole league.
Lance grinned at Josh's jab. "The mural outside—that was your idea, wasn't it?"
Alan and Sue were humble by nature, and they'd never fully grasped football's influence in North America. If someone said the wall art and decoration were their idea, Lance wouldn't believe it for a second.
Josh chuckled. "Actually, it was a street graffiti artist's idea. He wanted to leave a tribute to you, and I figured it was a great chance for New York to remember the NFL's first Chinese-American running back, so…"
So Josh had convinced Alan and Sue.
Lance smiled wryly. He had no issue with graffiti—it was his parents he worried about.
First, he knew that with great fame came backlash. The more exposure he got, the more criticism would come too. In the digital age, even a small ripple could bring online vitriol that might hurt Alan and Sue.
Second, he knew his parents still held to the traditional Eastern value of hospitality. If fans came because of him, they wouldn't turn anyone away. But that would make their already-tiring lives even harder.
Running a restaurant was no easy job.
Just look at today—pure physical grind. If Josh had to run the place alone most days, that was even harder to imagine.
Lance turned to his father. "Dad, even if it's not this busy every day, even half this traffic would be too much. Front of house and kitchen both."
"I know you're worried—rookie year, nothing's guaranteed—but I've signed a few endorsement deals off the field. You two can retire early. Just close the place. You don't need to keep working yourselves to death."
Josh choked on his drink, coughing uncontrollably. A few? Lance, are you sure it's only a few endorsement deals?
But Alan and Sue's expressions were different. Both of them froze slightly—
Early retirement?
All their lives, they'd worked from dawn to dusk, dreaming of early retirement and peace. But now that it was here, they didn't know how to respond.
When Lance decided to go pro, none of them imagined this outcome. In fact, they worked even harder to support him. If Lance's career didn't pan out, the restaurant was always supposed to be a fallback.
And now, suddenly, retirement was on the table?
Wasn't this a little… premature?
Alan glanced at Sue, then looked at Lance.
"I know what you mean," he said. "But your mom and I have been working for so long—if we suddenly stopped, we wouldn't know what to do. Running the restaurant fills our days. Without it, we wouldn't feel right."
Lance sighed. "Dad, you worked yourselves to the bone so you could one day rest and enjoy life. And now that you finally can, you don't want to? How does that make sense?"
Sue joined in. "We've just gotten used to this life. If you tell us to take a vacation, we probably wouldn't know what to do with ourselves."
Lance wanted to keep pushing, but Sue cut him off.
"We've been thinking—this place could stay open as a gathering spot for your fans in New York. Not long ago, Josh suggested turning the restaurant into a game-day hub. When you play, we show the game live. Like a bar—cheering for you."
Lance blinked in surprise, looked at Josh—
Who stood tall with pride, like he was waiting for a medal. Lance couldn't help but smile.
"Xiao Wei, you didn't know, right?"
"Now the uncles and aunties in this alley—everyone who watched you grow up—are all into football for the first time."
"They used to say, 'Football this, football that,' and we old folks didn't get it. Couldn't join in on New York's sports culture. But now? They get it. They're excited."
"And you're off training and playing every day. What are we supposed to do—just sit at home? You know your dad—he can't sit still."
Her words weren't perfectly structured, but the logic was clear. It made total sense.
Lance thought for a moment—and found he couldn't argue back.
In the past, he was more cautious whenever he came home. After all, this wasn't his original world. He kept a bit of emotional distance. But as time went on, little by little, he grew comfortable. Before he even realized it, he had become part of this family. He could feel Alan and Sue's love, and he naturally started thinking about their future, too.
This feeling—wasn't bad at all.
Now, Lance was seriously thinking about how they could enjoy retirement. He turned it over in his mind and nodded.
"You're right."
"But you can still adjust your mindset. Before, you were working to survive. Now, you can work to enjoy life. You don't need to kill yourselves anymore. Take breaks. Take time off."
Alan looked like he was about to object, and Lance already knew why—
His dad was serious about everything. He couldn't stand laziness or sloppiness. Slacking off was his biggest pet peeve.
So Lance jumped in before Alan could speak.
"What I mean is, you've worked your whole life just to get by. But now, that's no longer the issue. You can finally think about yourselves—your interests."
"Dad, didn't you always want to learn guitar? Now you can take some lessons."
"Mom, you've always regretted not studying English properly. Besides the day-to-day phrases for the restaurant and market, it's hard to express yourself. Now's your chance to study for real."
"We'll hire two more people—one for the front, one for the kitchen. Adjust your schedules. Make time for yourselves."
Life is short—blink, and it's gone.
But life is long, too—and beyond work and family, there's a whole world out there waiting to be explored.
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Powerstones?
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