There are aesthetic differences between races, but on a larger scale, some things are universally appreciated.
Take Duan Xiubo, for example. His masculine charm carries the maturity and stability of a grown man. His handsome features, combined with his strong presence, have attracted a legion of fans in China, many of whom would give anything to be with him. Abroad, his popularity hasn’t diminished either. In fact, thanks to his Hollywood debut, his fanbase is even more solid than many local Western stars. His appeal transcends race and can be appreciated from all angles.
There aren’t many Asian stars like him. Most Asians who make it in Hollywood are of Chinese descent. For a long time, cultural differences and other factors have limited the development of domestic artists, and addressing this shortcoming is no easy task.
First and foremost is the language barrier.
Although many artists are now receiving language training, most of today’s active artists come from humble backgrounds. Growing up without access to education, they’ve spent years in the entertainment industry clawing their way to the top. Now, suddenly, they’re told to learn a completely new language, to carve out time from their busy schedules to force themselves to forget their native tongue and memorize phonetic sounds. Even after extensive training, it takes them a long time to speak passable English. But just as foreigners often struggle with Chinese tonal accuracy, a Chinese person speaking a foreign language sounds equally awkward to a native speaker.
The biggest impact of not being fluent is uncertainty—you don’t know what the other person is saying. You rely entirely on translators, unable to pick up on the subtleties of tone and phrasing. And as you respond, there’s always a nagging fear of saying the wrong thing.
No one is immune to this. Luo Ding went through it too. When he was adored in China, he went abroad and stammered through flawed sentences in front of microphones. Video clips of this circulated back in China, with many mocking him for being uneducated and embarrassing the country. The disdainful looks from the reporters weren’t hidden either. If it weren’t for his strong-willed nature, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain his composed facade.
Luckily, beneath his youthful appearance lies an old soul. Decades of accumulated knowledge allow him to navigate such occasions with ease.
The camera flashes were blinding, but Luo Ding smiled calmly as he stood in a line with the rest of the cast, holding hands and bowing to the audience. Duan Xiubo stood on his right, gripping his hand with noticeable strength, releasing it only a beat later—whether intentional or not.
Luo Ding glanced at him, but Duan Xiubo was already holding the microphone and introducing himself. Feeling Luo Ding’s gaze, Duan Xiubo turned to look at him, his expression softening.
The audience clearly recognized Duan Xiubo, and the women’s screams were especially loud in the open-air environment.
After briefly introducing himself, Duan Xiubo naturally wrapped an arm around Luo Ding’s shoulder, pulling him closer with a smile. “This is a very good friend of mine, young and handsome, with whom I’ve collaborated on several projects in China. He’s incredibly talented, and when I heard we’d be working together again, I was genuinely thrilled.”
Luo Ding understood that Duan Xiubo was standing up for him, subtly warning the reporters not to go overboard with their questions. European and American journalists are much more aggressive than their Chinese counterparts. Media sensationalism and clickbait are universal, transcending oceans.
“Actually,” the journalists exchanged glances, their demeanor noticeably more cautious as they set aside their pre-scripted, sharp-tongued questions. They adjusted their notes. “Mr. Luo Ding, you’re around twenty years old, right?”
Luo Ding gave Duan Xiubo a reassuring look, indicating that he could handle it. Duan Xiubo opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again.
Looking directly at the questioner, Luo Ding replied, “To be precise, I’m almost twenty-four.”
His flawless American accent left no room for criticism, a rarity among newly emerging stars. His calm, confident tone, coupled with a touch of playfulness, made the journalists realize he wasn’t as soft or easily manipulated as his appearance might suggest.
“How did you land this role?”
“Through an audition, of course. I played the role I was supposed to play.”
“Was there competition for the role?”
“Absolutely,” Luo Ding continued to smile at the reporter, cutting him off before he could dig deeper. “But of course, I can’t tell you who it was—they’d be upset.”
There was a low ripple of laughter from the audience.
His poised and natural demeanor earned him plenty of goodwill. The reporters appreciated his straightforwardness, a refreshing change from the typical evasive answers they were used to from Eastern actors. In interviews, why be vague when you can just say what’s on your mind?
“People aren’t very familiar with you. Veteran fans of Director Carmen have expressed strong confusion over his decision to cast you. How do you respond to that?”
Luo Ding glanced at Clovis, catching his questioning gaze, and smiled nonchalantly. “I’m used to it. It’s the same everywhere. When I first started filming in China, there was even more noise.”
The crowd seemed surprised. “And how about now?”
“Now they’re all my fans,” Luo Ding said with a playful wink. “When I left for *Blade Warrior III*, they were all begging me not to go. In a few months, you’ll be the ones who don’t want me to leave.”
The laughter grew louder.
Luo Ding sighed inwardly. This is the difference in national mentality.
If he’d said something like this in China, the media would’ve crucified him, accusing him of arrogance, pride, and disrespect. In China, humility is an artist’s virtue.
But what works there doesn’t fly in the West. If, when facing Western reporters, you say things like, “I’m not good enough,” “So-and-so is better than me,” or “I just got lucky,” people might actually believe it.
Western humility is more straightforward than the Chinese version. Occasionally, saying something confidently can actually make people like you more.
Luo Ding’s appearance also worked in his favor. He looked young, with delicate, refined features. In the West, only boys who hadn’t yet fully matured had this kind of look. However, adolescence is fleeting, and many actors who start off looking fresh and youthful quickly turn into rugged, bearded men with square jaws after just a few films. So, when someone who fits this rare aesthetic standard appears, people are often too captivated by their looks to say anything harsh.
Clovis spoke up at just the right moment. “Satisfied with him?”
The audience members cupped their hands around their mouths, shouting, “Very satisfied!”
“Then thank you all for your kindness. To further ease your concerns, tomorrow the production team will release the official character photos for *Blade Warrior III*. I hope you’ll like them.”
***
This wasn’t so much a film launch ceremony as it was a simple press conference.
A simple press conference that began and ended easily, yet the impact it sparked was far from simple.
Domestic and international media outlets reported on the event as it happened. As soon as the news broke, fans of the *Blade Warrior* series, eagerly awaiting updates, flocked to the internet. The film’s title dominated the headlines of major media outlets, and naturally, the spotlight fell on Luo Ding, whom Clovis had heavily promoted, drawing a lot of attention.
The first thing that surprised people was Luo Ding’s appearance.
The Asian actors that Western directors typically cast, aside from a select few like Duan Xiubo and Tommy Lee, usually shared common physical features: yellow skin, small eyes, flat facial features, and high cheekbones. This is the image most Westerners associate with Chinese people, and the more distinctive these characteristics, the better for film roles. The goal is for audiences to immediately recognize them as Asian.
Few people would bother looking up Chinese entertainment news just based on a name. So, before Luo Ding officially appeared, most people’s mental image of him was based on their stereotypical concept of an Asian man.
But instead of a stocky, small-eyed, yellow-skinned man, they were met with a handsome, refined youth… no, a *beautiful* youth in their minds. The stark contrast left many of the initial critics speechless when they saw the group and solo photos.
With Clovis and Duan Xiubo clearly vying to support him and Luo Ding’s composed performance, the media reports were careful in their tone. They focused on praising Luo Ding’s charm, elegance, and his witty remarks, emphasizing his “flawless accent.”
This compliment was akin to Chinese media praising a foreigner for speaking “fluent Beijing dialect,” instantly earning Luo Ding a wave of public goodwill.
As the media frenzy reached its peak, the official character photos were released, just as Clovis had promised. As always, Clovis delivered on his word. The production quality of the character portraits was top-notch, and the group photo of the main cast, dressed in their faction-specific armor, captured them smiling warmly together despite their fierce on-screen rivalry, a delightful contrast that won over the audience.
Then came the individual character portraits.
There’s no denying it—having a good-looking face is a gift. It allows you to stand out in any setting and gain advantages that others don’t.
In the group photo, Luo Ding’s striking good looks made him impossible to overlook. But in his close-up portrait, he looked positively breathtaking.
The young man in the image had long, silky black hair flowing down his back. Dressed in the imposing golden armor of the Blade army, the intricate totems of a forest wolf snarled ferociously toward the camera, but Luo Ding’s expression was one of wistful longing as he held his helmet in his arms and gazed off into the distance.
The signature vine-like markings of the Eastern Continent’s royal bloodline extended from his neck to behind his ear. The wide collar of his armor left the birthmark fully exposed, its vivid green leaves contrasting sharply with his pale skin, making him seem like a sprite emerging from the forest, full of ethereal grace.
His profile was flawless.
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