This guy isn't just any foreigner! Forget being a Hollywood star—there are many overseas Chinese who wouldn't even recognize those three items! While this short game didn't immediately make Matthew a local favorite, it did earn him goodwill and basic recognition from the reporters, the audience in the hall, and even the viewers watching online.
"It's obvious," said an older professor. "This Hollywood star genuinely likes our culture and has clearly studied it."
A younger professor nodded slightly. "His Mandarin is so fluent, and he throws around idioms effortlessly. Even though he's a foreigner with a typical Western appearance, there's no way he could have learned all this just through crash courses."
For some reason, both professors found Matthew Horner more pleasing to the eye after witnessing his knowledge of local culture.
On stage, the props from the game were cleared away, and the host, Chen Datou, moved on to the next part of the event, which was her specialty.
Two single sofas were brought onto the stage. Matthew and Chen Datou each took a seat.
"All those things you did earlier showed you're very knowledgeable, maybe even an expert in Eastern culture," Chen Datou complimented.
"I wouldn't call myself an expert," Matthew responded humbly. "I've just encountered some basic things. Eastern culture has over five thousand years of depth and accumulation, and it's truly remarkable."
His words were met with applause from the audience.
Since his first appearance, Matthew had consistently come across as humble, avoiding any hint of arrogance. He was approachable, like a refreshing spring breeze from the capital. His demeanor perfectly suited the tastes of the local audience.
As the applause subsided, many people began to wonder: Why would a Hollywood star be so proficient in Mandarin and so well-versed in Eastern culture? Could he really be a spy planted by the local side? But with his high nose, deep-set eyes, and sharp features, he didn't look the part. Even though his eyes were black and his hair was almost black, his facial features were distinctly foreign.
As for the idea that he was a traitor to America, that seemed even more impossible. After all, he was a top-tier Hollywood star and a prominent figure in American society.
Chen Datou shared the audience's curiosity and asked at the right moment, "Matthew, when did you first come into contact with Chinese? Did you start learning because of an interest, or was there another reason?"
Hearing the question, Matthew flashed another warm smile.
Earlier, he had only gained basic recognition from the crowd. At best, he could hope for the same level of admiration as Nicholas Cage, but his goal was to become the most influential Hollywood star in this market.
Ideally, he wanted his influence to surpass the combined impact of Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Nicholas Cage.
To achieve that, he needed ultimate recognition—a powerful weapon.
Fortunately, the previous Matthew Horner had been born with such a weapon, saving him a lot of trouble.
"I first came into contact with Chinese when I was very young," Matthew said slowly. "It was a natural interest, and I picked it up quickly. I was really fascinated by it, so I suppose you could say it's something I was born with."
The audience looked puzzled, not quite understanding what he meant.
Chen Datou, also confused, asked, "Are you saying you have a natural talent for languages? A particularly strong learning ability?"
"No," Matthew laughed and shook his head. "I only know English and Chinese. I've tried learning French and German, but I couldn't get the hang of them. In fact, I didn't even finish high school—I dropped out."
The audience was even more perplexed.
Matthew stopped beating around the bush and revealed, "I think it's because of my heritage. I'm part Chinese—my grandmother was Chinese."
A collective gasp erupted from the crowd.
"Matthew Horner is part Chinese?"
"He has Chinese heritage?"
"No wonder he's so good at Mandarin!"
"That explains it."
"He's one of us!"
Even Chen Datou looked a bit surprised. As a well-known entertainment host, she had never heard that Matthew Horner had Chinese ancestry.
Matthew continued, "My grandmother was Chinese, and when I was young, I was introduced to the language through her. She had many traditional Chinese books with detailed explanations of Eastern culture, which fascinated me from an early age."
Many people in the audience nodded, feeling a newfound sense of connection to Matthew.
"Unfortunately, my father struggled with alcohol and gambling. After my grandmother passed away, he sold all those books for gambling money," Matthew didn't elaborate further, as discussing family matters too openly in public wasn't well-regarded here. "But I never stopped learning Chinese, and after moving to Los Angeles, I often visited Chinatown to practice speaking with people there."
Matthew pointed to his eyes. "My black eyes." Then he gestured to his dark brown, almost black hair. "And my hair, I guess that's something I inherited from my grandmother."
Everything he said was verifiable, and this was not the kind of thing he could afford to lie about—any falsification could backfire disastrously.
As for Chinatown, he visited several times each year, and his household staff even included a Chinese chef from there. Not to mention, he frequently stocked up on essential items like wind oil essence from the shops.
"So, my Chinese is as good as my English," Matthew said with a playful grin.
Chen Datou nodded repeatedly. "I always wondered why you learned Chinese. Now I understand."
"Is he really Chinese?"
As with any online forum, some users expressed doubt. "That's fake, right?"
"Who knows?" others chimed in.
Soon, someone posted a detailed background check. For those skilled in navigating the web, digging up such information wasn't difficult. As a Hollywood star, Matthew's background had been thoroughly exposed by North American media.
The data confirmed that Matthew Horner's grandmother was indeed Chinese.
At first, some people were skeptical. But as more versions of his background surfaced, all pointing to the same fact, it became clear that, in the strictest sense, Matthew Horner did have Chinese ancestry.
Although this detail wasn't a big deal in the U.S., where mixed heritage was common, it significantly strengthened the sense of connection the local audience felt toward him.
Matthew had a rough understanding of how powerful this "weapon" could be. The societal context here was vastly different from that in the U.S., where it was an immigrant society. Here, heritage and bloodlines were highly valued.
Even having a small fraction of shared blood could result in entirely different treatment.
He vaguely remembered a North American basketball player, who couldn't even speak Chinese, yet gained enormous attention here simply because he was ethnically Chinese. It was as if he were more famous than a superstar.
This phenomenon was common in many countries around the world.
Matthew believed this would cement his place as a true "old friend" here.
As the atmosphere in the hall grew even more enthusiastic, Chen Datou asked more questions, particularly about Fast & Furious 4, which was the main purpose of this event.
"In Fast & Furious 4, you play a racer and are also a spokesperson for Mercedes. Have you had the chance to check out the racing scene here or experience the local traffic?" she asked with a smile.
This city's traffic was infamous worldwide. Matthew chuckled and said, "Over the past few days, every time I was stuck in traffic, I started thinking about that. Honestly, I think I'll only be able to race around on a scooter here."
The audience erupted in laughter, as everyone shared the same frustration with local traffic.
Once the laughter died down, Chen Datou asked, "From the trailer, it looks like the movie has a lot of action-packed scenes and was shot in various countries. Was it challenging?"
Matthew nodded lightly. "It was indeed very challenging. Many aspects were difficult. But I think the biggest challenge was surpassing the previous three movies. We wanted Fast & Furious 4 to be better than the third one, and if we make a fifth or sixth movie, those need to surpass the ones before them."
She then asked, "Have you ever thought about working with filmmakers from here?"
"I do have plans for that," Matthew answered naturally. "In Fast & Furious 4, Wu Yan plays a very important role. We had many scenes together, and he was outstanding."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "In the future, I hope this series can have more collaborations here. I'd love to shoot some high-octane racing scenes in this part of the world."
Chen Datou responded enthusiastically, "I hope we can see that day soon."
However, many people in the audience quietly shook their heads. The trailer for Fast & Furious 4 had already been released, and it seemed unlikely that such intense racing scenes could be filmed domestically.
Online, someone left a comment: "I'm starting to believe this guy isn't a spy from our side. He clearly doesn't understand our country's rules at all."
"Yeah, definitely."
More comments flooded in. "There's no way a foreign gang of street racers could speed through our streets without facing consequences. That would be too unrealistic."
Matthew, of course, understood that under current circumstances, filming such scenes locally wasn't feasible. Not only would it be difficult to get the movie released, but even securing a permit to film such scenes would be a challenge.
Bringing up the topic of collaboration wasn't just for hype, though—there was substance behind it.
"I've always wanted more international collaboration," Matthew dropped a bombshell. "So, in Fast & Furious 5, we plan to add a brand-new female character played by a local actress."
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