Huayu: Starting with Hextech

The filming of "Chinese Paladin 3" has been underway for nearly a month, and its popularity continues to grow.

Tangren Media arranged a media visit day at the opportune time.

At nine o'clock in the morning, entertainment media arrived with their cameras and microphones.

The reporters' cameras were first focused on the two male leads, Hu Ge and Huo Jianhua.

The two appeared experienced and smiled politely in front of the camera, answering the usual questions about their roles, their collaboration, and their expectations for the "Chinese Paladin" series.

The three leading actresses, Yang Mi, Tang Yan, and Liu Shishi, were also the focus of attention, especially Yang Mi, who spoke fluently in front of the camera, frequently eliciting laughter. Tang Yan appeared slightly shy, while Liu Shishi remained concise and to the point.

Everything proceeded as planned.

However, when the reporters' cameras swept across the set and inadvertently captured a tall figure in a dark purple battle robe with long red hair, many people's eyes froze.

The man was quietly stretching his body, preparing for the upcoming fight scene.

Even without being in the center of the camera, his outstanding appearance creates a strong visual impact and is impossible to ignore.

"Is that... the newcomer playing Chonglou?" a reporter asked his colleague in a low voice.

"Yes, his name is Lin Xiao. He's the one whose promotional photos came out."

"She's even more eye-catching in person than in her photos..."

"I heard he replaced the originally cast actor?"

Discussing arose among the reporters.

Entertainment reporters always have a keen sense of news; a newcomer with high media attention is obviously more newsworthy than a routine interview.

So, as the group interview with the main actors was drawing to a close, a male reporter from a well-known entertainment weekly, with the host's permission, suddenly turned the microphone toward Lin Xiao, who was standing at the edge.

"Hello Lin Xiao, I'm a reporter from Star News Weekly."

The reporter's question immediately drew everyone's attention: "First of all, congratulations on getting the role of Chonglou. We noticed that you are a recent graduate. Do you feel any pressure taking on such an important role, replacing a senior actor?"

The problem seems ordinary, but the word "replacement" is emphasized slightly, and the subtext is self-evident.

All eyes on the set were on Lin Xiao.

Tang Yan, who was touching up her makeup, unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt and looked at Lin Xiao with concern.

She knew how hard Lin Xiao worked and how much he cherished this opportunity, and she hated these kinds of questions that were designed to stir up trouble.

Yang Mi raised an eyebrow and looked at her with her arms crossed.

Liu Shishi raised her eyelids.

Hu Ge and Huo Jianhua also stopped talking and looked over.

Cai Yinong, who was sitting next to the monitor and temporarily serving as the interviewee's background, frowned for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. She also wanted to see how Lin Xiao would respond.

Lin Xiao met everyone's gazes without showing any panic.

He took half a step forward, positioning himself more clearly in front of the camera, his posture upright yet relaxed.

"Thank you for the question."

His voice was clear and steady, "There is pressure, of course. But I prefer to see this pressure as motivation."

He paused, then looked directly at the reporter with a frank expression: "I am very grateful to President Cai and Director Li for giving me this opportunity and trusting a newcomer like myself. This trust is my greatest source of motivation."

Lin Xiao's answer was appropriate.

But the reporter clearly wasn't going to let it go easily, and immediately posed a second question:

"Recently, there have been some voices online suggesting that your sudden acquisition of such an important role as a newcomer might have some... special reasons behind it. What are your thoughts on these rumors of 'rising through connections'?"

The moment the question was asked, the atmosphere on set noticeably froze.

He rose to power through connections.

This is one of the most sensitive and hurtful accusations in the entertainment industry.

Once a newcomer is labeled in this way, it's very difficult to remove the label.

Tang Yan frowned deeply, her gaze towards the reporter filled with obvious displeasure. Brother Hu also frowned, ready to speak up and smooth things over at any moment.

Cai Yinong tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, his eyes fixed on Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao smiled faintly, and amidst everyone's confusion, he spoke:

"I believe that the audience has discerning eyes and the market's judgment is fair. An actor's ultimate foundation lies in his work and the characters he portrays on screen, not in rumors or speculation."

His gaze swept over all the media present, his voice steady and powerful:

"I'm very lucky to have gotten such a great role. All I can do, and all I want to do, is to do my best to portray Chonglou well. As for everything else... I will use the role of Chonglou to prove myself."

The countless entertainment news stories and celebrity interviews I had read in my previous life flooded my mind at this moment as if by conditioned reflex.

He had seen far too many "standard answers" and "universal formulas" for dealing with difficult questions.

I never thought I'd be able to use it myself today.

The reporter who asked the question opened his mouth, only to find that all the follow-up questions he had prepared seemed to be shut down by this "perfectly correct" answer.

Continuing to argue will only make you appear aggressive and unprofessional.

"Well said!"

At this moment, Brother Hu spoke up with a laugh, walked over, stood next to Lin Xiao, and said to the media,

"Lin Xiao is an outstanding junior from the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Our entire crew has witnessed his hard work and talent. I believe he will not disappoint everyone in the role of Chonglou."

Seeing this, the host immediately took over the conversation, thanked the media, ended this slightly sharp interlude, and brought the topic back to the entire production team.

The set visit continued, but many reporters' cameras had been intentionally or unintentionally giving Lin Xiao more close-ups.

Cai Yinong withdrew his gaze, picked up the water glass beside him, took a sip, and his eyes revealed undisguised admiration and satisfaction.

He handles situations appropriately, is not intimidated, is intelligent, knows how to steer the conversation in a direction that benefits him, and what's even more commendable is his composure... This Lin Xiao is truly a delightful surprise the more you watch him.

……

That evening, reports about the media visit to the set of "Chinese Paladin 3" were released one after another.

The reports focused on Hu Ge's return and the styling and plot of the female leads, including Yang Mi.

However, some media outlets devoted a significant amount of space to Lin Xiao.

The headline of the Star News Weekly report was quite eye-catching:

[On-set visit to "Chinese Paladin 3": Mysterious newcomer Lin Xiao exudes composure and handles sharp questions with composure, displaying the demeanor of a great general]

Other media outlets also used similar phrases such as "eye-catching newcomer", "powerful presence", and "appropriate response".

These reports, coupled with Lin Xiao's striking image of a phoenix, sparked renewed discussion online.

"After watching the interview clip, this newcomer speaks very well, calmly and composedly."

"He's handsome, and he answers questions intelligently. He's a good person to watch."

"He seems like a serious actor; I'm looking forward to seeing Chonglou in the final product!"

"Even Brother Hu stood up to support him, so it seems he's well-liked on set."

"Although he's still a newcomer, his presence makes me feel like he has a bright future ahead of him."

"..."

Of course, there were a few dissenting voices, but they were quickly overwhelmed by more anticipation and positive reviews.

Lin Xiao has no time to pay attention to online comments right now; there are still many people and things waiting for him on set...