I really just want to grind for entries related to crossover anime/manga.

Kazuya Nakahara finally couldn't hold back any longer, leaned closer to Yu Genkawa, and asked in a very low voice.

"Genkawa-kun, are you serious? What's going on? Don't tell me you're just making things up to get more publicity!"

Genkawa Yu turned his head and met his manager's worried and anxious gaze. He gave him a reassuring, very faint smile and replied in a low voice.

"Mr. Zhongyuan, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

His composure only made Kazuya Nakahara more confused, but the other could only suppress his many questions and anxiously wait for the moment of verification.

Soon, the meeting room door was pushed open again, and Hiroki Kimura walked in.

He was about forty years old, wearing frameless glasses and a well-fitting dark blue suit. He had a refined and composed demeanor and walked with ease. After listening to Director Aoyama's brief explanation, he showed just the right amount of surprise and curiosity on his face. He pushed up his glasses and his gaze fell on Genkawa Yu.

"Well then, Genkawa-san, I apologize for disturbing you."

Hiroki Kimura smiled and, without any warning, switched directly to Chinese. His speech was at a normal speed, with clear pronunciation, and it was standard Mandarin Chinese.

"I heard you taught yourself Chinese? That really surprised and delighted me. I wonder how you mainly learned it?"

At that moment, everyone in the meeting room felt as if an invisible hand was gripping their hearts. No one understood what Kimura was saying, but they instantly realized that the verification had begun.

Countless gazes, like searchlights, locked onto Genkawa Yu, awaiting his reaction.

Is it only listenable -Pπ@1 cold「Yiqi things wujiu is eight-understand scattered words?

Do you still need time to think and organize your sentences? Are you experiencing the common stumbling blocks common to beginners?

However, Genkawa Yu's performance, once again with an almost elegant composure, shattered all doubts and preconceived notions.

Without the slightest hesitation or nervousness on his face, he responded in equally fluent Mandarin.

"Hello, Mr. Kimura. I mainly learned through online courses, audio-visual materials, and reading some simple literary works. I hope you can forgive my poor performance."

The pronunciation is clear and accurate, without any of the flatness or intonation distortion common among native Japanese speakers. Whether it is the choice of vocabulary or the natural flow of tone, it is as smooth as a native speaker engaging in everyday small talk.

At that moment, an undisguised look of surprise flashed across Hiroki Kimura's eyes. He immediately realized that the young actor's Chinese proficiency could not be summarized as "self-taught" or "simple communication".

He quickly adjusted his strategy, abandoning basic tests and instead steer the conversation into deeper areas.

For example, asking Yu Genkawa about his understanding of the core themes of the play "Alice in the Land of the Dying," especially his views on concepts such as "challenge," "survival," and "apocalypse."

Yu Minakawa remained composed, discussing the emotions the characters experienced when faced with sudden trials, as well as their growth and adventures.

From any perspective, this is a standard Chinese response, and could even be considered a professional interview answer.

At this moment, the conference room fell into an even longer silence.

Apart from Mr. Kimura, no one else could understand the Chinese conversation at all, but the smooth flow of communication and the composure on Genkawa Yu's face were obvious to everyone.

All of this was like a silent declaration, clearly telling everyone present that Genkawa Yu's Chinese proficiency had long surpassed his humble description of "daily communication," reaching an unbelievable level.

On the other side, Mai Sakurajima stared blankly at Yu Genkawa.

Although she couldn't fully understand the specific content of the conversation, she could still catch some of the nuances in tone.

The girl could clearly sense that Genkawa Yu's fluency in Chinese was something that could not be achieved by simply memorizing a few lines or through short-term intensive training; it required years of accumulation.

But isn't he only in his twenties?

Why do people have so much time to learn a foreign language?

Mai Sakurajima felt a slight jolt in her heart. She realized that her understanding of Yu Genkawa seemed to be forever shrouded in mystery. Every time she thought she had gotten close to the core, he would always reveal a new realm.

The conversation between Hiroki Kimura and Yu Genkawa lasted for nearly five minutes.

During the conversation, they discussed the plot of "Alice in the Land of the Dying," the similarities and differences between Chinese literature and Japanese light novels, and even some popular online cultural phenomena on Chinese social media.

This dialogue went far beyond the scope of a "language proficiency test" and was more like an exchange of ideas between two researchers.

When Hiroki Kimura finally ended the conversation, which had been so engaging, and turned to face the eager and curious crowd that had been waiting for him in the conference room, he took a deep breath, his face still flushed with excitement, and filled with a sense of wonder as if he had discovered a treasure.

"Everyone."

He switched back to Japanese, his voice slightly higher than usual due to excitement, and his tone more resolute than ever before.

“I must say, Genkawa-san’s Chinese proficiency cannot be described as ‘very good,’ it’s completely ‘native speaker level’!”

Kimura looked around to make sure everyone's attention was on him, and then clearly and precisely stated his judgment, word by word.

“Mr. Genkawa’s Chinese pronunciation is extremely standard, with precise tones, and there is absolutely no trace of accent that is unavoidable for us Japanese, or even for Japanese who have lived in China for a long time.”

"Moreover, he has a very rich vocabulary and can skillfully and accurately use a large number of written words, idioms, and even some highly literary rhetorical devices."

Finally, he looked at director Aoyama and the representative of the "burning" genre, and made his final conclusion in an extremely affirmative tone.

"In conclusion, Genkawa-san's previous statement that 'basic communication is no problem' was far too modest. Based on my long-term experience living and working in China, I can guarantee that his Chinese proficiency is more than enough for him to live and work independently in any city in China!"

"Oh My God..."

"This...how is this possible?!"

"Genkawa-san, you're truly a genius!"

After a brief period of extreme silence, the conference room erupted into an even more heated uproar than before.

Although everyone was mentally prepared, Kimura's high praise still surprised them. After all, it went far beyond the scope of "celebrity's special skills" or "personal skills." It was practically a professional ability that could be listed on a resume!

Then, the representative of the "burning" group suddenly stood up from his seat, his face flushed red with extreme excitement. He looked intently at director Aoyama and his still bewildered manager, Nakahara Kazuya, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Excellent! This is a fantastic propaganda weapon that has fallen from the sky! We must adjust our propaganda strategy!"

Director Aoyama also agrees with this point. After all, "Alice in the Land of the Dying" is a work that was released globally. If it can achieve good results in Xia Country, it will be a qualification to be proud of.

“That’s right! Genkawa-kun is definitely the main male lead, and his ability must become the core highlight of our Xia Kingdom’s publicity campaign this time.”

"Qi Ersanling abandoned? We can reduce or even eliminate the translation process, allowing Yuan Chuan-jun to directly interact with Xia Guo's media and fans!"

"This will not only demonstrate the sincerity of our 'Alice in the Land of the Dying' production team, but also bring out Genkawa's personal charm to the fullest. A foreign actor who has good looks, acting skills, and talent, and can also communicate with the audience in fluent Chinese... The amount of buzz he generates is simply unimaginable!"

The conference room instantly erupted into a frenzied and enthusiastic brainstorming session, with everyone's faces beaming with the excitement and exhilaration of discovering a new continent.

Amidst this fervent atmosphere, the new promotional strategy quickly took on a clear and bold outline. As his manager, Kazuya Nakahara also recognized the immense commercial value and career boost it contained. After all, Yu Genkawa's company, Star Engine, was just starting out, and they had to achieve outstanding results this time.

We began actively discussing specific feasibility plans with the marketing personnel of the fuel system.

Genkawa Yu didn't react much to the discussion. He simply said, "I'm going out for some fresh air," and then walked straight out of the conference room, which was like a boiling furnace.

In the corridor, the thick carpet absorbed the sound of footsteps. Yuan Chuanyu stood there quietly, his gaze somewhat unfocused, as if looking into the distance, or perhaps just staring at his own blurry reflection in the glass.

About two or three minutes later, a very light footstep sound came from behind, accompanied by a faint and familiar fragrance, slowly approaching.

"Genkawa-kun."

It's Mai Sakurajima's voice.

Genkawa Yu didn't seem surprised. He slowly turned around and saw the girl standing a few steps behind him. Sunlight shone through the glass, casting a soft halo on her perfect profile.

“Mai-san.” Genkawa Yu nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Mai Sakurajima walked to his side and stood beside him, looking out at the forest of reinforced concrete. They were silent for a moment, as if organizing their thoughts.

"How come your Chinese is so good?"

She turned her head, her captivating eyes looking directly at Yuan Chuan You. "I went to Xia Country a few years ago to promote my movie. To promote it better, I worked hard, consulted teachers, and practiced recording repeatedly, but in the end, I could only barely introduce my name clearly and say a few words like 'thank you everyone' and 'it's nice to be here.'"

"You said you had studied it before, but this level is definitely not something that can be achieved with just a little talent and study. How much effort have you actually put in?"

Yuan Chuanyou met her probing gaze and clearly saw the persistent incomprehension deep in her eyes. Then, he smiled slightly.

"The specific reasons are hard to explain, but I have indeed spent a lot of time learning Chinese. I guess it can only be attributed to talent. Is Mai-san very interested in Chinese?"

"After all, Xia is a very large and powerful country. If our works can be popular in Xia, that would naturally be a good thing."

Mai Sakurajima nodded. Although she had been deliberately keeping her distance from Yuu Minagawa recently, her feelings for him had not changed. Whenever she chatted with Yuu Minagawa, she would subconsciously move closer.

"Yes, anyway, this trip to Xia Country for promotion will last for several days, and the itinerary will mainly be in Shanghai."

Yuu Genkawa seemed to be looking forward to the promotional event. "Besides my regular work, if time allows, I might have the chance to stroll around the streets of Shanghai and try some authentic local dishes. It would be a short trip during my busy work break."

The next moment, Mai Sakurajima looked at Yu Genkawa's profile, her emotions a complex mix.

He is indeed a man who always manages to surprise me.

Even though she was so attracted to him, the conversation about "greed" from last time still felt like a slender yet incredibly resilient thorn, deeply embedded in her heart.

Mai Sakurajima didn't know what to do either. She could only continue to try to keep her emotions in check and find a better way.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her thick, long eyelashes casting small shadows under her eyelids, and nodded, her voice even softer than before.

"That sounds like a good idea. Since Genkawa-kun's Chinese is so good, then when we go to Shanghai, I'll have you be my translator."

"It is my honor, Mai-san."

Yuan Chuanyou could sense her complex and conflicted emotions, and a slight pity welled up in his heart, but he showed an even gentler expression on his face.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

He didn't stare at Mai Sakurajima's face, but turned his head to look out the window, as if talking to himself.

"Just let things take their natural course. I will wait patiently until you think things through, digest them, and are able to accept it."

"As for this trip to the Xia Kingdom, I have the highest expectations."

"After all... this is my first overseas trip with Mai-san."

"...snort."

Mai Sakurajima gave a soft "humph," this time feeling less forced and more warm, like the melting of snow in early spring.

The two stood quietly by the sunlit window for a moment, neither of them speaking.

Meanwhile, inside the conference room, the heated discussion finally came to a temporary halt, and a preliminary framework for a publicity plan centered on Genkawa Yu had been developed.

Kato Megumi remained quietly seated in her inconspicuous corner, as if the commotion caused by Genkawa Yu had nothing to do with her.

As Genkawa Yu's artist assistant, she naturally had to go on this trip to Xia Country as well.

The girl lowered her head slightly, making it impossible to see her expression; her attention was completely focused on the pure white smartphone screen in her hand.

On the screen was the startup screen of a newly downloaded Chinese learning app. Her fingertips tapped lightly and steadily on the screen, entering the first lesson of the introductory course.

The interface is designed to be clean and intuitive, and a soft, standard female voice in Mandarin comes from the left Bluetooth earphone she is wearing.

"Hello."