One hour before the meet-and-greet, the grand auditorium of the Capital Film Academy, which could accommodate thousands, was already packed. The front row was lined with a dense array of cameras from the media, and behind them, film academy students and ordinary fans held posters of Matthew.
In recent years, many of Matthew's films had been released here. While the number of theater-goers might not have been huge, the rampant piracy online had made Matthew Horner a well-known name to many.
At the moment, Tom Cruise had yet to recover his standing, Leonardo DiCaprio was focused on winning an Oscar, Brad Pitt's box-office appeal was lukewarm, Will Smith hadn't had a major hit since The Pursuit of Happyness, and Nicolas Cage had fallen from grace...
Matthew, perhaps even unknowingly, had become the most globally influential commercial star in Hollywood.
Hollywood films that truly reached a nationwide audience here were primarily big-budget blockbusters, especially action movies. The most recognized Hollywood stars were action heroes like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Tom Cruise.
Even Nicolas Cage, who had mysteriously gained popularity here, owed his fame not to his Oscar win but to his classic action films from the 90s.
That was the reality of the market—no amount of bragging about winning an Oscar could change it.
However, in academic circles, Matthew's image wasn't as favorable.
"His acting skills are mediocre," an older film academy professor said, seated near the front. He spoke to a slightly younger colleague. "In Hollywood, Matthew Horner's acting is on the level of Tom Cruise—a commercial star. There's little educational value in teaching his work."
The younger professor disagreed. "The students in the acting class wouldn't agree with you." He glanced at the newly arranged stage. "They don't just want to be actors—they want to be stars."
The older professor was momentarily speechless. As teachers, they knew all too well what their students aspired to.
"They want to be stars," the younger professor continued. "And right now, who's more famous in the global film industry than Matthew Horner?"
The older professor nodded. If there was a most popular movie star in the world, it was undeniably Matthew Horner.
He looked back at the students. They were all discussing the large portrait of Matthew Horner on the background wall, with the acting students in particular showing the most excitement.
Their envy was palpable.
"Excuse me, excuse me," a ponytailed girl hurriedly squeezed through the crowd. Seeing her friend wave at her, she smiled apologetically as she maneuvered through the packed auditorium. "Sorry, could you let me through?"
After a bit of effort, she finally made it to her friend's side.
"Bai Xue, you're late," her friend complained, moving a backpack off a seat. "Do you know how much pressure I was under saving this seat for you?"
"Got stuck in traffic," Bai Xue quickly sat down and pulled a bottle of water from her bag, handing it to her friend. "Thank you, my beautiful Nini."
Nini, a strikingly pretty girl, took the water, unscrewed it, and took a sip. "I owed someone a huge favor just to get these two seats!"
Bai Xue grinned. "I know, I know. I'll treat you to something nice later."
As they chatted, Bai Xue glanced around. The auditorium was packed, with people even standing in the aisles. If it weren't for the cameras set up in the front, there would likely be people standing near the stage as well.
"Matthew's really popular," Bai Xue muttered. "All these people came to see him."
Nini put away her water and said, "Of course! Matthew Horner is a Hollywood superstar! You know, my classmates at the Communication University are going crazy. Many pulled every string they could to get in here just to catch a glimpse of him."
Suddenly remembering something, Nini asked, "Didn't you get Matthew Horner's autograph?"
Bai Xue opened her bag and pulled out her autograph book with a proud smile. "Check it out. It's special."
"What's so special about it?" Nini flipped it open and was immediately taken aback by the first page. "This is Matthew Horner's autograph?"
"Yeah, why?"
Nini blinked in disbelief. "But it's in Chinese! Are you sure you didn't write this yourself?"
Bai Xue replied seriously, "This is really Matthew Horner's signature."
Knowing her friend wasn't one to exaggerate, Nini's mouth fell open. "He speaks Chinese? You mean Matthew Horner can speak Chinese?"
It was unbelievable. The inscription, though not particularly neat, was legible, and how many foreigners could write such decent Chinese characters—especially a Hollywood star?
In online terms, this was just too surreal.
"His Mandarin is very fluent," Bai Xue added, her face full of admiration. "Honestly, I think he speaks it as well as Dashan."
Her admiration wasn't baseless. It wasn't just the fact that a foreigner could speak Chinese—there were plenty of examples like Dashan—but that a top-tier Hollywood star had taken the time to learn the language. It showed that he respected and appreciated the culture here.
That kind of recognition made people feel like he was one of their own, rather than a complete outsider from across the Pacific.
As Bai Xue and Nini chatted, the auditorium suddenly filled with music. The buzzing conversations quickly died down.
A well-known host, Chen Datou, took the stage. After the usual opening remarks, he announced loudly, "Now, let's welcome Hollywood superstar, Matthew Horner!"
Backstage, Matthew was ready. Hearing the host's cue, he strode confidently onto the stage, smiling and waving to the audience as he walked.
Dressed casually in a fitted T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, he looked both approachable and stylish, his athletic build and genuine smile enhancing his masculine appeal. Instantly, he left a strong first impression.
The auditorium erupted into applause.
"Matthew, this is your first time here, right?" Chen Datou, who had spoken briefly with Matthew backstage, asked in Chinese. Pointing to the audience, he added, "Could you introduce yourself to our audience?"
The audience was puzzled. Rumor had it that Chen Datou was fluent in English, so why was he asking questions in Chinese without a translator? Wasn't this a recipe for miscommunication?
"Hello, everyone. I'm very happy to be here in the capital, at the Capital Film Academy," Matthew said, his Mandarin fluent and clear. "It's an honor to be standing here."
The entire auditorium fell silent, many unable to process what they had just heard.
The older professor and his younger colleague exchanged glances, bewildered.
The former even scratched his ear, wondering if he was hearing things.
The younger professor tilted his head, staring at Matthew. No doubt about it—this was a foreigner with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes!
Nini was stunned too. She hadn't been too shocked when Bai Xue told her, but hearing Matthew speak fluent Mandarin in person was beyond belief. His Mandarin was as good as Dashan's.
In fact, some of her classmates at the Communication University didn't speak Mandarin as fluently as this Hollywood star.
What was going on?
If he had lived here like Dashan, it wouldn't be surprising, but wasn't this Matthew's first visit?
Bai Xue beamed as she watched Matthew, then looked at Nini and the others around her, all of them in shock. She was delighted.
She had had the same reaction at the airport. It seemed others were no different now.
Even her friend Nini, who dreamed of becoming a famous star, was stunned.
For a few moments, the auditorium was eerily quiet. Matthew, pleased with the effect, continued in fluent Mandarin, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Matthew—ma as in 'success,' xiu as in 'cultured.'"
The way he used "my name is" instead of "I am" gave the introduction a more authentic and personal feel.
Moreover, his Chinese name needed no fancy alterations—the phonetic translation worked perfectly and sounded natural, as if it were a real Chinese name.
Before coming here, Matthew had felt that his name had a natural affinity for Chinese pronunciation.
After these two fluent sentences, many in the audience began to realize what was happening. Plenty of foreigners spoke excellent Mandarin, but nobody expected a Hollywood superstar to be this proficient.
Without giving the crowd time to fully process the shock, Matthew added, "In Chinese, my name roughly means something like this..."
He deliberately flashed a bright smile and joked, "A cultured and successful person."
As soon as he said this, many in the audience burst into laughter.
Matthew then asked, "My Chinese is limited. Did I get that interpretation right?"
The auditorium filled with laughter, but it wasn't mocking—it was genuine, appreciative laughter.
"This foreigner is hilarious!" the older professor remarked. "That explanation is quite something!"
The younger professor laughed as well. "This Hollywood star is unique. His Mandarin is spot-on, and he even knows how to crack Chinese jokes."
Further back, Nini was laughing so hard she nearly doubled over. "Oh my gosh, I'm dying! This Matthew Horner is too funny!"
As laughter spread through the auditorium, a round of applause spontaneously broke out, growing louder and more sustained.