Yuffie clicked her mouse and kept scrolling down.
She couldn't get enough of all the online comments hyping up Luke.
> "So what level of celebrity do you think Luke is? How does he compare to Andy Lau?" one netizen asked.
> "Andy Lau might call himself an Asian superstar, but Luke's already made it big in Hollywood. He's on track to become a global superstar!"
> "Maybe not quite a world-class megastar yet, but Andy Lau definitely can't compare. If you want a fair match, try Chow Yun-fat," another replied.
Reading those comments, Yuffie froze for a moment.
Since when had Luke reached the point where people were comparing him to Chow Yun-fat?
Just a year or two ago, when they filmed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, their statuses couldn't have been more different.
Back then, Luke was just a rookie actor fresh on the scene, while Chow Yun-fat was already one of the biggest names in Asian cinema.
> "Chow Yun-fat? Please. I think Luke's on a higher level! Has Chow Yun-fat ever starred in a Hollywood blockbuster?" someone suddenly commented.
> "Of course he has! Don't you know he's filming Bulletproof Monk right now?"
> "That movie's budget is only $52 million. Luke starred in Jurassic Park III, a top-tier blockbuster with a $100 million budget!"
> "Jurassic Park III? Come on, aren't the dinosaurs the real stars of that franchise?"
> "That might've been true for the first two, but do you even know what made Jurassic Park III such a hit? Without Luke's gutsy performance, it would've been a total flop!"
> "No need to argue! Luke just starred in Pirates of the Caribbean, and that one's budget is over $130 million. Case closed!"
> "Still, I think Chow Yun-fat's status is higher!" a loyal fan insisted.
> "If Bulletproof Monk doesn't bomb, maybe he can compete. Otherwise, his Hollywood career is done for. How can he compare to Luke, who's clearly on the rise?" another user shot back sarcastically.
> "Let's just be real—among Asian actors right now, only Jackie Chan can firmly outshine Luke. Even Jet Li can't match him anymore!"
Seeing the heated online debate, Yuffie couldn't help but agree. She'd underestimated him.
Whether Luke had officially surpassed Chow Yun-fat or not didn't matter. Judging by his momentum, in another year or two, he might actually be untouchable.
That realization made Yuffie feel a bit pressured: I haven't even debuted yet, and he's already light-years ahead.
Still, she felt genuinely happy for him—proud, even.
She kept scrolling…
> "Do you think Luke has a girlfriend?" one gossip-hungry user asked.
> "Haven't heard anything. He's so handsome—maybe he's… you know…" another teased, clearly a fujoshi.
> "Now that you mention it, maybe! His swordsmanship's amazing—what if he's practiced the 'Evil-Repelling Sword Technique'?"
> "Oh please, next you'll say his gun skills are suspicious too!"
> "Hey, with how good his kissing scenes are, I bet he's had plenty of practice! Lucky mystery girlfriend, wherever she is."
Reading that, Yuffie blinked. But… he's never kissed me, though.
Sure, they were still in high school before—things like that wouldn't have been appropriate.
But now she was in college. Maybe it's time to do what adults do…
The thought made her ears feel hot, but her fingers didn't stop scrolling.
> "I watched the Time Trilogy he did with Annie—it was so touching. The two of them had great chemistry."
> "Right? Pairing up with a gorgeous white actress in Hollywood? That's next level. Asian-guy–white-girl pairings are rare—he's basically repping for the homeland!"
> "Wait, could Annie be his girlfriend? They're working together again on Pirates of the Caribbean."
> "Marry her! Bring home the Snow White of Hollywood!"
Reading those comments, Yuffie's hands clenched into fists. A wave of jealousy hit her hard.
> "What nonsense! A Asian guy should marry a Asian girl! Luke already has a childhood sweetheart back home!" she finally couldn't resist typing and posting.
After sending it, she closed the webpage.
At first, reading all those glowing comments about Luke had felt like sipping a glass of ice-cold water on a hot summer day—refreshing and satisfying.
But the more popular and admired he became, the more she realized how desirable he was to everyone else, too.
That kind of anxiety was unavoidable.
Whatever, she thought. Let's watch some anime and clear my head.
But when Yuffie opened her favorite streaming site, Luke's handsome face popped up again on the front page.
> Latest news! Exclusive release!
Why is he here too?
She clicked on the top recommendation and saw several headlines about him:
> "Master Akira Toriyama Returns—Inspired by a Superstar!"
> "Who Is This Man? The Legend Himself Draws Again for Him!"
> "The Man Even Toriyama Couldn't Refuse—The Sword God!"
Manga? Luke was involved in manga now?
Akira Toriyama himself had come out of semi-retirement to create a new long-running series inspired by Luke?
Anime fans everywhere were thrilled—anything by Toriyama was guaranteed gold.
Reading through a few of the articles, most were sourced from Japanese media, but that was enough for Yuffie to piece together what was going on.
So the "manga master" Luke mentioned visiting on the phone… was Toriyama!
Yuffie had grown up on his work. Dr. Slump had filled her childhood with laughter—she was definitely a Toriyama fan herself.
Now Luke wasn't just meeting his idol—he was actually inspiring him to create a manga?
That was insane.
But thinking about it more, she suddenly understood Luke's strategy.
If he wanted to become a legendary action star, he needed to link his name closely with martial arts.
Movies were one way to do that—but anime, which had huge influence among young people, was the perfect second path.
If kids all around the world grew up reading a manga with Luke as the hero, that childhood imprint would turn many of them into lifelong fans.
And it wasn't just that—Luke was even personally designing all the action sequences in the manga.
Once fans found out that those thrilling fights came from Luke's own choreography, they'd admire him even more.
Using both film and anime to build his legacy—Luke's approach was rock-solid.
Thinking about his unstoppable career trajectory, Yuffie suddenly felt that the role of film… didn't seem all that appealing anymore.