English superstar David Beckham grinned broadly and then covered his face, seemingly resisting the temptation to answer honestly. Responding to a question from the Post as to whether he occasionally felt the personality cult surrounding him seemed insane, Real Madrid's US$40 million new boy needed a few moments to compose himself as the flashlights erupted at the dramatic change in the expression on the most famous face in football.
For a second it seemed he was ready to give a true insight to the frenzy that has accompanied his every move from Beijing to Tokyo and now to Hong Kong. Instead he summoned every ounce of diplomacy he could muster - a quality from which his gaffe-prone club could learn a lot.
'I think it's something we're all used to,' he said, smiling. 'I'm used to it. I've had it for a long time and it's always going to be there. I'm sure there are a lot of nice people out there. You just have to enjoy it.'
Ridiculed in Britain for supposed simplicity - the compendium of jokes about Beckham include one about him confusing a box of breakfast cereal for a jigsaw puzzle and another thinking Liberian international George Weah was a librarian - the England captain has surprised the media travelling the Far East with the Real caravan with glimpses of a more developed intellect than many give him credit for.
While his teammates trundled out the usual line of trying their best, the 28-year-old gave a forthright opinion on what is expected from Real's galaxy of stars. 'The expectation is to win every trophy we go in for,' he stated. 'We've got a great squad of players that work hard on the pitch and get on well off it. The expectation is to win every one. Obviously the European Champions League is the biggest one, but all of them are important.'
In comparison to his 'Los Meringues' teammates, Beckham shone as they tried to talk up today's clash with the Hong Kong XI, although to be fair to Raul and Fernando Morientes in particular, much may have been lost in a strangled translation which had journalists of all colours and creeds desperately comparing notes.