Chinese actor Wang Xueqi. Photo provided to China Daily

"My role has a complex personality. In the very beginning, he has to compromise with Japanese invaders and sometimes do business with them, as the military threatens Cao that they will kill his employees if he refuses to cooperate with them," explains Wang at press conference last week in Beijing.

"When he experiences the family tragedies, strong hate pushes him to grow up as a hero fighting against enemies," he says.

Another highlight of the production is the lead actress Jiang Qinqin, who shot to fame for her pretty face in a series of TV programs based on the works of the famous Taiwan-born romance novelist Qiong Yao.

Jiang, starring as a Communist Party agent who falls in love with Cao, jokes on her micro blog that "this time, please ignore my face". The agent has to disguise herself as a servant with a bland appearance for her emissary job.

The producers reveal that Cao's costumes are made in the United Kingdom, as the role's overseas study experience gave the character Western tastes.

The TV series, written by Tianjin author Bao Guangman, is adapted from a best-selling novel with the same title.

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