"This melody, this rhythm... perhaps it really is different from other rap."
Although she had been startled at first, Swire had already begun to sense what was special about this promotional song. These days, most films did not even have the concept of promotional PVs yet. People generally still used posters to promote their movies.
Everyone could only judge a film's genre through its promotional posters and the synopses handed out by theaters. But using a song, edited together with film clips, to help people understand the movie like this... was truly novel.
Of course, Swire felt she still needed to see how the lyrics were. Since the filmmakers had come up with such a way to attract viewers, the quality of the song they brought out surely would not be poor, right?
Without realizing it, Swire had become filled with anticipation. Very soon, rap lyrics in the familiar Yan language, rather than traditional Columbian rap, began to flow out slowly:
"Yo, cool morning dew, dampening black formalwear, mist over the cobblestones, Father murmurs low."
"Helpless resolve can only grow crueler; everything is for the road that leads to the holy hall."
As though echoing the lyrics, an elderly man in black formalwear soon appeared in a dimly lit room. Swire did not know him, but she could feel the authority radiating from him—an aura of composure and inviolability, as if he were a king.
"You're afraid of owing me a favor. You never considered me a friend."
The old man's voice was exceptionally clear. As he stroked a cat, merely speaking made the pressure feel overwhelming.
"This song, this actor—amazing!"
"Where did the director find this actor? Is he really not a Mafia boss in real life?"
Swire could not help muttering to herself. The Yan-language rap alone was enough to astonish her. This was her first time hearing someone rap with Yan words, because compared to Columbian, it was extremely difficult for Yan to convey a similar sense of rhythm in rap.
But this song... just those opening lines made Swire feel no sense of discord at all. It rhymed, and it flowed smoothly!
Combined with these visuals and lines, anyone could tell what kind of tone this film had.
This creator was simply too incredible!
"Mist that cannot be blown away drowns every intent; who treads softly, then stops?"
"Before there's time to cry, icy bullets steal away the warmth."
At this moment, the previously forceful lyrics suddenly became ethereal and uncertain. The rap sped up once more, driving people's hearts to race along with it:
"Each of us bears sin, committing different crimes."
"I decide who is right, and who should sleep."
In the video, the old man slowly rose to his feet. Amid the quiet, rapid rap, his words fell clearly once again:
"What did I do to make you disrespect me so?"
"They are my enemies too... so they will fear you."
This seemed to be a scene of granting protection, Swire thought. She had vaguely guessed that this old man was likely the powerful head of a Syracuse family. That aura alone was enough to explain everything.
But... what role did Texas, who appeared at the beginning, play in this movie?
"Arguments solve nothing in the endless night. Shut your mouth; that is the only mercy."
"Those standing in the way are all guilty. There is no road back for regret."
"Judgment in the Name of the Father—there are no fitting words for that feeling."
"Like smiling while tears fall, staring into complete darkness; the tragedy that stops tragedy from spreading will intoxicate me."
The scene shifted. The video showed a man being shot dead at a toll station. Before Swire could make out who he was, the camera cut back to Texas—a man on the phone stared at her in terror, half his face hidden in darkness. Like a demon descending upon him, she merely said flatly:
"You will pay for Sonny's death, Carlo."
That one short sentence revealed another piece of the film's plot: assassination, a family traitor, and judgment. Once again, it echoed the lyric, "Judgment in the Name of the Father."
"Bow your head and kiss my left hand, in exchange for a promise of forgiveness."
"An old pipe organ in the corner keeps playing, playing, playing."
"Black curtains stir in the wind. Sunlight silently pierces through, spilling over the beasts I have tamed."
"Silent cries, silent cries. Loneliness begins to ferment..."
By now, Swire could somewhat sense the connection between Texas and the old Godfather from before, because during this section, someone kissed each of their hands. Looking closely, Swire realized both scenes took place in the same environment.
And at the pause on the word "beasts," the scene abruptly switched to a group of suited Mafia members. Without question, they were the "beasts" commanded by the two of them—the "beasts" they had tamed.
"Once-pure images, cruel tenderness appears."
"When the fragile time comes, let us pray together."
The scene shifted to a cute girl Swire had never seen before. If the crew had been there, they would have known that she was Mike's wife, the woman Texas, playing Mike, had met and fallen in love with in Syracuse.
But the next moment, the girl's colorful figure slowly darkened and vanished, gradually transitioning to Texas standing alone in a church.
This image made Swire's heart skip slightly. She felt this shot vaguely implied... that the film would not have a happy ending.
"Merciful Father, I have fallen into a kingdom of sin unseen. Please forgive my arrogance."
"Ahyayacheckitcheckitahya"
"No one can speak, no one may speak. So hard to bear—the glory bears loneliness carved behind it."
"Ahyayacheckitcheckitahya"
"These lyrics... this theme, they all match perfectly. This is really incredible!"
Swire's eyes were practically shining now. The song did not mention Syracuse, The Godfather, or the Mafia even once, yet through the information conveyed by the visuals, Swire immediately understood how the lyrics echoed the film.
The kingdom of sin unseen undoubtedly referred to the world of the Mafia. Father, honor, loneliness... all these words described the story of a Mafia Godfather, as well as the transformation of his state of mind.
Father could mean a father, or it could mean The Godfather. And in this movie, these two meanings clearly described the same person. That old Godfather was Texas's father in the film.
"Close my eyes, and I see again the dreamlike scene from those years—the sky veiled in mist. (Ahyayacheckitcheckitahya)"
"Father held both my hands and gently walked across the quiet cobblestone road at dawn. (Ahyayacheckitcheckitahya)"
As this part of the lyrics ended, the video froze once more on the church. A baby was receiving baptism, while in the song, a voice like that of a Laterano nun chanting rang out. It was soaring but not jarring, recounting Laterano doctrine in the language of Syracuse.
"Mike Francis Rizz, do you renounce Satan?"
Swire, who had just thought they had entered an intermission, relaxed slightly. But the next instant, Mike's answer in Texas's portrayal shattered the silence, followed by even more abrupt gunfire!
"—I renounce him."
"Bang bang bang bang bang!"
Five gunshots, flashing through images of five people being shot dead! Swire, who had lingering trauma from having been kidnapped in the past, nearly jumped out of her skin and instinctively cursed:
"Lungmen vulgarity You scared the hell out of me!"
"Who thought of using gunfire as part of the accompaniment?! That's terrifying!"
But she had to admit that using firearms as part of the song was a bold idea—one no one had ever used before!
And this section of gunfire blended perfectly into the accompaniment, without the slightest sense of discord.
What kind of wildly imaginative genius could come up with an idea like this? Swire could not hide the curiosity and admiration in her eyes. At this point, the song had already reached its finale.
"Merciful Father—I have fallen—into a kingdom of sin unseen~~"
"Please forgive me—my arrogance—loneliness carved within~~"
"Merciful Father, I have fallen into a kingdom of sin unseen. Please forgive my arrogance..."
The lyrics sounded like the drawn-out confession and grievance of someone repenting for something, but the video flashed through corpses and pools of blood from many deaths, as though foreshadowing the success of a revenge... and the birth of another person fallen into darkness.
The rap that followed sped up, appearing alongside the characters' dialogue in the video. The dialogue took precedence, the lyrics supporting it, appearing line after line on the screen.
"Don't let anyone else know what you're thinking. (The mottled family crest was polished all night.)"
"I spent my whole life learning only how to be careful. (Only lonely glory understands the feeling.)"
"He is the traitor. Never forget that. (Candlelight flickers and flickers without cease.)"
"They killed Sonny. He's dead. (An owl gazes into the distance from the windowsill.)"
"I refuse to be controlled by those so-called important people. (The corridor leading to the hall carries the same indescribable desolation.)"
"Look at how they treated my child. (No clamor, only tranquility surrounding us.)"
"We'll do it, Dad. We'll do it. (I slowly fall asleep as dawn is just breaking.)"
"...Godfather."
In the end, as Lappland gently kissed Texas's palm, the great doors slowly closed, as though forever shutting everyone who did not belong to this "world" outside.
With that, the entire video came to a complete end. The final image froze on a list of acknowledgments.
"Wait? That's it?! It's over already?"
Only after reacting belatedly did Swire realize the video had ended. She instinctively tapped her phone screen and discovered that the song was a full six minutes long!
Six minutes was already very long for a song, but she felt as if not even three minutes had passed!
"I haven't even had my fill! This movie—is it called 'The Godfather'? It's only showing in Syracuse right now?"
"Wait, this name... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before?"
However, as Swire stared at the final acknowledgments, she saw a particularly conspicuous line: "Thanks to Director Chen Qi for the song he created. Everyone is welcome to support the film 'The Godfather,' produced by the Integrated Cultural Troupe. It will premiere in Syracuse one week from now."
"Chen Qi? Isn't that Little Tal's boyfriend's name?"
"And this Integrated Cultural Troupe—isn't that the name of their production crew?!"
"Wait, so Chen Qi wrote this song? And he filmed 'The Godfather' in Syracuse too?!"
After realizing this, Swire was briefly stunned, then instinctively checked when the video had been uploaded. It had been posted two days ago.
And it already had over two million views! For Lungmen's population, that was absolutely viral! How many people in a single mobile city like Lungmen even had phones they could use to browse videos?
"Well, well, Little Tal and Chen Qi. I helped them so much back then, helped their crew take that solid first step, and now they're making blockbusters without letting me invest?!"
"No, I need to find Sausage Dragon and have her call Chen Qi and ask them! I don't want to travel all the way to Syracuse just to watch a movie! I want to watch 'The Godfather' right now!"
Without giving it any thought, Swire immediately planned to tell Chen the news. She knew Chen was related to both Wei Yenwu and Talulah, so she had the most say in this matter.
After all... the banning of "Young and Dangerous" had left Wei Yenwu and Talulah on very bad terms. The fact that "The Godfather" was only releasing in Syracuse already explained everything. Talulah was definitely holding a grudge!
Perhaps Chen could persuade Talulah and Wei Yenwu to reconcile and let "The Godfather" release in Lungmen?
No matter what, Swire had to see this movie within a week. She could not keep doing this damn job for even one more day!
Chen Promotes Chen Qi's Film
"Sausage Dragon! Sausage Dragon! Are you in there? Open the door already!"
"Can't you come in yourself? The door isn't locked."
After Swire rushed to Chen's office, she entered at the sound of Chen's voice. Her gaze quickly locked onto the blue-haired, dragon-horned woman sitting at her desk.
But Chen seemed tired and irritable as well, perhaps even worse off than Swire. She hardly had the strength left to argue.
"It's not even quitting time yet... why are you here, Char Siu Cat?" Chen pressed a hand to her forehead, looking utterly listless. Seeing this, Swire unusually did not get angry at the nickname and instead asked curiously:
"Are you also getting a headache over 'Young and Dangerous'?"
"Because of that movie, Lungmen's crime rate has been rising for months. It's only gotten a little better lately. Hoshiguma and I have been so busy we're about to pass out."
Chen shook her head, her voice tinged with grievance. "I'm doing alright, but Hoshiguma has to take people to several scenes every day. The entire Guard Department is groaning in misery."
"To boost everyone's morale, I already applied to Chief Wei for a collective pay raise. It's been approved. I just don't know how long we'll have to keep this up..."
Although "Young and Dangerous" had been banned for quite some time, its influence continued to spread. Clips were still being posted online, and even pirated recordings were still being uploaded. The Guard Department's technicians could not possibly watch at full intensity twenty-four hours a day and take down every related video the moment they saw it. They could not keep up with people constantly reposting them!
At this point, Swire's eyes shifted slightly. Deliberately wanting to see Chen's reaction, she asked on purpose, "By the way, as Talulah's younger sister, what do you think about 'Young and Dangerous' being taken down? I remember you had a huge fight with Chief Wei over it."
"...As a senior superintendent of Lungmen, I should firmly oppose films that promote crime and violence. That is my duty."
After a brief silence, Chen still maintained her upright and impartial stance as a senior superintendent of Lungmen, replying in an exceedingly rigid manner:
"Even if it was a work painstakingly filmed by my sister and someone she recognizes, as long as it does not align with the values that should be promoted to Lungmen's citizens, it should be banned. I have no complaints about that."
"Ah... is that so..."
At this point, Swire's tone abruptly turned strange. Her brows rose high, and she looked extremely smug as she said in a deeply teasing voice:
"Ah, then that's a shame. I heard Chen Qi and Little Tal made another new movie in Syracuse. Unfortunately, it's another film related to crime, so it probably can't be released in Lungmen either~"
"—Little Tal and Chen Qi have news about a new movie?!"
Just as Swire expected, the moment Chen heard news about Chen Qi and Talulah, her dragon tail practically stood upright at once. She immediately turned to look at the smirking Swire and instinctively asked:
"But how did you find out? Little Tal didn't tell me about this."
"You're such an idiot. We took down their movie—do you still expect her to release it in Lungmen? Little Tal and Chen Qi are probably both furious right now."
Before you continue