Chapter Twenty-Two: The Old Guard Watches "The Godfather," Looking for Faults / Chapter Twenty-Three: The Real Message of "The Godfather": Family

"Look, I even came across their promotional video online, but there's no news of them screening it in Lungmen. They came here just to use this trailer to deliberately provoke us."

"Show me the trailer."

However, Chen had no time to worry about that. She snatched Swire's phone, skillfully unlocked it after cracking the password, then found the video through the viewing history.

This time, Swire was in no hurry at all. She stayed beside Chen and watched the trailer again. When the lyrics to "In the Name of the Father" began, she even gently swayed along to the rhythm, looking completely absorbed.

Six minutes later, Chen finished the trailer in silence and with total focus. Before Chen could react, Swire impatiently asked, as though she wanted someone else to acknowledge her idol:

"Well? Isn't it great?"

"...To be honest, I think this song is a little strange. It's unlike a lot of songs from Lungmen and Yan."

It took Chen quite a while to come back to herself. Perhaps because she had focused too much on every detail in the trailer, she had unknowingly become immersed in it. In the end, all she felt about the song was that it was strange.

She couldn't say whether it sounded good or not. It was just strange, unlike any song she had ever heard...

"Tch, no taste at all. This song is a work of art!"

Seeing that Chen did not seem able to appreciate the song she held in such high regard, Swire showed a hint of disdain. After snatching back her phone, she said irritably:

"Just for this song alone, I'm willing to believe that The Godfather is definitely a good movie. I don't want to be unable to watch it in Lungmen, and I definitely don't want to travel all the way to Syracuse for the premiere!"

"...So what are you planning?" Chen secretly nodded at that, but quickly realized what Swire was getting at and asked suspiciously:

"If you're thinking of using me to persuade Chief Wei Yenwu to let this movie screen in Lungmen, I think you're going to be disappointed."

"Chief Wei Yenwu won't allow any movies or shows that could worsen Lungmen's public security problems to be released at a time like this. Have you forgotten that the trouble Young and Dangerous brought us is still bothering us now?"

"Are you stupid? Anyone can become one of those little punks from Young and Dangerous, but compared to real Mafia bosses, they're on a completely different level!"

However, the moment Swire heard Chen lump the characters from Young and Dangerous together with those from The Godfather, she immediately flew into a rage. Even Chen was startled by Swire's reaction.

The two women argued often, but this time Chen truly had no idea why Swire was so angry... It was as if Chen had desecrated something Swire cared deeply about, leaving Chen utterly baffled.

"...But aren't they all criminals?"

"They're not the same. Civilized robbers have far more methods than those street punks. They don't need to smash, loot, and fight every day to get things done. They wrap themselves in a legal facade!"

Swire did her best to explain what she understood about the Mafia to Chen, but she knew she could not make it clear in just a few words. She hurriedly said:

"Anyway, in a place like Lungmen, rather than letting those kids imitate Young and Dangerous, it's better to attract them with the Mafia, something stylish and prestigious. I guarantee that after watching The Godfather, they'll immediately throw those low-class punk behaviors out the window."

"In the future, you might see those tattooed, smoking little punks transform overnight into respectable people wearing suits."

"And once they become obsessed with that feeling, the harm caused by those copycat kids will definitely be reduced a lot—after all, there's nowhere for them to get guns and weapons in Lungmen. Wouldn't that make them much easier to manage?"

After Swire explained it like that, Chen nodded vaguely. She thought Swire had a point... If The Godfather could really change the unrest in Lungmen caused by Young and Dangerous, then she had to make sure The Godfather screened in Lungmen too.

Besides... Little Tal and Chen Qi had worked hard to make this movie. Although it was still a crime-related film, judging from the trailer, they seemed to have restrained themselves quite a bit?

There probably wasn't anything in this movie worth banning anymore, right?

"Seriously... Why do they always make movies that are so hard to get approved?"

Chen rubbed her head in frustration, but eventually made up her mind. She immediately stood and said to Swire beside her:

"Let's go find Wei... No, let's go find Madam Wenyue."

"I'll call Chen Qi first." At that moment, an idea had already formed in Chen's mind, and the greatest difficulty lay with Chen Qi's movie.

Chen Qi, I hope this movie of yours can make Madam Wenyue like it, just like Young and Dangerous did... Thinking that, Chen picked up her phone and called Chen Qi, who was far away in Syracuse.

Meanwhile, Chen Qi was sleeping soundly in his hotel room when his phone woke him from his drowsy sleep.

"...So noisy." Talulah, sleeping beside Chen Qi, curled herself into a ball and murmured sleepily to him:

"Turn it off. It's so noisy..."

"Shouldn't I at least see who's calling?" Chen Qi picked up his phone. However, the name displayed in his contacts immediately woke him up. He glanced at Talulah, who had turned over and gone back to sleep, then carefully answered the call.

"Hello—Officer Chen? What are you calling me for?"

"...Chen Qi, I told you before, didn't I? You don't need to be so formal. Call me Chen Huijie, or Little Chen. You saved Talulah's life. You're our benefactor."

"Then I'll call you Chen Huijie. Little Chen always makes me think of someone who has to use a Mongolian top laner to get a solo kill."

Chen Qi muttered something only he understood, then asked, "So, Miss Chen Huijie, is there something you need from me so early in the morning? If you're asking about Sister Talulah, she's doing fine, so don't worry."

"...It's already one in the afternoon, but never mind. I really do need something from you."

"That movie called The Godfather, you made it, right? I have a good idea that could allow your movie to screen smoothly in Lungmen, but I need you to help me with something."

"If it's convenient, could you let us watch the movie first? I plan to have Madam Wenyue preview it. As long as she likes it, I believe your movie will definitely be able to screen smoothly in Lungmen."

"Oh?"

The moment Chen Qi heard about screening the movie in Lungmen, he immediately perked up. He had thought he would have to wait until the Syracuse premiere was over before there was any news from Lungmen. He had not expected it to come so soon.

As for showing it to Madam Wenyue... that was even easier. Chen Qi had absolute confidence in the quality of The Godfather.

"I'll send the movie to you over the internet, but I have one small request."

"A request?" Chen paused slightly, and Chen Qi continued:

"I hope it won't only be Madam Wenyue. Chief Wei Yenwu, Huijie, Swire, Hoshiguma—any close friends you know can come watch our movie too."

"I really need your feedback. I want you, as the first audience, to tell us how The Godfather feels as a movie."

Of course, more importantly, he wanted them to earn him more reputation points, and if they thought it was good, to help promote it in Lungmen. Chen Qi did not say that out loud, but the more influential people who saw his movie, the greater the benefits one movie could bring him.

As it happened, Chen Huijie was practically a "social butterfly" in Lungmen. She knew most of the influential people there, which was perfect for earning Chen Qi a huge amount of reputation points.

Was he really that confident? Chen could read that meaning from Chen Qi's tone. But after thinking about his first movie, she finally nodded and said:

"That's easy. I'll make some calls right away and have them bring along whoever they can."

Older Members of the Family Watch The Godfather with the Intent of Finding Faults

"Say... Wenyue? I still have a lot of official business to deal with today. I don't mind watching a movie with you, but couldn't we wait until tonight?"

"And even if we are watching a movie... why call so many people over?"

Inside Wei Yenwu's residence, Wei Yenwu, whose beastly face resembled that of a dragon, had been practically dragged to the main hall by his wife Wenyue. She had a similarly draconic appearance, yet somehow looked not strange at all, but rather possessed the beauty of a qilin.

As Lungmen's ruler, Wei Yenwu did not object to any of his wife's decisions in their daily life. Naturally, he readily agreed to a little marital romance like watching a movie together.

But the problem was... he had thought it would be the prelude to a happy evening between husband and wife. Yet the moment he agreed, Wenyue dragged him to the main hall, where he found so many familiar faces waiting.

...So it wasn't the prelude to married life. They really were just watching a movie?

"Old Lin... It's fine for the younger generation to be here, but why are you here too?"

As he spoke, Wei Yenwu turned his gaze toward the only elder of his own generation besides Wenyue—a rat-like old man known as the Rat King, the guardian deity of Lungmen's slums.

"Don't misunderstand. This old man has no intention of disturbing your married life with Madam Wenyue. My daughter insisted that I come."

The Rat King could see the disdain in Wei Yenwu's eyes. Of course, if Wei Yenwu had interrupted the Rat King while he and his own wife were being affectionate, the Rat King would have given him the exact same look. That was certain.

"This time, the younger generation dragged us here to watch a movie. It seems they intend to give us a surprise."

At that moment, Wenyue stepped beside Wei Yenwu and rested one hand on his shoulder. Her tone seemed gentle, but with the slightest movement of her fingers, Wei Yenwu's previously stiff shoulder immediately relaxed.

"Since the children are so rarely in the mood for something like this, why not watch it with them this time?"

"...Since you put it that way, Wenyue, I certainly won't spoil everyone's fun."

Wei Yenwu fell silent for a while, then looked over at Chen Huijie, Hoshiguma, Swire, and the Rat King's daughter Lin Yuxia, who had already taken their seats. It was indeed rare for so many outstanding young people from Lungmen to gather in one place, and not even for some important matter, but simply for a movie.

Although Wei Yenwu had vaguely guessed whose movie could make all four of them pay such special attention and gather with one mind, only that boy Chen Qi could make so many young people have such expectations for one of his movies.

After all, although Young and Dangerous had caused plenty of trouble, it had received unanimous praise from these youngsters. Even if Wei Yenwu disliked Chen Qi somewhat because of Talulah, he had to admit that Chen Qi was genuinely skilled at filmmaking and screenwriting.

"Fine, then let's watch it." At most, it was only a movie of one or two hours. Wei Yenwu had time for that.

"Although I'm not very interested in that boy's movies, my daughter is here, so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to leave. I'll watch." The Rat King blew at his beard and reluctantly took a seat.

"Then I'll project the movie onto the big screen." Seeing that all the elders had taken their seats, Chen began operating her phone. The moment she tapped send, she herself felt a little nervous.

She had already shown the trailer for The Godfather to Lin Yuxia and Hoshiguma. Both women had been especially interested in the Mafia elements of the movie. Lin Yuxia had even called out her father, saying she wanted him to learn about gang knowledge from other countries.

But... Chen knew that Lin Yuxia actually hoped that if the Rat King liked Chen Qi's movie, he could help push for The Godfather to be screened in Lungmen.

Lin Yuxia strongly supported Chen Qi's genuine passion during filming, as well as his "rebellious" habit of challenging the limits of censorship. After the tremendous success of Young and Dangerous, Chen had heard Lin Yuxia say more than once that when Chen Qi's crew returned to Lungmen, she wanted him to cast her in some role or another...

Yet the Rat King himself did not like Chen Qi very much. Chen had always thought that was because his daughter had spent the filming period fooling around with some strange man from an Infected film crew, which displeased him.

So even though the Rat King had to admit that Young and Dangerous was well made, he did not personally publish a review. Lin Yuxia did it for him, and even then, he stubbornly gave it only four stars.

"Can your movie win over so many elders in Lungmen... Chen Qi, don't disappoint me."

Chen felt uneasy, so she could only force herself to focus on the screen. As the Integrated Cultural Troupe's logo appeared on the large display, the movie finally began.

"I believe in Columbia. Columbia made my fortune..."

Soon, Columbian spoken with a Syracuse accent opened the movie's first scene. But as soon as the film began, the Rat King, knowing whose movie he was watching, frowned slightly and said:

"This lighting... isn't it far too dark? Could Chen Qi's crew not even get decent light bulbs?"

"Dad, can you stop nitpicking?" Before anyone else could speak, the Rat King's daughter Lin Yuxia, Chen Qi's biggest fan, immediately retorted:

"This is the tone of the movie. Dim lighting is normal—besides, isn't our home just as dark? That's what makes it realistic."

"...I'm old. My eyesight isn't very good. If it's too dark, I can't see clearly."

Having been choked by his own daughter, the Rat King could only offer a weak rebuttal before continuing to watch the movie with a critical eye.

When the Rat King first heard from Lin Yuxia that the movie they were going to watch had been made by Chen Qi, and that it involved gangs and the Syracuse Mafia, he had already shown a bit of disdain.

In Lungmen, who did not know that the Rat King controlled Lungmen's underworld? When it came to understanding gangs, the Rat King did not believe that Chen Qi could possibly know more than he did. From the very beginning, he had watched The Godfather intending to find faults in it.

Reaching the Rat King's level was already the height of what a gang boss could achieve, yet Lin Yuxia said she wanted him to learn some "advanced knowledge" from the Syracuse Mafia?

Never mind whether the Syracuse Mafia could even be called advanced. Was he, the mighty Rat King, ruler of Lungmen's underworld, supposed to learn about the image of the Mafia from a movie made by some kid? And be looked down on by his own daughter?

If he did not point out some unrealistic details, would he still have any dignity as a father in front of his daughter?

Thinking that, the Rat King stared intently at the big screen. Yet as the plot unfolded, just the opening scene gradually drew him in...

The scene of Bonacera asking The Godfather for help after his daughter had been humiliated felt especially familiar to the Rat King... Though the Rat King did not have rules like the Syracusans, as a gang leader, he had indeed received several Infected people seeking his aid.

The Rat King protected everyone on his territory and maintained order in the slums, because anyone on his turf who could find any way to approach him would be received, and the Rat King would listen to what they wanted.

Among them, there had naturally been people like those in the movie—people whose children or relatives had been humiliated and who begged the Rat King to avenge them. In such cases, the Rat King would generally have someone investigate the matter thoroughly. If everything proved true, he would have the culprit bound and brought over, then let the victim handle them personally.

That way, the Rat King gained another subject loyal to him and unlikely to betray him. How similar were his methods to those of The Godfather in the movie?

But... why did The Godfather in the movie, while doing the same things he did, somehow feel so ceremonial?

"Is it because of the clothes?" The Rat King subconsciously looked at the overcoat he wore. It was a birthday gift from Lin Yuxia, and he had worn it ever since, reluctant to replace it.

"I think it's because of how he speaks, Dad."

Lin Yuxia, seated beside the Rat King, heard him and could not help mocking him:

"Your way of speaking is nowhere near as good as The Godfather's in the movie. You're too down-to-earth. Sometimes I honestly wonder whether you're really a gang boss..."

"..."

Another blow from his own daughter left the Rat King speechless. However, he soon calmly argued back:

"I've met those Syracuse Mafia people before. This movie has definitely beautified their image to some extent. Even the real leaders of the Syracuse Mafia aren't that civilized."

The Rat King was not wrong. Back in Lungmen's slums, there had been Mafia members from Syracuse causing trouble, but the Rat King had set a trap and crushed them immediately. Therefore, he was no stranger to the Syracuse Mafia's ways.

The Rat King did not believe that, in terms of methods and capability alone, he was inferior to The Godfather in the movie... But perhaps because of Lin Yuxia's words, he quietly began paying attention to how he spoke. Even his tone became a little more restrained.

...At the very least, The Godfather in this movie certainly had an outstanding presence. He was reasonable yet imposing. Perhaps he should listen to Yuxia and learn from the methods in the movie? Have his subordinates pay a little more attention to how they spoke and how they carried themselves?

This thought surfaced in the Rat King's mind, and he realized that at some point, he had begun to take an interest in the movie... He could sense the clever blend of idealization and reality, creating an impeccably balanced "perfect" image.

"This kid's movie... perhaps it really does have something worth learning from."

The True Idea Conveyed by The Godfather: Family

Outside the Wei residence, several members of the secret guard known as the Black Cape, tasked with protecting Wei Yenwu in the shadows, met in a secluded spot. Yet what they discussed was not security. Instead, they sounded somewhat troubled.

"...How long has it been?"

"Two hours, I think? It should have ended by now."

"Should we go in and report it? Otherwise, Lord Wei will probably have to stay up late handling official business tonight."

The Black Capes discussed it for a while. However, looking into the hall, where everyone was still completely focused on the movie playing on the screen—including several people of high status—they hesitated.