Directing in the Ark, Success If Not Banned

"...How about we wait a bit longer? It's been two hours already, the movie should be over by now."

"It's rare for Lord Wei to have such leisure. We shouldn't disturb him."

"That's true."

One of the Black Capes said, and his words were quickly echoed by his colleagues. Soon, several Black Capes retreated, leaving only the one who lingered around for a while before silently watching the movie on the screen through a small opening.

These guys are so annoying, disturbing my movie time... It's my only chance to relax during work hours, can't they let me enjoy it?

The Black Cape thought to himself. However, he was unaware that the Black Cape colleagues he had met with earlier, upon returning to their posts, had also looked around to ensure no one was watching. Then, they stealthily turned their gazes towards the large screen in the hall from different vantage points.

They didn't dare to admit that for the past two hours, they hadn't been paying attention to their guard duties at all, completely engrossed in the movie Lord Wei was watching.

It had to be said... it was really good. If they hadn't gone to meet up just to prove they weren't slacking off and to avoid raising suspicion, who would have wanted to miss the most exciting part right now?

Saying the movie was about to end? That was just an unspoken excuse. The movie was only just getting to its most thrilling part; how could it possibly end in less than an hour?

However, compared to the Black Capes who could still remember to report their work, everyone in the hall at this moment was staring intently at the most exciting part of the plot—the confrontation between the old and new Godfathers. The old Godfather was finally about to impart his true wisdom to the new Godfather.

"I never imagined you'd be part of the family business."

"I've spent my life working hard to take care of my family, and I have no regrets about it."

"But I had hoped, you know, that you would be the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes... Senator Corleone... Governor Corleone... something like that."

It wasn't until the movie was nearing its end that the Godfather finally revealed his lifelong vision for the family, his arrangements and plans for everyone in the family... and his expectations for his most cherished son.

"...Yeah, going legitimate after being in the life. Trying to go legitimate is the hardest part."

However, after watching until this point, the Rat King finally spoke again. He silently closed his aged eyes, as if the words in his heart had finally been spoken by someone else. He looked much more relaxed.

Yes, hadn't the Rat King also understood this principle? Lin Yuxia's profile was filled with numerous titles and honors, none of which couldn't be openly praised. The Rat King had tried his best to distance Lin Yuxia from the family business, even creating a cover identity as a candy shop owner for himself. Wasn't all this for the sake of going legitimate?

Although he had helped Wei Yanyu in the past, even now, the Rat King had to admit that the territory he, the underground emperor of Lungmen, could control and the power he could wield was diminishing day by day.

The future of the family lay only in becoming one with Lungmen, with no more dark side—the Rat King had understood this too early, which was why he had made such arrangements for Lin Yuxia.

And in the movie, the old Godfather's words struck a chord with the Rat King's thoughts. But the Rat King had succeeded in making Lin Yuxia go legitimate... It was a pity that the child in the movie had still fallen into this abyss of unseen sin.

At this moment, the Rat King understood the old Godfather's thoughts and couldn't help but sigh, lamenting, "What a shame... this is just a movie. If I knew someone like Vito Corleone in real life, I would definitely treat him as a kindred spirit."

"Dad..."

However, the Rat King's words, and the Godfather's words in the movie, finally answered a question in Lin Yuxia's heart... why her father had never let her get involved in any of the family's affairs.

Now that she understood this, Lin Yuxia felt a bit unsure how to face her father. She understood the Rat King's good intentions, and thinking of the somewhat strained relationship she had with her father in the past, Lin Yuxia didn't know what to say for a moment.

"...Dad, I'm sorry."

"Yuxia, with those words from you, I can rest easy."

The Rat King slowly closed his eyes, forcing himself not to break down in tears due to his unexpressive daughter's sudden apology—especially in front of Old Wei, who would surely mock him for a year.

Now, the Rat King no longer cared about the ending of "The Godfather." He only knew that this movie had spoken many of his inner thoughts. No, it was more like this movie was a reflection of his life.

From establishing his business in Lungmen, to becoming the emperor of the underworld and being highly respected... to later having his own family and children, and then dedicating himself to taking care of his family.

Slowly, many things were no longer just his own affairs. He had to find a way out for his family, for his children—with a family, all the past glory and honors became obstacles to his desire for his children to stay away from the underworld. At that point, he only wanted to smooth everything over.

Family. "The Godfather" movie had always conveyed not the stylish attire of the Mafia, nor how cool and imposing it was to be a Godfather.

All it wanted to express was the importance of family and loved ones. And the Rat King understood this principle, which was why he could see through it all.

"—Old Wei, this movie should be shown in Lungmen."

At this moment, the Rat King, with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke, uttering words that greatly surprised the younger generation present. He said, "I want all my subordinates to watch it... so they can reflect on what is truly most important to them after watching this movie."

"...I don't object."

Wei Yanyu silently took a puff of his cigarette and then, without any further objection, under Wen Yue's gentle smile, he agreed, "I will personally speak with Chen Qi about showing this movie. In a week, Lungmen and Syracuse will have a simultaneous premiere of 'The Godfather.'"

"We will give this movie the greatest publicity. This isn't just a movie about the Mafia... this is a movie about life, a movie every man must watch."

"A man who hasn't seen 'The Godfather' isn't a true man—I've even thought of the slogan for the promotion," Wei Yanyu chuckled. He never expected that one day he would so highly praise a movie, an entertainment for the masses.

"I think I'll go watch it again on the premiere day after this. The first viewing was a bit confusing, I couldn't even tell who was who. The second time, I'm sure I'll understand it better."

"Good idea. I think I'll go too."

The Rat King also nodded. At this point, the ending of "The Godfather" no longer mattered, because the two most influential figures in Lungmen had gleaned the most touching principles from this movie.

"This time, I have to seriously write my own movie review..." the Rat King muttered to himself. The Rat King had never posted a movie review, especially since Chen Qi was someone he didn't particularly like. But now, he had to admit that Chen Qi's talent had moved even an old man like him.

"Consider it a little encouragement for the younger generation. In the future, let him make more good films like this, and fewer mindless action movies," he added.

Meanwhile, in a hotel room in Syracuse, Chen Qi, who had just gotten out of bed, suddenly heard a female system voice in his mind.

[Congratulations to the host, the movie "The Godfather" has gained the attention and recognition of influential figures: Wei Yanyu, Rat King, Lin Yuxia, Chen Huijie, Hoshiguma, Swire, Madam Sicily...]

[Settling Prestige Points: 37800; Host's total Prestige: 52314]

The current settlement only includes influential figures from Syracuse and Lungmen. Once the movie is released, public reputation points will be calculated separately. Additionally, any other influential figures who pay attention to and approve of the host's movie during this period will be calculated separately based on their identity and influence.

"——What's wrong? Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"

At this moment, Talulah, who had just finished getting dressed, noticed Chen Qi's smile, which was almost reaching his ears. However, upon hearing her question, Chen Qi couldn't wait to kiss Talulah and immediately replied:

"Tazi-jie, our movie is going to be shown in Lungmen! I can guarantee it! And our movie will definitely be a huge hit! Whether it's in Syracuse or Lungmen!"

"Huh? But the problem is... hasn't Wei Lao Er called to agree yet?"

Talulah was startled by Chen Qi's sudden joy. Although she also believed "The Godfather" would be a huge hit in Syracuse, in Lungmen, people weren't very familiar with Mafia culture.

And could Wei Yanyu really approve it so easily? As Talulah was filled with doubt, Chen Qi's phone, placed on the bedside table, suddenly rang. Talulah instinctively picked it up and immediately saw who was calling – Wei Yanyu himself.

"It's real... Huh? Chen Qi, where are you going?"

"Me? Everyone has been working so hard for so long, I'm going to get more Oripathy inhibitors for them! As a reward for all their hard work!"

Chen Qi certainly hadn't forgotten what he needed to exchange for the most right now: quickly redeeming more Oripathy inhibitors so that everyone in the Art Troupe could use them!

This time, he could use them with confidence. He just had to wait a week for their movie to be a great success, and he would earn more reputation points to redeem that incredibly expensive medicine that could cure Oripathy.

Chapter 24: Reached the Big Boss? Theresis's Attention?

"It's a hit! Brother Chen Qi! Sister Talulah! Our movie is a hit!"

A week later, "The Godfather" premiered simultaneously in Syracuse and Lungmen. However, compared to the Art Troupe members who were nervously anticipating a good response to "The Godfather," Chen Qi had even more to busy himself with.

While it wasn't difficult to redeem some Oripathy inhibitors from the system, conjuring so many of them out of thin air in Syracuse would inevitably attract attention and suspicion.

The last time FrostNova had an episode, it was in Lungmen. Although obtaining Oripathy inhibitors in Lungmen was difficult, they were at least findable. But here in Syracuse, getting these things was not so simple, as the families didn't really care whether the people under their rule were Infected or not.

Even if the families could obtain these things, Syracuse itself was not heavily affected by Oripathy, and most family members were not Infected. Oripathy inhibitors wouldn't bring in huge profits within Syracuse...

During this period, Chen Qi had been having Madam Sicily help him procure Oripathy inhibitors from nearby mobile cities – of course, some relatively common ones. The crew could never have too many of these, and they could be given to crew members with less severe infections first.

As for the high-concentration inhibitors redeemed from the system, with Madam Sicily's help, Chen Qi could openly distribute the high-concentration inhibitors to several members with more severe Oripathy infections.

For example, Patriot, FrostNova, Mephisto, Faust... these cadres whom Chen Qi valued highly were actually the most severely infected. However, they didn't want to accept special treatment from Chen Qi and insisted on being treated the same as everyone else. Chen Qi respected their choice but still favored them when they weren't paying attention.

As for the money to purchase these drugs, Madam Sicily charged a symbolic amount for mobilizing the family members, stating, "You are willing to use the movie 'The Godfather' to promote our Syracusan culture and strengthen the sense of identity of the Syracusan people with the family. The future benefits of this movie to Syracuse should be profound."

"This is a tremendous favor. This small help is not enough to repay you. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need the family's help in the future. The Sicily family, and the Twelve Families of Syracuse, will give you generous assistance."

Madam Sicily made such a promise to Chen Qi. Chen Qi hadn't expected that by having Madam Sicily play a role in "The Godfather," he would gain such immense friendship from her with almost no cost.

What else could Chen Qi say besides expressing his gratitude? Of course, he was also sensible and didn't ask for too much, only requesting enough inhibitors for everyone in the crew and promising to pay double the "mobilization fee" with the box office revenue.

Soon, Chen Qi, who was busy with these matters, had forgotten about watching the premiere. Now, several days had passed since the premiere, and Mephisto, who was responsible for supervising and investigating the release of "The Godfather," had brought good news.

"Brother Chen Qi! Our 'The Godfather' has received unanimous praise! Both in Syracuse and Lungmen, our premiere was a huge success!"

Mephisto's animated gestures were quite comical, but it was also the most energetic he had been in a long time. After injecting the inhibitor Chen Qi gave him, he looked much more energetic and excitedly said:

"Faust and I have collected the movie reviews from this period! All the positive reviews from Syracuse and Lungmen are here! Our box office data is also unprecedentedly high! Enough for us to pay Madam Sicily for her help and to distribute dividends to other families!"

With that, Mephisto handed the box office data he had compiled to Chen Qi. After Chen Qi reviewed the data and confirmed it was correct, Mephisto handed his phone to Chen Qi and continued excitedly:

"Here are the movie reviews for our film. I've categorized them by likes and popularity. Brother Chen Qi, we've truly succeeded this time!"

Chen Qi took the phone and quickly saw several very familiar IDs. It seemed that influential figures in this world took writing movie reviews quite seriously.

Exusiai: "So cool! Especially the editing at the end! Director Chen Qi's technique is truly amazing! Michael receiving baptism in the church while ruthless slaughter is happening on the other side! How did Director Chen Qi come up with such a contrast and editing?! I'm going to take the movie to Laterano and let my sister and the others watch it too! (5 stars)"

Croissant: "My first time acting, hee hee, I feel like I did a good job. Should I expand my business? Any crew looking for actors for merchant roles can find me! But I'll never play a drug lord again. No matter what you sell, you can't sell your conscience. (5-star rating)"

Lappland: "Thank you, Director Chen Qi, for giving me this opportunity to kill the person I most wanted to kill. My wish has been granted, so I'll give you five stars. (5-star review)"

Oh, these three troublemakers again. Chen Qi glanced at the reviews from Exusiai, Croissant, and Lappland and felt fortunate that he had invited them to play a few roles this time. However, the main event was yet to come, and Chen Qi continued to read.

Sora: "It was a privilege to collaborate with Director Chen Qi. This time, playing the role of 'Kay' in the movie, my deepest realization, besides Director Chen Qi's pursuit of realistic portrayal, was a profound understanding of a lonely godfather.

'A person who originally wanted to sever ties with the family, but ultimately repeats his mistakes due to his cherished family. Facing the successive departures of loved ones, he had to become cold and ruthless, even deceiving the woman he loved.

'This is a tragic story, a tragic character. Perhaps, for such a character living in the shadows, happiness is an extravagant hope. (5-star rating)'"

Texas: "Endless conflict only brings endless pain. The families are consuming themselves through internal strife. Syracuse will never progress like this and will only become a victim of civilization.

'Even a perfect family operative like Michael Corleone, even in Columbia, even with his father as enlightened and wise as a godfather, as long as he is involved with the family, he will become part of this conflict. This future must change. If Syracuse cannot adapt to civilization, then civilization will inevitably change Syracuse in a more brutal way. (5-star rating)'"

Si Ye: "Although the movie somewhat beautifies the families, I must admire Director Chen Qi's balance in this regard, as well as his exposure and depiction of the dark side of the families.

'Too many family members have watched movies and plays and think they are truly those glamorous movie characters, forgetting that they are not godfathers. They are more likely to be characters like Carlo or Pauli... And even their eldest brother Sonny died as insignificantly as an ant amidst the family feuds. (5-star rating)'"

Chastisement: "Although the movie's background is in Columbia, it still reminds me of Syracuse... Today's Syracuse cannot even ensure that a low-level law enforcement officer can make family members obediently accept punishment in broad daylight. If such a future arrives and the families still cannot change... then the clash of civilizations will inevitably cause much bloodshed and casualties.

'The law must be defended, and the rules of the families must be carried out under the constraint of the law. This is an inevitable future, whether the families accept it or not. (5-star rating)'"

It seemed that the future star actors from Syracuse had gained a deeper understanding of "The Godfather."

But Chen Qi knew that the reviews from these few were not what would settle his reputation points the highest. Through his system, Chen Qi quickly locked onto the comments from a few truly influential figures – those who could shake the land with a stomp.

Madam Sicily: "The family's ideology may be outdated. The future should be left to the next generation to govern. Syracuse's fate, whether survival or destruction, can no longer be influenced by the older generation."

Rat King: "This is the third time I've watched this movie... This time I brought my wife and daughter. Every viewing brings new insights, but no matter how you look at it, the concept this movie wants to convey is not just about not getting involved in the underworld, but more about hoping everyone can learn the best tradition of Syracusans – caring for family and loved ones.

'Even if all the members of the Corleone family are not good people by today's standards, the reason we like these characters, besides the movie's perspective and some beautification, is that we value the 'human touch' they convey, which is widely recognized in Yan Country.'"

Wei Yanyu: "A bible for men. Every man should watch 'The Godfather.' It contains many qualities that some men today lack... Cherishing and taking responsibility for one's family are things all men should learn."

"Although it's still a movie about illegal activities, if people can learn the decency and responsibility that a man should have from this movie, then it's also a commendable film."

"—Director Wei Yanyu actually praised our movie so highly. It seems this time has been a great success."

Chen Qi was also a little surprised. The release of "The Godfather" this time not only received recognition from everyone in Syracuse but also such high praise from Lungmen.

Chen Qi subconsciously activated the system and checked the influence data of "The Godfather" in Syracuse and Lungmen. He was shocked to find that the prestige value contributed by Lungmen, a mobile city, was not much less than that contributed by the entire Syracuse...

"It seems no one dislikes thugs in suits," Chen Qi smiled faintly. He knew that with the success of "The Godfather," their crew had finally gotten on the right track!

[Congratulations to the host, your movie's influence has expanded again, gaining the attention of influential figures in areas outside of Syracuse and Lungmen.]

"Huh? Outside of Syracuse and Lungmen?" The system's voice suddenly sounded in his mind, making Chen Qi slightly stunned. He quickly asked in his mind:

"Specifically, where?"

[Searching for influential figures in new areas paying attention to the host's movie—Locked.]

[Region displayed: Victoria; Figure paying attention to the host's movie: Theresis, identity as Regent of Kazdel, ruler of Victoria, possessing extremely high influence.]

"...What? Theresis?"

Chen Qi was slightly stunned when he heard the name. He never expected to gain his attention—had he just randomly stumbled upon a big boss?

Chapter Twenty-Five: Recommended Professional Team? Theresis's Thoughts

The reason why Theresis, the Regent of Kazdel and now virtually a puppet of the old power Victoria, would pay attention to Chen Qi's crew filming in Syracuse, dates back to the day after "The Godfather" premiered strongly in Syracuse.

In Londinium, the capital of Victoria, Theresis was as troubled as usual that day by the political affairs of Kazdel and Victoria. It was a normal day for him until his disciple, the current General of the Kazdel Military Committee, Manfred, whom he had personally promoted, found him.

"...General. Are you also troubled by political affairs today?"

"Manfred," Theresis looked at the young Sarkaz general he had personally promoted, his expression unchanged, but his tone slightly relaxed. He knew that in Londinium, Manfred was one of the few Sarkaz he could truly trust.

"General, as per your instructions, we have now subdued the Victorian Parliament Guard and taken control of seventy percent of the city defense forces. Londinium is now in our grasp."