Directing in the Ark, Success If Not Banned

As the pinnacle symbol of Victoria's industry, the Steam Knight, an entity where honor and industry converge, represents Victoria's strongest force and the symbol of Victoria's full declaration of war. It should be reliable, right?

However, to Victoria's regret, Bernard, portrayed by Manfred, shattered Theresia's last shred of illusion and stated directly:

"If it can be used."

"Yes, if it can be used..." Theresia immediately realized the problem and stared at Manfred with a serious expression, asking, "What did you say?"

"Uh... usually, parts for newly delivered Steam Knights cannot match older ammunition with the new launchers," Manfred explained to Theresia with a strange look on his face.

"New Steam Knights are like that. You know, even though they are assembled, there are always some problems. The wiring is bad, the chips are faulty—that's why His Majesty the Emperor hasn't conferred any new Steam Knights in recent years."

"This is simply intolerable. We should sue those manufacturing plants," Theresia's face showed a hint of anger. Wasting military funds on research that cannot be used is a waste of national resources!

But Manfred shook his head at that moment and reminded her, "We can't risk media exposure. National security, you understand."

"Then can't we notify the manufacturing plants to standardize specifications? Or change manufacturing plants?"

"We always change," Manfred explained. "The manufacturing plants understand, which is why a missile struck the golf course through underground pipelines."

As soon as Manfred finished speaking, the Sarkaz were somewhat confused this time, but Victoria's officials almost burst into laughter—why? Because the golf course was a place for politicians to relax, and the missile was deliberately fired there by arms dealers to warn those politicians.

Because of these "shoddy products," the profit margin was pocketed by the arms dealers. The arms dealers deliberately fooled the government with these shoddy products. This is the easiest way for Victoria's arms dealers to make money. This missile was a "threat" from the arms dealers to warn the politicians.

"...Golf course? I didn't see it on the news."

"Of course not, we covered it up," Manfred explained. "It's just that the golfers the next morning found a trench next to the seventh hole."

"...So even the missiles can't be used normally."

These few lines of dialogue immediately satirized many problems within Victoria—arms dealers making profits, funds that should have been used for national defense being embezzled, and the highly anticipated new Steam Knights being almost useless. These were all problems caused by internal corruption.

Moreover, these problems had actually been exposed long ago and had not been resolved until now. And these matters were not difficult for the residents of Victoria to understand.

—Because almost every citizen of Victoria knows that their government is corrupt.

After such a conversation, the newly appointed Theresia only wanted to hear different opinions on national defense. At this point, Manfred recommended the Chief Scientific Military Advisor.

Theresia also discussed with the military advisor. The military advisor felt that since the new Steam Knights were useless, it would be better to allocate this funding to the army. Hark, who had always been "indecisive" and "good at listening to professional opinions," finally outlined his plan.

First, stop producing new Steam Knights; second, stop investing funds in Steam Knights; and third, reinstate conscription.

However, after Theresia proposed these measures in the performance, the smug expression on his face appeared so ridiculously comical to Victoria's officials and civil servants. The civil servants and politicians even scoffed, saying:

"This is ridiculous! How can we stop investing funds just because the new Steam Knights are useless?"

"With Steam Knights, we have the strongest weapon to deter Iberia, Gaul, and Ursus. How can we invest this money in the army?"

"Conscription will lower the quality of the army! If those lazy Victoria citizens flood the army, it will only make the army's quality even more worrying! Only uneducated Victoria citizens will think this policy is good."

For a time, both civil servants and politicians scoffed at Theresia's policies on the screen. However, until a young officer suddenly felt that these policies were familiar and subconsciously said:

"Speaking of which... are the policies he's implementing the ones we're currently executing?"

"..."

In an instant, as the young officer's words fell, the noisy reception hall fell silent. For a moment, all the voices of the politicians and civil servants disappeared, as if they had been collectively silenced by this young officer.

Yes, looking back now... although it's a portrayal of Victoria during its prosperous period, isn't Victoria now exactly like what's being shown on the screen?

Now, the Steam Knights have been destroyed, and Victoria's army's combat effectiveness is declining day by day. The joke on the screen has actually become reality.

The most terrifying thing in this world is when a comedic joke becomes reality, and a magical reality becomes a joke.

For a moment, everyone in the reception hall was silent. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Chen Qi's voice broke the silence, and he immediately shouted:

"Cut! That take was perfect! Without delay, let's strike while the iron is hot and shoot the next scene quickly!"

Chen Qi's words broke the silence. Soon, Theresia and Manfred were pulled out of their acting. Chen Qi also walked up from backstage and discussed the previous performance with them.

"I must say, Your Highness the Regent, you and General Manfred are better at acting than I imagined. That take was very good, but I must remind you to pay attention in the next take."

Chen Qi did not hesitate to disregard Theresia's status and introduced the next scene to him, saying:

"You are playing the Prime Minister, so you can be more assertive in office scenes. But in the next scene, you must maintain a relatively weaker position."

"You will be facing your wife—even if it's just in the plot, you must maintain Hark's character. He is a man who is slightly afraid of his wife but loves and respects her very much. Therefore, at home, you must maintain a relatively weaker attitude."

"...I'll do my best." Theresia fell silent for a moment upon hearing this. He had no family, and in Sarkaz, the word "family" was actually quite foreign—most Sarkaz mercenaries had no memory of their parents, most having either died when they were young or perished in the war.

As for Theresia, strictly speaking, he only had one "family"... Theresia.

However, when facing Theresia, Theresia could not be described as weak. On the contrary, when this brother and sister's opinions clashed, Theresia's actions were often more decisive, so Theresia should be the weaker one.

Up to this point, no one had made Theresia feel weak... but since he had decided to do so, Theresia was naturally prepared.

As the door slowly opened, the scene officially began. After a busy morning, Theresia returned home and naturally asked, "What's for lunch today?"

"What do you think?"

As a female voice fell, a Feline woman, about the same age as the aged Theresia, walked out. However, the moment this Feline lady appeared, Theresia was rarely stunned.

Because of her aura, Theresia could feel it... Isn't this the "Shapeshifter"? Did Director Chen Qi invite "Her" as well?

However, Theresia was only stunned for a moment. Although he was unaware of this matter, he did not doubt the loyalty of the Shapeshifter tribe. The fact that she appeared here meant that she was an actor to act with him, and he could act a little more naturally.

"Are you going out?" Theresia asked, seeing the box in the Shapeshifter's hand.

"The Social Worker Conference, you know." The Shapeshifter, acting like a busy wife, didn't have time to deal with Theresis, which felt a bit strange to him.

"Ah, right... I just wanted a plate of fried poultry eggs or something..."

"I remember there are still some poultry eggs in the fridge."

"—You want me to make it myself?"

Theresis seemed incredulous at the Shapeshifter's reply. At this moment, not only he but also the Sarkaz in another room were surprised—the Prime Minister had to cook for himself?

Logically, shouldn't people of such high status all have servants? They actually needed to cook for themselves? It had to be said that this made the Sarkaz find it somewhat incomprehensible, yet also a little amusing.

—To think that even the Prime Minister couldn't get a meal? Somehow, seeing someone in a position of power facing such a predicament made them feel better.

After that, the Shapeshifter, in the guise of a wife, complained to Theresis about many problems, such as the house being too small, having to pass through crowds of tourists and reporters when going out, constantly undergoing security checks, having no privacy, and the surrounding environment being noisy...

All of this made the Sarkaz, as well as the politicians and civil servants of Londinium, burst into laughter. However, the Sarkaz laughed because their Regent's portrayal of the "Prime Minister" didn't seem like a Prime Minister at all.

As for the politicians and civil servants, they were mocking "Hark" who encountered all this—because the person serving as Prime Minister in Victoria was either wealthy or noble, and they would never face such a predicament.

But unfortunately, Hark was just a media person before, with no title or money. For the wealthy and noble politicians and civil servants, seeing a "commoner Prime Minister" like him experience these things was indeed a joke for a while.

"Annie, you have to understand, politicians have to sacrifice a lot."

"Alright, you sacrifice your lunch, I'm going to work."

"But I'm hungry."

The Shapeshifter completely ignored Theresis's calls, and as usual, kissed his cheek to show marital harmony. After a slight discomfort, Theresis immediately concealed it and asked:

"What did you have for lunch?"

"Half a chocolate bar," the Shapeshifter replied irritably. Leaving Theresis, who was still a bit dazed, looking around the room blankly, he subconsciously asked:

"—What about the other half?"

For a moment, Theresis's bewildered gaze, and his unpretentious interaction with his wife at home, caused the people in both rooms to erupt in hearty laughter. In an instant, a simple conversation was enough to make everyone recognize the personality traits of the person Theresis was portraying.

A prime minister with no strong opinions, not particularly outstanding political ability, a grand vision but unable to decide anything, a commoner prime minister who couldn't even sort out his own lunch.

Invisibly, a very successful character was revealed, not through any narration, but through less than fifteen minutes of performance.

At this moment, Theresis's portrayal of "Jim Hark" had undoubtedly established the necessary character image for a comedy, but no one thought he was a clown, because his demeanor was already there, giving off the feeling of a social elite.

But... compared to the comical performances of clowns, people seemed to prefer seeing social elites make fools of themselves. Invisibly, it felt like it erased the distance between social elites and ordinary people, and this had already laid the foundation for the success of "Yes, Prime Minister."

Chapter 33: The Prime Minister Has No Food? Theresis's Relatable Image?

"Director Chen Qi, there's something I don't understand."

After finishing the scene at home, the crew took a short break. At this time, Theresis couldn't help but ask Chen Qi, unable to suppress his doubts:

"Why can someone like Hark, who has great ambition but little talent, become the holder of a country's highest power? Can't Victoria, as vast as it is, find a better leader than him?"

"Why do you ask that? Your Highness the Regent?" Chen Qi was still busy serving boxed lunches to Big Bob and Big Adam for the crew, and was also carefully reminding a few medical operators from the art troupe, led by Mephisto, to check the boxed lunches for any abnormalities. He found Theresis's question a bit unexpected.

"It's nothing... I just feel that even for a comedy, shouldn't it adhere to basic logic?" Theresis shook his head. He wasn't here to criticize Chen Qi's play. After all, in terms of comedy, even if it was just the first episode, and not even finished filming, Theresis had already felt the charm of this play.

It conveyed politics in a pleasant way, allowing even those who didn't understand politics much to appreciate the humor.

But as a Regent, Theresis keenly sensed the hidden dangers behind these seemingly absurd stories—he had already begun to view things from the perspective of Victoria's ruler.

"I want to know more about my character... What kind of person is he? Why can he become the supreme ruler without great talent?"

"Director Chen Qi, you are the screenwriter, and these characters were created by you. You should be able to give me an answer?"

Theresis's desire for knowledge was very strong, and he didn't feel ashamed to ask Chen Qi, whose status was far below his. He felt that Chen Qi, who could write politics as a satirical comedy, must have a very deep understanding of politics.

But Chen Qi knew his own limitations. With his level of understanding, which wasn't even enough to be a keyboard warrior, it was better not to offer any opinions to Theresis. He said with a troubled expression:

"There are many reasons for this. For example, as I said at the beginning, Hark was just a backup Prime Minister. It was only because the other two candidates were too extreme and unacceptable, and Hark himself was indecisive and easy to control, that he was pushed forward as a puppet Prime Minister by the civil service system behind the scenes."

"So... they would rather have a puppet than a capable Prime Minister with means?" Theresis frowned slightly, disagreeing with this viewpoint.

"For civil servants, stability is the most important thing. After all, as long as they last until they retire, they won't have to worry about the country's affairs. Therefore, as long as there are no major issues during their tenure, they are considered good Prime Ministers."

"They have all been in their respective positions for a long time, belonging to the category of 'ironclad civil servants, revolving prime ministers.' Therefore, a stable situation is what they desire most."

Chen Qi found it difficult to explain these things to Theresis, so he just spoke a few words casually. However, Chen Qi didn't know that his unintentional insights made Theresis show a thoughtful expression.

Theresis was certain that Chen Qi, who could write "Yes, Prime Minister" satirizing the Victorian government, must have a thorough understanding of Victoria's government structure and operational systems. Therefore, the flaws he inadvertently mentioned allowed Theresis, a Sarkaz, to discover the loopholes and hidden dangers in Victoria's civil service system.

And weren't these all points he could exploit? Especially Chen Qi's phrase "ironclad civil servants, revolving prime ministers," which gave Theresis inspiration in the simplest terms.

If Victoria's operations required these civil servants, big and small... did that mean controlling these civil servants would mean controlling Victoria?

"Director Chen Qi, I hope you can write a complete prequel." Theresis thought this, and then said to Chen Qi with a smile:

"I want to know how Hark became Prime Minister, how he was pushed by the civil servants. I believe with your talent, you can do it."

"—We'll talk about these things later, after we finish filming 'Yes, Prime Minister.'"

Chen Qi didn't refuse Theresis's sudden request to film a prequel. After all, the so-called prequel was the TV series "Yes, Minister." If they were to follow the order, Chen Qi should have filmed "Yes, Minister" first.

It was just that Chen Qi felt that the status of "Yes, Minister" might make people with unpredictable personalities like Theresis and the Bloodborne Archon feel that it was beneath their dignity, which was why he directly started with the Prime Minister, who represented the pinnacle of power.

With the successful case of "Yes, Prime Minister," it would be much easier to persuade them to film "Yes, Minister." This was what Chen Qi thought, but he didn't expect that Theresis would already be willing to film "Yes, Minister" before the first episode was even finished.

This was naturally a good thing for Chen Qi, but for now, it was better to finish filming the Prime Minister.

"Of course," Theresis nodded. He wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he said to Manfred, who was about to act with him, "Manfred—after this TV series is filmed, gather all the officers above the rank of Centurion in Londinium. I want to show it to each of them."

"Yes, General," Manfred nodded. He sensed that General Theresis might have found something noteworthy in this TV series...

Manfred vaguely realized that perhaps this so-called comedy... would bring them many insights and expose the loopholes in the Victorian government.

After a period of rest, the filming continued. The camera shifted, and Hark, played by Theresis, returned to the office. Bernar, the private secretary played by Manfred, also returned to the office.

"Ah, Bernar." Seeing Manfred arrive, Theresis, who had been hungry all noon, asked with a slightly sharp but still calm tone, "How was your lunch?"

"Uh... it was alright." Manfred, not knowing why the Prime Minister suddenly asked this question, answered honestly.

"Where did you eat?" "The Cabinet Restaurant."

"Three courses?" Theresis asked again, receiving a positive answer from Manfred.

"Did you have a drink?"

"A glass of red wine, Prime Minister." Manfred was starting to get confused.

"—Do you want to know what I ate for lunch?" After receiving these expected answers, Theresis's tone finally carried a hint of long-suppressed sarcasm.

"Uh, Prime Minister, do you want to tell me?"

"Nothing!" Manfred tentatively asked, receiving a response that even Theresis found unbelievable. What made him even angrier was his private secretary's answer:

"Why? Are you on a diet?"

"Heh..." Theresis, amused to the point of anger, walked forward a few steps and said to Manfred, word by word, in a rather aggressive manner:

"It seems that gourmet food is provided here for you and other secretaries. The entire Cabinet, the News Department, the typists, the messengers—but not me. And I live here too."

"Uh, I'm sorry, but can't your wife cook?" As Manfred, the private secretary who rose with the Prime Minister, he was well aware of the Prime Minister's difficulties. He wasn't born into a noble family, so things that were trivial for other Prime Ministers were difficult for him.