Directing on the Ark, Success Means Not Being Banned

Chapter 39: Vina's Plan and Hatred for Chen Qi?

And at this moment, in Rhodes Island's medical department office, Kal'tsit, a veteran of Rhodes Island and the head of the medical department, was not rushing to the operating room. She was uncharacteristically sitting in her office, watching a TV series called "Yes, Prime Minister."

Beside Kal'tsit, Amiya, the leader of Rhodes Island, sat obediently like a good child, accompanying Kal'tsit as she watched the Victorian political comedy, occasionally letting out laughter.

Soon, as the four-episode series concluded, Kal'tsit, whose expression had remained unchanged, quietly turned off the TV and looked at Amiya, who was still smiling and clearly not ready for it to end. She asked:

"Amiya, is this the new TV series Victoria has launched?"

"Ah, yes." Amiya, not yet fully out of her laughter, snapped back to attention at Kal'tsit's words and replied cautiously:

"Miss Vina said this is a new series from Victoria, and that Theresis himself is starring in it. It's meant to undermine the confidence of Londinium's citizens in Victoria."

"...The person acting is undoubtedly Theresis," Kal'tsit said, not rushing to refute or confirm anything. "And the one playing Secretary Bernard is Manfred; and the other person, if I'm not mistaken, is the Bloodborne Archon."

"They are all Theresis's right-hand men, but their attitudes towards him are subtle... Manfred supports Theresis's military strategy, but policy-wise, he leans more towards Theresia. He's essentially a proponent of dual monarchy rule."

"As for the Bloodborne Archon, he is one of the Bloodborne Kings of the Royal Court. He doesn't support Theresis or Theresia, but is a Sarkaz supremacist. He only follows Theresis to restore the former glory of the Sarkaz and for revenge."

"If they all supported Theresis's idea, then undoubtedly, they saw the potential of this TV series and are trying to extract the knowledge they need from this director."

"Knowledge?" Amiya looked a bit nervous. From Kal'tsit's usually calm eyes, which seemed to grasp everything, she sensed a hint of unease. She quickly asked:

"But... it's just a comedy, Doctor Kal'tsit. Aren't you being a bit too sensitive?"

"—Amiya, in this world, any topic that touches upon politics becomes complicated." Kal'tsit shook her head. She didn't believe that Theresis starring in a TV series was merely a hobby. To reach his current position, Theresis was a sufficiently rational person who would never act on impulse.

"Amiya, you must understand that there are very few countries on this continent that are relatively tolerant of information dissemination, and when it comes to politics, no country allows ordinary people access."

"No country has ever offered political classes, and coupled with the information blockade of the mobile cities, ordinary people have very few opportunities to engage with politics—until this TV series appeared."

"Amiya, do you know what this means? It means that this TV series, starring Theresis, will become the only political drama on this continent. This political drama, disguised as a comedy, reveals the essence of politics to everyone—checks and balances."

"And letting everyone understand politics might not be a bad thing, but for Theresis, it's definitely a good thing."

"Why?" Amiya didn't quite understand. Kal'tsit, with a frosty expression, said word by word:

"Because he currently occupies Londinium. Exposing the darkness and loopholes of the Victorian government at this moment will undoubtedly greatly help his plan to control all of Victoria next."

"Before this, no commoner understood politics. They knew nothing about the government or those who ruled them. But now, if they learn that those who rule them are a group of people who manipulate everything from the shadows, treating the lives of their citizens as mere numbers and money in their conversations, Amiya, what do you think will happen?"

"Especially now that Theresis has taken Londinium, the capital of Victoria, almost without bloodshed. What do you think the residents of Londinium will think?"

The more Kal'tsit spoke, the more she felt that Theresis's move was completely unexpected. Even Kal'tsit began to feel that things were spiraling out of control. With a hint of nervousness, she said:

"And besides Victoria, what kind of turmoil will this TV series cause when it spreads to other countries? If the citizens of other countries also feel that their national leaders are the same because of this TV series, what will happen?"

"This..." Amiya truly hadn't considered this angle. She vaguely sensed a potential danger but still held onto a sliver of naive thought, saying:

"But it's just a TV series. Even if it's the first political drama, it shouldn't be..."

"—Amiya, those who have never received education in this area and have just entered a new world tend to be very fervent." Kal'tsit, however, had a completely different view. She frowned slightly and said:

"Moreover, the fact that this TV series is currently being broadcast in Victoria is clearly Theresis's method. He is pushing this TV series throughout Victoria with the aim of spreading it to all other countries through Victoria."

"Furthermore, banning it is useless. The permission for it to be broadcast throughout Victoria means people will always find ways to watch it. Even we at Rhodes Island can watch it anytime, which shows how widespread its reach is."

As Kal'tsit spoke, her brow furrowed, and she didn't know how to proceed. She had already watched "Yes, Prime Minister" and had keenly realized why Theresis valued this TV series so much.

It was likely that the highest rulers and civil official groups of more than one country were now on high alert, continuously monitoring "Yes, Prime Minister," the only political drama on Terra. The impact of this TV series would undoubtedly be explosive for all nations.

Especially some previously glorious but now declining great powers... Iberia, Leithania, Ursus, and so on... Would their citizens feel that their countries' former glory was lost precisely because of the corruption and incompetence of their respective civil official groups?

"Bang bang bang!" At this moment, a sudden knock on the door interrupted Kal'tsit and Amiya's conversation. Before the two women could respond, Vina walked into the office alone, holding a war hammer.

"Doctor Kal'tsit, I want to talk to you about..."

"—'Yes, Prime Minister,' right?" Kal'tsit interrupted Vina, knowing that Vina would come to her about this TV series after learning her identity.

"I know this is a serious issue. Once this news spreads to Ursus, Leithania... The worst-case scenario is that a war will break out, engulfing half the continent, centered around Victoria. They will always use this method to divert contradictions. Whether Victoria will still exist, and many innocent people will suffer, must be stopped."

"But the problem is, the entire Victoria is broadcasting this TV series right now, and it's very difficult for us to stop it."

"—I have a plan." Vina, however, had her own ideas and immediately said to Kal'tsit:

"The production crew must be within Londinium right now. As long as we can infiltrate Londinium with an elite force and abduct the screenwriter and director of that crew, and then blow up the Londinium television station, Theresis will no longer be able to continue broadcasting 'Yes, Prime Minister' with Londinium's authorization."

"And he will have lost his screenwriter and director. This way, he will not only lose all the original material and be unable to re-broadcast, but he will also lose the people who can create. His plan will be completely ruined."

"...I'm surprised you don't plan to kill the screenwriter." Kal'tsit didn't immediately reject the idea but genuinely considered its feasibility. However, she deliberately asked Vina this question, saying calmly:

"I thought you would hate the screenwriter of this TV series to the bone."

"...I do hate him, but I feel killing him would be too easy."

Vina was silent for a moment, then crunched the lollipop in her mouth and said calmly, "Theresis used him to satirize Victoria, and in the future, I will need him to atone for his sins, using his talent to help me restore the confidence of the Victorian people."

"So, I won't let him die. Moreover... I actually know that if he didn't deliberately cooperate with Theresis during this critical period, everything he satirized were problems exposed by the Victorian government."

"I will need his wisdom and insight in the future. Those who Theresis can use, I can use too."

"—A wise move."

Kal'tsit nodded slightly. She did not object to Vina's bold plan; on the contrary, she strongly supported Vina's view.

No matter what, everything must be nipped in the bud before this TV series could cause a greater impact. This time, Kal'tsit wholeheartedly agreed with Vina's opinion. This continent could not withstand more turmoil.

"I will dispatch an elite squad to accompany you to Londinium. Your mission is to infiltrate Londinium and make contact with the film crew with minimal disturbance."

"Let's first gauge their attitude. Perhaps they were coerced by Theresis," Kal'tsit mused, considering the current state of Terra. The Sarkaz had such a terrible reputation that few races, other than their own, were willing to deal with them, let alone someone as dangerous as Theresis.

Therefore, if the film crew was willing to cooperate, casualties could be minimized, and her elite squad wouldn't have to venture into excessive danger.

"I will make the arrangements. I only need to know who the director and screenwriter of that film crew are, what they look like, and their names."

As a Victorian, Vina was naturally familiar with Londinium's terrain and should lead the team personally. However, she didn't know the people involved in filming this drama. At a critical moment, if she couldn't guarantee the safety of the entire crew, she would prioritize only the important personnel.

"I've already checked. This film crew is called the Integrated Cultural Troupe, a group that has transformed from the former violent Infected organization, the Reunion Movement."

Kal'tsit had already planned for this, so she immediately shared her intelligence with Vina, stating calmly:

"The screenwriter and director of this film crew are the same person, a Yan person named 'Chen Qi'."

"I believe this information should be discussed with the Lungmen authorities. Talulah, the former leader of the Reunion Movement, to which Chen Qi's Integrated Cultural Troupe originated, is still with the crew. Perhaps we can find more support."

"...I will remember that."

Vina nodded, then also noted down the name "Chen Qi," already formulating a "plan of action" for him in her mind.

—She intended to make this man, Chen Qi, restore the confidence the people of Victoria had lost due to "Yes, Prime Minister." She would make him use his abilities to gradually rebuild it, bit by bit. Otherwise, when she reclaimed the throne in the future, she would make him rack his brains and work in her country's film and television industry for his entire life! Until she felt adequately compensated!

Of course, when she found him, she would beat him up first. Vina made up her mind, her grip on the haft of her warhammer unconsciously tightening...

Chapter 40: Theresis's Discussion on "Yes, Prime Minister"

Meanwhile, what were Theresis and his entourage doing in Londinium? Just like last week, he had summoned all Sarkaz officers of the rank of Centurion and above from all Sarkaz legions in Londinium. They occupied the Londinium Parliament Hall, holding a grand conference.

It could be said that if a high-intensity Originium bomb were detonated in the Londinium conference room at this moment, it could erase half a book of Kazdel's history.

However, the woman who most wanted to blow Theresis to smithereens was not in Londinium, nor had she planted a bomb here. And the matter Theresis was convening such a grand meeting for was not to discuss future development.

One could see that so many Sarkaz, regardless of their factions or the lineages of their respective Royal Court Kings, were all watching the same work on the screen in the grand hall—"Yes, Prime Minister."

This drama, personally acted by Theresis, Manfred, and the Bloodborne Archon, three highly influential Sarkaz figures in Kazdel, held extraordinary significance for all Sarkaz.

Most Sarkaz were born as mercenaries or scavengers. They had learned to kill on the battlefield and in their struggle for survival, but they had not yet forgotten flattery and social graces—regarding the works their superiors starred in, no matter how bad they were, they had to put on an astonished expression and praise their superiors' acting.

However, starting last week, the Sarkaz higher-ups, who had expected to watch a bad movie and were only there to see their superiors' performances, were astonished after watching two episodes of "Yes, Prime Minister." It immediately opened a new world for these Sarkaz who only knew war and killing...

It had to be said that only a few powerful nations on Terra had complete political systems. The rest had either collapsed with the decline of their nations or were still in a scattered, familial, or tribal state, with only their own internal rules.

Of course, the state of nations on Terra was also due to frequent Catastrophes, the falsity of the starry sky, and the information blockade between various mobile cities, among other reasons. It could only be described as a small temple with strong winds.

However, the information blockade and the communication methods between various mobile cities were almost entirely reliant on messengers. Even the Chen from Lungmen, who could directly contact Chen Qi, was because Chen Qi's phone was a system reward. He told Chen that his phone had special technology from Columbia, which allowed him to connect regardless of the distance.

Having said all that, even a nation like Kazdel, after being destroyed several times in war, had its original political system completely collapse. Even if Theresia and Theresis worked together, they could only rebuild their homeland step by step before considering political matters.

After all, if they couldn't even unite the Sarkaz and couldn't restore their homeland, how could they gradually restore the functioning of their political system?

But now, Theresis saw hope! A textbook-like teaching that could help them quickly restore their political system.

And that textbook was named "Victoria"! And "Yes, Prime Minister" was the analysis of this textbook!

"Everyone, I believe you have all finished watching the third and fourth episodes."

Theresis reviewed his own performance once more, then turned his gaze to the assembled Sarkaz high-ranking officials and said calmly:

"From these two episodes, what have you each learned? Feel free to speak your minds."

"You are the elites of the Sarkaz, veterans who have come through countless battles of life and death. I believe your insights can be more unique and professional."

"—Your Highness, Regent, I believe the issues concerning the Ministry of Finance are particularly noteworthy."

After Theresis finished speaking, the Sarkaz exchanged glances, and finally, the Bloodborne Archon, who had also acted in "Yes, Prime Minister" and was seated in the first row closest to Theresis, spoke first.

He elegantly raised his goblet filled with blood and said slowly:

"From the drama, it's clear that in Victoria's political system, there are hierarchies among the various departments. This may be unavoidable for us in the future, and the Ministry of Finance, as the entity controlling a nation's taxes and finances, undoubtedly holds the highest position."

"We should appoint the most trustworthy and capable individuals as ministers for the most important departments, and their departmental secretaries must be appointed by the government."

During this time, playing the role of "Humphrey," arguably the pinnacle of Victorian civil servants, the Bloodborne Archon had suddenly found amusement in the tedious political discussions—by refuting Theresis.

Yes, this was the Bloodborne Archon's newfound pleasure. In "Yes, Prime Minister," Humphrey often used sentences filled with jargon to fend off the Prime Minister. Chen Qi called this "long, difficult sentences," and it was the most challenging part of Humphrey's dialogue.

However, the Bloodborne Archon had a photographic memory, so this posed no difficulty for him. Previously, due to his current position and Theresis's status, the Bloodborne Archon could not defy Theresis. Now, while acting, he enjoyed seeing Theresis's bewildered expression—this had become the Bloodborne Archon's new pastime.

Of course, after playing Humphrey for so long, the Bloodborne Archon naturally had other insights—that Humphrey, as the Cabinet Secretary, wielded far too much power.

In the fourth episode of "Yes, Prime Minister," Humphrey, as the Cabinet Secretary, held the responsibility and power for personnel appointments, promotions, and recruitment. This meant he could freely insert his allies into the civil service system.

Giving such power to a Cabinet Secretary was undoubtedly excessive. It would be one thing if the Cabinet Secretary were a loyal servant dedicated to the nation, but what if they were someone like Humphrey?

"If it were the current era, I would be willing to believe there are those who would sacrifice themselves for the revival of the Sarkaz," the Bloodborne Archon said calmly.

"But if, one day, Kazdel is revived, and their hearts become as corrupted as those of Victoria's officials, then what will become of the Sarkaz's fate?"

"—The power of the Cabinet Secretary must be curtailed," Theresis agreed, nodding. However, he then added:

"But correspondingly, we cannot allow the Ministry of Finance to dominate. Having a Cabinet Secretary with equal power to engage with several other important departments can also ensure that no single department becomes too powerful."

"At the same time, the Prime Minister's power must be consolidated, but it cannot be solely at the Prime Minister's discretion. A nation where one person decides everything might be suitable for war, but not for governance."

"We will discuss this further later. Bern... Manfred, record this."

Theresis nodded. What he had gleaned from "Yes, Prime Minister" was the most crucial aspect of politics—"checks and balances." Only by balancing various departments and the distribution of power could a political system operate smoothly and continuously, regardless of who or what key figure was missing.

Manfred, having been personally promoted by Theresis, was now engaged in secretarial work.

Whether it was Manfred's imagination or not, he vaguely felt that Theresis had begun to genuinely regard him as "Bernard," his personal secretary.

Manfred had now resigned himself to this role. He was no longer just a general in Kazdel's Military Committee, but also Theresis's personal secretary... because he was indeed on Theresis's side, just like Bernard.

With the Bloodborne Archon setting the precedent, the Sarkaz in the council slowly began to share their insights.

"Your Highness, Regent, regarding the Originium tax, I believe we should not hinder the Originium industry. On the contrary, if the Originium tax can support so many jobs and interests for a nation, then related industries should be allowed to continue existing."

Theresis: "A pertinent suggestion. This will undoubtedly be useful in the future reconstruction of Kazdel. We will first address self-sufficiency, and then immediately expand Originium trade. I will appoint you as the director of the future Originium Industry Bureau."

"Your Highness, Regent, concerning pension insurance and social security funds, I don't think we can completely dismiss the viewpoints presented in the drama. Maintaining a certain mortality rate is something we will need to consider in the future. The lifespan and physical condition of Sarkaz far surpass many other races. We should establish specific retirement times for the Sarkaz people."

Theresis: "We also need to consider the situation with Oripathy. I don't want my people to die from Oripathy before they can even reach retirement age. Next point."

"Your Highness, Regent, regarding the corruption within the civil service system, I believe..."

As one Sarkaz after another from the council spoke, and Theresis discussed each point, with Manfred diligently recording everything, the discussion on the third and fourth episodes of "Yes, Prime Minister" finally came to a close as time passed.

Manfred had filled half a notebook with his notes, yet he felt no fatigue. Instead, he spoke with a hint of joy:

"Within this... lies the wisdom for the future revival of Kazdel and the rebuilding of our government."

"Manfred, your responsibilities are great. In the future, you may no longer serve as a general; you will become a commander within the civil service."

Theresis replied indifferently. He had always believed in Manfred's capabilities in both military and civil affairs. If the Sarkaz truly no longer needed to fight on the battlefield in the future, then Manfred would be Theresis's most trusted "Cabinet Secretary."

"So, after serving as 'Prime Minister' for two weeks, does our 'Prime Minister' have no insights to share?"

At this moment, the Bloodborne Archon turned to Theresis, asking with a unique, chilling smile characteristic of the Bloodborne, "As the current Regent of Kazdel, should you not offer some suggestions?"

"...In that case, I do have an insight."

Facing the Bloodborne Archon's barbed words, Theresis twitched the corner of his mouth, unfazed, and coldly uttered a sentence: