Directing on the Ark, Success if Not Banned

"That is to say, whether it's as important as the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as long as they possess sufficient power, they don't need to worry about whether they understand the relevant knowledge."

"For a Monarch, the people he wants to use must first be obedient before discussing whether they are useful—is this a realization? Bloodborne Archon."

"...Yes, General."

Faced with Theresis's retort, the Bloodborne Archon's smile faltered for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. He then slowly chose to take his leave.

"...Recently, people in the Royal Court have also been studying 'Yes, Prime Minister,' General." Manfred watched the direction the Bloodborne Archon had left and said to Theresis:

"They are uneasy about this TV series you sent to the Royal Court. They feel you are deliberately warning them, and therefore have many criticisms, believing the issues presented are merely superficial aspects of governing a country."

"—Whether they are superficial or not, they will find out later."

Theresis twitched the corner of his mouth. He didn't have much fondness for the Royal Court. If it weren't for the fact that the revival of Kazdel required the support of the factions they represented, he would have long since stopped being constrained by the Royal Court.

But... he had to admit that while episodes three and four were funny, many of the issues presented were not things Kazdel needed to consider for the time being.

He needed information that could benefit Kazdel, whether it was advantageous to Kazdel's current situation or revealed loopholes in Victoria.

"...I must personally visit Director Chen Qi. I believe his brilliant mind will provide me with the answer I seek."

Theresis made up his mind immediately. He increasingly felt Chen Qi's importance, and this thought made Theresis regret even more that he had signed a "Blood Pact" with Chen Qi.

Because now, Theresis absolutely did not want Chen Qi to leave.

Chapter 41: Chen Qi's Contact with Theresia?

By the time Theresis left, it was already nearing evening. He hadn't allowed anyone to accompany him, but he knew that the Confessor and his guards would be following in secret.

Theresis slowly made his way alone to the Londinium Grand Hotel. He had Chen Qi and his entourage staying there as honored guests, partly to entertain them, and partly... for surveillance.

"Recently, Director Chen Qi, as usual, has been wandering around Londinium at a fixed time. His companions are occasionally Talulah and Alina, and sometimes Patriot and FrostNova."

As Theresis arrived at the hotel, the Confessor appeared like a phantom beside him and said to Theresis, "He seems to intend to walk through all of Londinium, yet he never pays attention to the defensive positions or the locations of the city's cannons."

"Artists occasionally need to relax to soothe their moods." Theresis wasn't too concerned upon hearing this news, as he had known from their first meeting that Chen Qi had the physique of an ordinary person, even thinner than most.

But Theresis valued not Chen Qi's physique, but his intellect. If, at first, Theresis had some thoughts about talents like Patriot, Talulah, or the film crew, he could now say that he no longer needed them at all.

The last Pureblood Wendigo, unwilling to accept the "Ritual" and become powerful, was ultimately no longer one of them.

As for the adopted daughter of the Ursus Duke, she was meaningless to Theresis. He didn't want any connection with Ursus, and his legions didn't lack for power. He didn't care.

It was Chen Qi's wisdom and his scripts that could change the course of the battle, and even the entire world's situation!

And now, the influence of "Yes, Prime Minister" had gradually begun to show. In just two weeks, with a total of four episodes, the citizens of Victoria had begun to harbor doubts and emotions towards the increasingly declining Victorian government.

After all, following the "Defense Policy" which made Victorians believe they were protected, and later the "Originium Tool Ban Order Incident," the Victorian superiors had fully revealed their attitude of being above the citizens and treating human lives as worthless.

Especially in Londinium, with the broadcast of "Yes, Prime Minister," many residents who were encountering politics for the first time laughed heartily through the first few episodes, but later gradually discerned the cruel politics hidden behind the jokes.

This caused many Londinium residents, who were already dissatisfied with Londinium being garrisoned by Sarkaz and having all its defenses taken over, to lose confidence in the Victorian government. To "test" the effects, Theresis unprecedentedly issued the "New Working Hours System" to regulate the working hours of Londinium's laborers.

According to Chen Qi's understanding, it was a standard 996.

However, compared to Theresis's previous policies, where he completely disregarded the residents of Londinium to quickly build the Shattered Tower and Aerial Fleet, his current "test" had unexpectedly won over the people.

Now, the residents of Londinium, who initially hated Theresis and the Sarkaz Legion to the core, had gradually shifted to a "perhaps it's not so bad" situation within two weeks.

Unbeknownst to Chen Qi, because of this matter, Alda, the leader of the Self-Rescue Army, was in the sewers, furious and at a loss. Faced with the increasingly compliant Londinium residents and the worsening situation for their cause, Alda was completely enraged. For a moment, she even forgot her identity as a Duke's daughter and spewed all sorts of Victorian vulgarities, but unfortunately, Chen Qi didn't know.

"The riots and strikes in Londinium have indeed decreased as predicted, and other mobile cities in Victoria are also constantly sending messengers asking us to ban the broadcast of 'Yes, Prime Minister'."

"Indeed, the Victorian government is afraid. They fear an enlightened populace, fear their methods being exposed, and thus can no longer deceive the people."

"This shows that what we are doing is right, and what Director Chen Qi wrote is also correct."

Theresis, as the Regent of Kazdel, was indeed worthy of his title. Using Londinium, he had validated many of his ideas regarding political implementation.

However, Chen Qi didn't care about these things. Rather, regardless of the reason, as long as the residents of Londinium could live a slightly better life during the period they were under Theresis's control, Chen Qi didn't care about the reasons.

"...Your Highness the Regent, there is something I must remind you of."

However, seeing Theresis's nonchalance, the Confessor then said something that made Theresis pause for a rare moment:

"During the time Director Chen Qi was circling the city of Londinium, he encountered Princess Theresia."

"..." However, this statement from the Confessor caused Theresis to stop in his tracks. After a moment, Theresis finally stopped walking and couldn't help but ask:

"What did they talk about?"

"They talked a lot. Director Chen Qi seemed very interested in Princess Theresia and said he wanted to tailor a movie for her," the Confessor replied truthfully.

"But Princess Theresia didn't respond much. You understand, she is now just a shell, without her own personality, only the embodiment of the will of the Sarkaz."

"So her responses to Director Chen Qi were very lacking in spirit, but I felt this matter needed to be reported to you."

"—It's fine, let them interact." When Theresis mentioned his cousin, he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. To him, Theresia, who now walked the streets, was merely a walking corpse without a soul, existing in a state between life and death, solely because he needed her influence.

Even as such an "automaton," Theresia brought him results that he had been unable to achieve through years of effort.

Theresis had diligently supported the revival of Kazdel, but in the end, only half of the Sarkaz and less than thirty percent of the Royal Court's kings supported him. Now, with "Theresia" on his side, nearly ninety percent of the Sarkaz mercenaries were brought under his command, and even half of the Royal Court expressed their support for him.

But even so, Theresis did not envy his cousin. He knew that in some aspects, he was inferior to his sister.

"...If she were still alive, and she stood with me and Chen Qi, perhaps the revival of the Sarkaz would not have taken the path it has today."

"Alas, she is just an empty shell. Let them interact."

Theresis was clearly very relieved about Theresia having no soul now, or perhaps his few remaining consciences had moved him, as he didn't object to Chen Qi and Theresia interacting.

After all, Theresia had no soul anymore. Even powerful entities like the Royal Court couldn't truly revive her. Chen Qi, as an ordinary person, certainly couldn't, could he?

"Alright, Your Highness the Regent, this is the content for the fifth and sixth episodes you requested."

Some time later, in Chen Qi's room, Chen Qi wasn't surprised by Theresis's sudden visit. He and Theresis had met quite often recently, mostly with Theresis chasing him for his scripts or discussing politics.

To the former, Chen Qi's answer was always "I'm writing, I'm writing." As for the latter... Chen Qi avoided answering whenever possible. He didn't want to personally train a master of propaganda warfare.

Therefore, Chen Qi had been trying to minimize contact with Theresis. Now, as he handed over the content for the next two episodes, he continued, "As per your request, the content of these two episodes is quite explosive, involving civil servant salary increases, as well as matters of coups and diplomacy."

"That's excellent." Theresis's interest was immediately piqued upon hearing that this installment contained weighty news. He eagerly took the script.

"There are definitely explosive inside stories here that you'll want. I believe the information here is worth calling a meeting for."

"I have absolute confidence in you, Director Chen Qi." Theresis didn't even plan to read it this time. Instead, he asked a question, "It's just that I'm surprised you're not resistant to cooperating with us. Our previous business partners would usually shy away once they heard we were 'demon race'."

Of course. How bad the Sarkaz's reputation is, that's still a historical remnant... Chen Qi shook his head. Besides, he didn't really want to cooperate with Theresis; it was just that the man paid too well.

Furthermore, if Chen Qi had refused back then, it would have inevitably led to bloodshed. But Chen Qi wouldn't answer like that. He changed his approach and said, "Your Highness the Regent, I have no prejudice against the Sarkaz. To me, race has never determined whether a person is good or bad. Despicable people are despicable regardless of their race."

"If only everyone on this land thought like you, Director Chen Qi."

Theresis smiled at his words. For a moment, Chen Qi's words reminded him of Theresia; they had many similarities.

"...So, did you and your cousin have a good talk?"

Theresis turned his gaze to Chen Qi, meeting his slightly nervous eyes, and then chuckled softly, "Don't misunderstand. I don't object to you interacting with my cousin."

"...Perhaps in the future, I will even invite you to film a movie specifically for my cousin."

With that, Theresis retrieved the script and left the room. His words were clearly a reminder to Chen Qi that every move within Londinium was under his control.

However, after Theresis left, Chen Qi's initially nervous expression eased considerably as he let out a breath. He muttered to himself, That scared me... I thought Theresis had seen through me. But it seems I can't interact with Theresia anymore from now on.

But fortunately, what I needed to do is done... I should also thank His Highness Theresis for the considerable reputation points he gave me.

Chen Qi thought this and let out a sigh, lying back on his bed. He couldn't stand another second of his current nerve-wracking life; everywhere felt like surveillance.

Therefore, he had to figure out how to escape Londinium. For this, he had found himself an "ally."

And this ally would absolutely shock Theresis, making him never see it coming...

Meanwhile, in Theresis's royal chambers in Londinium, in a room even more luxurious than Theresis's own residence, a Sarkaz woman with long, pale pink hair lay on the bed like a doll, her unfocused eyes staring at the ceiling.

And for a fleeting moment, when all external surveillance seemed to be lifted... the eyes of that previously lifeless shell seemed to regain their own radiance...

Though it was only for an instant, it was enough to prove the existence of her soul. She was no longer just a soulless husk...

Chapter 42: "Yes, Prime Minister" Receives Everyone's Attention

A week later, Chen Qi and his crew filmed the fifth and sixth episodes of "Yes, Prime Minister" once again. These two episodes were highly representative in terms of quality, the explosiveness of their content, and the debut of famous lines. Therefore, Chen Qi and everyone on the crew filmed them with even greater dedication and stricter standards.

Theresis, the Bloodborne Archon, and Manfred, who had seen the scripts, recognized the most valuable utility they needed from these two episodes. They poured their hearts into their performances, dedicating 120% of their focus.

As a result, the filming of these two episodes proceeded exceptionally smoothly because everyone was highly focused. Even after filming concluded, the usually composed Theresis grabbed Chen Qi's hand, completely oblivious to Chen Qi's startled gaze, and said, "Director Chen Qi, please deliver the first finished product to us as soon as possible after you finalize the total costs."

Theresis was overjoyed. He needed "Yes, Prime Minister" to deliver sufficiently explosive news to refute the views of the Royal Court kings, who claimed their efforts in Londinium were futile.

Theresis was indeed using "Yes, Prime Minister" to awaken the Royal Court kings, whose minds had begun to decay along with their bodies from living too long. Although Victoria's political system was criticized and satirized in this television series, Theresis saw a civil service system that was functioning smoothly towards its intended goals.

A civil service system that, despite frequent internal struggles, could still operate. A civil service system suitable for peacetime, one that selected based on merit, promoted based on qualifications and abilities, rather than relying on who possessed stronger Originium Arts or had a longer lifespan to determine high positions.

This was the civil service system that Kazdel would use in the future. Even though this television series satirized Victoria, Theresis still felt he couldn't dismiss it entirely because of that.

From another perspective, if a civil service system, so rife with internal conflict, loopholes, and corruption, could still operate normally and ensure a nation's stability, wouldn't that prove the system itself was quite robust?

Theresis knew that even though his ideals differed from Theresia's, he had to first take revenge on all the nations that had conquered Kazdel to ensure Sarkaz would never face annihilation again. But he also knew that once he achieved this goal, he would inevitably step down.

Theresis understood clearly that he was not suited for governance. He also admitted that Theresia was the most suitable person to govern during peacetime, which was why so many people followed her.

However... Theresis couldn't accept the Sarkaz race begging for peace in subservience. He wanted to conquer back everything they had lost. Victory was the best way to solidify their race's status.

And in the future, after he achieved this goal, Kazdel would inevitably need to establish a political system more suited for governance. Now, the best reference case from the old, powerful nation of Victoria was right before him; how could he waste it?

They needed to create a better, superior, and more mature template from Victoria's political system. And the first thing Theresis had to do was persuade the Royal Court kings to support him.

"Yes, Prime Minister" was the best proof he could offer the Royal Court, proving that Kazdel's current ideology was outdated and that the Royal Court would inevitably be replaced.

"If they are willing to be obedient, then Kazdel will naturally have a place for them in the future. But if they remain obstinate..."

Theresis couldn't help but reveal a hint of Sarkaz's wicked charm as he thought this, and he said faintly in his heart, "This system only needs obedient, capable people. As for their aptitude... I believe as long as the position is sufficiently satisfying, anyone can become a competent cadre."

"When the time comes, they will consciously do the right thing for votes and approval ratings, so that the Sarkaz people can receive favor, and they can also gain the respect and support they desire."

"This is the path to Kazdel's future, a path no one can defy, and no one can stand alone."

"I cannot, Theresia cannot... nor can the kings of the Royal Court."

Theresis had already envisioned the future path for Kazdel in his mind. While he was currently preparing for the war to restore Kazdel, he now knew exactly how to walk the path ahead.

Beside Theresis, the listless Theresia, standing with him, was as devoid of motivation as a puppet.

But, for some reason, as if sensing Theresis's thoughts, a faint gleam returned to Theresia's eyes. Though they soon became vacant again, for that moment, a hint of... joy seemed to appear in her gaze.

"It's on! New episodes of 'Yes, Prime Minister' are airing!"

"Really?! Hurry, hurry! Everyone, put down what you're doing! 'Yes, Prime Minister' is on!"

"Coming! Right now! Frost, you too, stop what you're doing and go watch 'Yes, Prime Minister'!"

On the day 'Yes, Prime Minister' aired precisely on schedule, almost every household in Londinium immediately turned on their televisions. They eagerly settled in front of the screen, hoping that this time, 'Yes, Prime Minister' would broadcast even more explosive and hilariously funny topics.

And this scene wasn't just in Londinium. In Victoria's various mobile cities, wherever there was a television, people were eagerly anticipating today's content. For a time, the viewership ratings for all Victoria mobile city television stations soared simultaneously!

However, it wasn't just Victoria. Many who had heard about this drama and paid attention to the messages it contained also tuned in immediately.

For example, the Self-Rescue Army in the underground passages of Londinium, and Rhodes Island... and other places.

"That damned drama is on again? I wonder how much further they intend to smear Victoria this time?"

For Alda, the leader of the Self-Rescue Army, this was the most difficult period. Every time 'Yes, Prime Minister' aired new episodes, the support of Londinium's residents for them would decrease a little.

In just two weeks, the Self-Rescue Army's situation had significantly worsened. Alda truly couldn't imagine if this drama continued to air for a while longer, whether the Self-Rescue Army could even persist in Londinium.

And it was quite embarrassing... that just one drama could render their Self-Rescue Army's efforts of so long useless and bring them to a standstill within two weeks.