Directing on Rhodes Island, Success is Not Getting Banned

"Religion, huh... this episode was quite fruitful. If nothing unexpected happens, the dukes of Victoria will be even less helpful this time."

Meanwhile, on the [Deep Pool]'s side, their leader Ablana was diligently taking notes on the key points of the episode of "Yes, Prime Minister." Besides her favorite line, "History is a victory of the ruthless over the brainless," there were many other sentences. This time, she had gained a great deal once again.

Ablana now treated "Yes, Prime Minister" as her personal "doctrine." She increasingly saw within it how unskillful she was in understanding people's hearts and the art of political manipulation. Although she and her sister had both studied under Count Warwick, the spiritual leader of the Tara people, the Count had clearly not taught them much about politics.

It could be said that most of Ablana's current understanding and knowledge of political manipulation came from "Yes, Prime Minister." She took notes every episode, recorded them on videotapes, and rewatched them repeatedly. She gradually understood the concept of politics: checks and balances.

Balancing the situation, allowing herself to hold the decision-making power while also enabling those with authority under her to propose improvements that benefited the overall interest, yet still retaining the final say.

And also, the balance and mutual checks between various departments, preventing any single department from becoming too dominant... Many political principles were learned by Ablana from "Yes, Prime Minister."

Moreover, this time, she saw a very important point in the latest episode and murmured with a smile:

"The Sarkaz of Laterano cherish their reputation very much. They are devout in their faith, or at least, that's what everyone says."

"And now, they are aware of the corruption within the Victoria diocese where they are stationed. Therefore, in the future, Laterano, who wishes to draw a clear line, will absolutely not interfere in Victoria's affairs."

"The land of the Tara people, everything of the Tara people—we are getting closer and closer to this ideal!"

A rare fervor flickered across Ablana's face, astonishing the cadres of the Deep Pool beside her, as well as her sister Lavshini. They had always seen their leader as calm and resourceful, mysterious and unfathomable to them.

But now, in their eyes, Ablana seemed a bit more dangerous, with her ambition clearly visible. She no longer seemed content with her initial wishes. After experiencing the "baptism" of "Yes, Prime Minister," not only did she feel she was gradually mastering political tactics, but her ambition also grew alongside it.

Initially, Ablana only wanted to restore the Tara regime. She felt like she was in the Count's home, listening to him talk about the past stories of Tara, wanting to inherit the title of "King of Gaul" granted by Victoria and become the ruler of Tara.

But now, after the "baptism" of "Yes, Prime Minister," Ablana heard politicians in the show treating the downfall of Tara as a trifle, and stories of how they had defeated Tara.

And... the line that immensely stimulated her, "History is a victory of the ruthless over the brainless," further fueled her ambition.

Yes, back then, those Aslan were ruthless towards Tara, which is why they became the victors and now sit upon the throne.

And now, the Aslan have lost the throne. That throne, hanging high in the sky, no longer belongs to the Aslan.

So, who is next... who is the next sole legitimate heir? The sole legitimate heir who can lead public opinion and support, and govern this country? Besides her, who else could it be?

Tactics, ability, support—she lacked none of these now. As long as Duke Wellington and his high-speed warships rendezvoused with them, the [Deep Pool], they would sweep across and reclaim the entire territory of Victoria!

At that time, she would not just be a queen who led the Tara people to restore the Tara territory of the Gaulish King era. She would have the opportunity, the status, and the ability to become the Empress of Victoria!

Empress! This title attracted Ablana more than ever before... And the prerequisite for all of this, Ablana knew very well, was to make the world aware of her legitimacy, to let everyone know that she, the descendant of Tara, had returned to Victoria with her supporters to save her people!

"He is a sword, a sword that can help me ascend to that position, silence all doubters, and solidify my reign."

"Obtain him, at all costs..."

Ablana murmured this sentence repeatedly at this moment. She wished she could rush into Londinium right away and fight her way through to bring Chen Qi out, but unfortunately, she also knew that with the current strength of the [Deep Pool], they couldn't do it.

Moreover, there were too many factions wanting to kill him, protect him, or seize him. Although Ablana hadn't encountered those people around her, she was well aware that the Deep Pool was not the only one waiting for an opportunity to find Chen Qi.

So, what advantage did she have to make Chen Qi willingly follow her?

Ablana thought for a moment, then subconsciously looked at her disguised sister, Lavshini, beside her. As Lavshini tilted her head in confusion, Ablana subconsciously looked at herself again, then revealed a somewhat sinister smile.

"Sister, for the first time in my life, I truly feel it's wonderful to have you by my side."

"—Sister?"

Lavshini blinked in surprise, not quite understanding her sister's meaning. Although her sister had always valued and had high expectations of her, such a random compliment made her feel a bit strange...

"Look, look, "Yes, Prime Minister" is on again!"

At this moment, the Deep Pool cadre Mandra spoke up in a timely manner, drawing everyone's attention back to the television.

And Rhodes Island, the Imperial Guard, the Self-Rescue Army... everyone within the Londinium area also began to watch the final episode of "Yes, Prime Minister."

Now, everyone had different thoughts. On Rhodes Island's side, led by Vina, they all hoped that in this final episode, Chen Qi wouldn't pull any more stunts, satirizing more factions and making the current situation in Victoria even more unstable...

As for Ablana, she wished Chen Qi would criticize Victoria even more, making the citizens even more disappointed with the former Aslan dynasty, so that she could legitimately become the new Empress of Victoria.

Although this ambition was not yet mature... what if?

With this thought, Ablana managed to calm her emotions and focused her gaze on the television, anticipating that in the final episode of "Yes, Prime Minister," Chen Qi would provide a perfect conclusion to the series.

Soon, accompanied by the familiar opening music, the content of the final episode finally appeared before everyone.

The episode opened with Theresis returning home smugly, announcing his excellent performance to his wife—he had thoroughly refuted the members of the House of Commons who were obstructing his plan to cut military spending.

Theresis appeared very self-satisfied, believing that the news today would definitely report on his performance in the House of Commons. However, he was disappointed to find that the protagonist of the television program this time was not him, but a Perro (dog) named "Benji."

In the news, the girl had lost her parents since childhood and had lived with this Perro since they were young. Now, the Perro had accidentally wandered into an artillery range full of unexploded ordnance, and the military stated they were powerless to help, only hoping the Perro would find its own way out or starve or be blown up in the range.

"I think the military should step in to save that Perro," the wife, who had transformed from a Shapeshifter, suggested to Theresis. "You don't understand the common people."

However, Theresis also expressed his powerlessness. This was because the profit from such an act was too small, and it would also waste a lot of money. The Ministry of Finance would absolutely not agree, so he brushed it off.

"Although it's a bit heartless... it seems understandable."

Inside Rhodes Island, Amiya and Kal'tsit watched the final episode of "Yes, Prime Minister." Since her abilities were not yet complete and she hadn't participated in this elite squad mission, Amiya couldn't help but comment on the scene on television:

"Removing explosives is a very time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive task, isn't it? For a small Perro, it's indeed not worth it... but can't there be any flexibility?"

"Impossible. The cost-effectiveness of such matters is too low. Neither the military nor the Ministry of Finance would agree, even if the Prime Minister agreed," Kal'tsit replied indifferently after taking a sip of her coffee.

"—But I think, at the end of the plot, that Perro should be saved."

However, this time, Amiya had a different opinion and turned to Kal'tsit, saying, "This is a comedy, after all, so there definitely won't be any casualties. So I think that Perro will be saved!"

"...Amiya, this is a political satire. By using such a small cost that doesn't require showing the scene, it satirizes the inaction of Victoria's regime. Isn't this show always following this pattern?"

Kal'tsit also shook her head at Amiya's naivety. After all, in her opinion, although the plot of "Yes, Prime Minister" was absurd, the logic within it was very clear. Many choices were made for checks and balances, simply to make "the least bad choice."

However, going to such lengths for a single Perro was something Kal'tsit couldn't fathom how the plot would develop, and she was therefore very confident in her judgment.

"So, how about we make a bet, Doctor Kal'tsit? I bet that Perro will be saved in the final episode!"

However, Amiya was somewhat set in her ways on this matter, or rather, she trusted her judgment of Chen Qi. While he was writing a comedy satirizing Victoria, she believed Chen Qi wouldn't deliberately depict cruel things. This was her understanding of "Yes, Prime Minister"!

"If I win, Doctor Kal'tsit, will you grant me one request?"

Amiya had been greatly inspired by watching "Yes, Prime Minister" and by Rhodes Island's current efforts to rescue Chen Qi and his companions.

She hoped to lead Rhodes Island, which had stalled and was even in decline, to a better future. Even though the Doctor had not yet returned, she wanted to present the Doctor with a better Rhodes Island than what she remembered.

For this plan, Amiya also needed Chen Qi's help. Furthermore, she could leverage Rhodes Island's expertise in pharmaceutical manufacturing to strike an irresistible deal with Chen Qi!

"...No problem."

Kal'tsit pondered for a moment, looking at Amiya's confident expression, and decided to agree. After all, she didn't know what Amiya was thinking. In Kal'tsit's eyes, although Amiya was the leader of Rhodes Island, and she had personally acknowledged it, Amiya was still just a child who needed her guidance.

What excessive request could a child possibly have? If it were that person, Kal'tsit certainly wouldn't have agreed, but Amiya... Kal'tsit had confidence in Amiya.

With these thoughts, Kal'tsit and Amiya continued to watch the television. Soon, as the plot progressed, a representative from a previously unseen department appeared, and their presence immediately made everyone feel the gravity of the situation.

The head of the Victoria Intelligence Department. His aura was completely different from before, not diminishing even when facing Theresis, the Prime Minister. When Theresis asked Manfred to record their conversation, he stated very seriously:

"Not this time, Prime Minister."

"Ah... I don't necessarily need Bernard here, do I?" Theresis acted as if genuinely startled by the other party, realizing the seriousness of the matter, and immediately dismissed Manfred to step aside temporarily.

Theresis was very surprised by the visit of the Intelligence Department head and immediately asked, "I didn't receive any documentation for this meeting."

"There wasn't any. It's too serious." The head of the Intelligence Department slowly sat down and immediately said to Theresis before him:

"Do you remember John Horst?"

"Of course. Your predecessor, the head of the Intelligence Department thirty years ago, who passed away last month," Theresis replied with understanding, but instinctively felt something was wrong.

Indeed, the head of the Intelligence Department then explained the reason for his visit to Theresis, saying, "He left all his private files to us, and we've just begun reviewing them."

"Apparently, in his successor's era, he passed government intelligence to Ursus, and for several years."

"—The head of the Intelligence Department? A Ursus spy?!"

However, such earth-shattering news, as it was spoken by Theresis, immediately shocked everyone in front of the screen—especially those with some power who understood the implications. They all knew the seriousness of this issue.

Was Victoria's internal corruption that severe back then?! If the head of the Intelligence Department was a Ursus spy, wouldn't Victoria be completely transparent to Ursus?

Chapter 59: Humphrey is also a spy? Is anyone in Victoria not a spy?

However, even though Vina and the others had anticipated that Chen Qi would pull off a major stunt in the final episode of "Yes, Prime Minister," this level of stunt was truly beyond imagination. What normal screenwriter would dare to write something like this!

Especially since Chen Qi's previous satires in "Yes, Prime Minister" were generally based on traceable events. Even if specific names weren't mentioned, they were mostly things Victoria had done or experienced.

And this time, Chen Qi had even leaked the news that "the head of the Victoria Intelligence Department is a Ursus spy." It was difficult for Vina not to wonder... were such things truly happening, or still happening, within Victoria's intelligence agencies?

After all, Chen Qi's previous satires were not fabricated. Although Vina knew very well that espionage between major powers was standard practice, a spy at the level of the head of the Intelligence Department was not something one would dare to fabricate!

"The will stated it was a deathbed confession out of conscience," the head of the Intelligence Department explained on screen. "But I think he just wanted to brag that we hadn't caught him."

"How much did he leak?" Theresis's immediate concern was what intelligence the former head of the Intelligence Department had provided to Ursus. However, the head of the Intelligence Department seemed completely uninterested and dismissively replied:

"That doesn't matter—since Gaul, Leithania, Iberia, Kazimierz, and so many other major powers have spies within us, what's one more?"

"The point is, he was one of ours."

The head of the Intelligence Department, who had inadvertently conveyed incredibly shocking news, casually brushed aside the issue of intelligence leaks and focused on a more serious problem:

"Graduating from the Victoria Royal Military Academy and entering the Intelligence Department directly, serving as a civil servant for life. Once this gets out, those he recruited during his tenure will never be able to clear their names."

"Not only that, but we also conducted an internal security investigation on Sir John twenty years ago. Do you remember the media uproar?"

"I seem to recall something," Theresis said, trying to recall carefully. The head of the Intelligence Department clearly had great dissatisfaction with the media and immediately reprimanded:

"Completely irresponsible, baseless rumors!"

"But it was true, wasn't it?" Theresis was somewhat confused. The media had reported correctly, so why was the head of the Intelligence Department reprimanding them?

To his surprise, the head of the Intelligence Department became very angry when he brought this up and immediately retorted, "Yes, but they didn't know!"

"They had no understanding of the situation and were irresponsible, just guessing correctly."

Clearly, the implication from the head of the Intelligence Department was that such matters absolutely could not be publicized by the media. Otherwise, the Intelligence Department, which had undergone an "internal security investigation" and determined that the former head of the Intelligence Department at the time had no suspicion, and indeed the entire Victorian civil service, might face criticism from the media.

This would greatly damage their credibility. Therefore, even if it were true, it absolutely could not be revealed.

"...If such a thing truly happened, the news getting out would likely hasten the collapse of the Victorian government by two years."

Even Kal'tsit hadn't expected Chen Qi to actually bring such a major event to the forefront in the final episode. Kal'tsit herself had never heard of such a thing. Although she was well-informed and knew what Victoria was like, she was unaware of some of the internal details.

"Doctor Kal'tsit, the head of the Intelligence Department being a Ursus spy... isn't that a bit too exaggerated?"

However, Amiya was more concerned about the plot's plausibility. Clearly, under such weighty news, even Amiya momentarily forgot about their bet and was more concerned about the penetration power of Ursus spies. Was it really that strong?

If so, would similar situations exist within Rhodes Island? Although Amiya didn't want to think in that direction, espionage was something every faction had to be concerned about, including Rhodes Island.

As the leader of Rhodes Island, Amiya had to rule out this possibility from occurring within Rhodes Island. Kal'tsit, upon hearing this, pondered for a moment and then said calmly:

"...At that time, many powers coexisted, and various countries did indeed engage in espionage against each other. The international situation at the time was that most countries were simultaneously hostile and trading."

"If there were any dealings between the head of the Victoria Intelligence Department and Ursus, it wouldn't be hard to understand given the era."

"Why?" Amiya couldn't help but ask. She still didn't understand why Victoria, so powerful, would trade with Ursus, a land largely composed of wilderness.

"—Because of the development space, Amiya. Ursus, which was undergoing rapid development and expansion at the time, could offer a platform, treatment, and development space that Victoria, with its rigid class structure, couldn't provide to certain individuals."

Kal'tsit also clearly explained why Victoria officials would trade with Ursus people, and even become spies for Ursus. She continued to reveal:

"Many of Ursus's current old nobles are not entirely Ursus people. Many of them followed the former Ursus Emperor on his campaigns back then, earning their current status through their merits."

"I... think I understand a little." Amiya nodded as if she understood, but not quite. She had finished watching the entire series of Yes, Minister. She had heard about how in diplomacy, one sometimes had to deal with people considered bad, and sometimes had to abandon good people who didn't cooperate.

Returning to the plot, the head of the Intelligence Department revealed to Theresis that the reason the investigation hadn't uncovered anything back then might be because internal staff had covered for the former head of the Intelligence Department, deliberately not investigating thoroughly.

And clearly, the person who helped the former head of the Intelligence Department clear his name was also highly suspected of being a spy and would be listed as a person of interest.

"Who led the investigation?"

"Sir Mavey, but he was seriously ill at the time, uh... he had dementia." The head of the Intelligence Department explained to Theresis, "So, his secretary was in charge of the investigation."

"Who was the secretary?"

"—Humphrey Appleby."

However, as the head of the Intelligence Department uttered the name of one of the three main characters from Yes, Minister, everyone was stunned. They never expected Humphrey to be the spy.

"Could it be... Humphrey will be written off? Will Yes, Minister conclude with the departure of a lead actor?"

"Ah! No! I don't want to see Humphrey arrested!"

"I really like Humphrey. If he leaves like this, won't I not hear him using long, convoluted sentences to confuse Hacker anymore?!"

For a moment, many residents of Londinium felt that the end was near. This might be how the show would conclude, and they all expressed their reluctance to part with the character of Humphrey.

Even the Bloodborne Archon, despite living for so long, probably never imagined that he, who was infamous even among the Sarkaz, would gain public affection because of a likable character.

Although the Bloodborne Archon didn't care about it at all. But now everyone was curious, would one of the lead actors, the Bloodborne Archon, exit in such a manner?