Chapter Seventy-Three: A New Film! A Glimmer of Light in Victoria's Darkness? / Chapter Seventy-Four: "The Darkest Hour" and "Braveheart: World War"

However, Kal'tsit also offered her own suggestion at this moment, speaking to the currently helpless Chen Qi. "Victoria has just announced its split. Public resentment is running high, the eight dukes are all harboring their own schemes, and war could break out at any moment."

"But most Victorians certainly do not want war. We should make use of that and dampen the people's appetite for war, so they have no desire to fight."

"...But this clearly cannot be solved simply by making anti-war films. The opinions of Victoria's citizens often cannot influence the dukes' decisions. What we need to consider is how to deprive the eight dukes of any legitimate reason to go to war."

"A reason for war..."

Chen Qi fell into prolonged thought upon hearing that... For the moment, he truly had no good solution. Yet the sight of him thinking so seriously gave Kal'tsit, Amiya, Vina, and the others a different impression.

So... even a director as bold and daring in his writing as Chen Qi was not the sort of person who relied on his mystery and power to act lawlessly.

Kal'tsit had encountered many mysterious beings. Most possessed abilities beyond ordinary imagination. They might be Feranmuts, or beings that called themselves "gods." Their identities and power naturally made them believe they stood above other lives and could manipulate others' fates at will.

Like the legendary "Troupe Master" of the Crimson Troupe, certain Feranmuts, and the like... From the moment Chen Qi had produced a medicine capable of curing Oripathy, Kal'tsit had concluded that he too was undoubtedly a mysterious being.

Yet despite being so mysterious... he had not placed his own life above those of others. Instead, he was troubled by his own oversights and mistakes... That was a good thing for Rhodes Island, which intended to cooperate with Chen Qi.

Kal'tsit in particular let out a sigh of relief. She had feared Chen Qi might be the kind of lawless being who could revive no matter how many times he was killed, one who did not fear death or threats at all and would cause massive upheaval merely for his own amusement, simply because he "could."

Now, Chen Qi clearly did not seem so terrifying. He even seemed too pure-hearted to be a being Terra could have produced... That was truly reassuring.

Vina herself shared thoughts similar to Kal'tsit's. As Victoria's heir apparent, though her emotions did not fluctuate much upon hearing that her country was falling apart, she still felt a measure of melancholy.

Although she had received almost none of the conveniences that came with being royalty, she knew her origins and understood the responsibilities she was meant to bear... Now, watching the nation her ancestors had built crumble before her eyes, she naturally felt saddened.

Yet Chen Qi, one of those who had "fanned the flames," was actually showing guilt. Quietly, Vina seemed to glimpse a sliver of hope...

Perhaps, like Theresis, she could rely on the abilities of the person who had accelerated Victoria's division?

After all, if he could use a single television drama to tear Victoria apart, then surely he also had a way to help Victoria reunite, didn't he?

Vina only felt despondent. Now that she had nothing, what could she possibly use to hire Chen Qi? She was penniless and had no capital at all.

The "payment" she could offer... As Vina thought, something seemed to occur to her. Her cheeks faintly reddened, and she immediately shook her head.

"Impossible. There are no shortage of beautiful women around him... And if I did that, wouldn't I be exactly like that Deep Pool leader?"

Vina still remembered the leader of Deep Pool whom she had met once in Londinium. The greedy look that woman had given Chen Qi then had been as though she wanted to swallow him whole. Vina felt that she absolutely could not become like her.

But if she did not do that, what else could she do? Vina fell silent for a long time. She suddenly realized that, aside from her initial idea, she had nothing at all that could move Chen Qi...

...I should think it over properly. Vina shook her head. In the end, she did not make up her mind. For now, she would first see whether Chen Qi, that genius, had any good ideas. There was no need for her to rush this decision.

A New Film! Depicting Victoria's Light in the Darkness?

"Then everyone, what are your thoughts on Victoria's situation?"

Inside Rhodes Island, ever since hearing that Victoria had split apart, Chen Qi had been restless. Before long, he gathered everyone from the Art Troupe to discuss the matter.

"Though I hate to admit it, my script may have directly accelerated Victoria's division... If Victoria then launches a civil war because of me, everyone, honestly, my conscience will not be at peace."

"Consider it a favor to my conscience. Please support this idea of mine. This time, even if we lose money, we have to find a way to stop it... Maybe it is impossible, but at the very least, it would be good if we could delay the scale of Victoria's civil war."

The moment Chen Qi voiced his thoughts, he received the support of everyone in the Art Troupe. They could all see that this matter had made Chen Qi anxious. No one wanted to make things difficult for him, and they all expressed support for his idea.

After all, Chen Qi had given them all their lives. Whatever next step Chen Qi pointed toward, everyone in the Art Troupe would support it, whether that decision was good or bad.

"Director, perhaps we should choose an anti-war film. It would surely be able to change the situation," Patriot suggested.

"But the issue is that ordinary anti-war films are not enough to stop a major war that is about to erupt. Those films that want to oppose war have never actually achieved an anti-war effect."

Talulah had also done quite a bit of homework during this period. She did not want to be merely a pretty decoration at Chen Qi's side. Though she had already reached a level where Chen Qi could confidently let her oversee filming, she still hoped to become someone who could share his burdens.

To that end, she had watched a great number of Terra's local films, including naturally those with anti-war themes. Yet she found that no matter how many times those films were shown, they could not truly prevent wars from happening.

"Their depictions and portrayals of war... Some of them even gradually turn directly into war films as they go on. They do not achieve any anti-war effect at all."

"And anti-war themes are actually unpopular to a considerable extent." At this moment, Alina nodded as well. As the team's third-in-command, she offered her own suggestion. "In fact, many countries have imposed restrictions on anti-war films in recent years... Ursus especially. Victoria does not have quite so many restrictions, but if it is us making it..."

"...If we make it, it will definitely be restricted."

Chen Qi immediately fell into anxiety. Yet there was no use now in saying empty words like how it would have been better if he had not filmed Yes, Prime Minister. What Chen Qi was most anxious about now was something else.

"And even if we make an anti-war film, we do not have enough manpower. Everyone in the Art Troupe can make guest appearances, but so few people are clearly not enough for large-scale war scenes."

"And then there are all the props, explosions, battlefields..."

"More importantly, we do not have enough time. By the time we spend half a year or a year finishing an anti-war film, Victoria may already be littered with corpses."

"We need to make preparations on two fronts. First, we need a theme that can delay the outbreak of war in Victoria, something that will interest Victorians. Then we can slowly plan the anti-war film."

Chen Qi had already made up his mind. He was not going to obsess over anti-war themes right now. First, he needed to use a television drama that could excite Victoria's people and draw their attention.

But what kind of subject matter could excite all Victorian viewers? Something praising Victoria? The problem was that Chen Qi truly could not think of any drama that could praise Victoria... After all, Victoria's original inspiration was not exactly worthy of praise.

And it had to be the sort of subject that would make all Victorians pay attention, perhaps even leave them unable to stir up war for the time being.

For a while, Chen Qi was completely at a loss. The meeting ultimately ended without any conclusion. Chen Qi pondered the question of subject matter alone until someone stepped in front of him.

"—Princess Vina?" The moment Chen Qi saw Vina standing before him with a long-handled warhammer in one hand and a lollipop in her mouth, he nearly understood at once.

Yet his first reaction was to retreat several steps. He had not forgotten that the woman before him was Victoria's legitimate heir apparent. He had just used a drama to split her country into pieces. Was she here to beat him up?

And in this situation, Chen Qi could not exactly fight back. He did not even have the right to fight back. He hurriedly said:

"Princess Vina—if I said that when we filmed Yes, Prime Minister, we were cut off from information in Londinium and had no idea the drama would cause such huge trouble, would you believe me?"

"And those secrets were not something I made up! I arranged to meet several Victorian Cabinet civil servants, and they revealed them to me in a café! So those scandals are not my fault. It can only be said that your Victoria did those things—no, no, no, that is not what I meant!"

"...Calm down, Director Chen Qi. I have no intention of resenting you."

Seeing such a genius screenwriter as Chen Qi without the slightest trace of arrogance over his talent left Vina rather surprised.

He even genuinely felt guilty over the consequences he had caused... Vina had originally believed that, because Chen Qi was not Victorian, she had lost her greatest basis for blaming him. Now, much of the resentment in her heart dissipated as well.

"I grew up wandering Londinium. When it comes to Victoria's darkness, I actually understand it very well... But I never saw through its essence."

"Perhaps this is Victoria's fate. Victoria truly should undergo another reshuffling, through war... It is only that I, the heir apparent, lack the ability to stop it. That is my responsibility."

Vina lowered the long-handled warhammer in her hand and came to Chen Qi's side. Walking beside him at the same pace, she then asked:

"But you, Director Chen Qi, are clearly not Victorian, yet you wish to stop Victoria's war... You are a person of great compassion."

"If I truly had such great compassion, then right now I should be finding a way to end this war as quickly as possible. I should hurry up and make some fierce man descend from the sky, have him reclaim Victoria with the smallest possible losses, and then perhaps I could be considered compassionate."

Chen Qi gave a bitter smile and shook his head. At first, he had never thought of saving the world through television dramas or films. At his core, he was just someone who wanted to live an ordinary life. As long as he and everyone in the crew could live well, he did not care about anything else.

But now, Chen Qi's sense of right and wrong had forced him onto the path of changing the situation... He had to stop the outbreak of war, or at least delay it a little, or reduce its cost somewhat. At the very least, he had to keep that mad leader of Deep Pool in check so she would not massacre civilians and pile up corpses just to seize power.

"If I really could change all this through my works as you all say... But right now, I do not even know what kind of work I should make."

"Even Director Chen Qi can run into a creative block?"

Vina was somewhat surprised as well. She had always believed that Chen Qi, who could stay in Londinium for only a few days yet understand Victoria's Civil Service System thoroughly enough to write Yes, Prime Minister, was practically a genius in both politics and creation. She did not believe that nonsense about Victorian civil servants leaking information. Londinium's officials had either been controlled or killed; she knew that much.

"It is mainly because of restrictions in many areas... At our current scale, we can film most subjects without issue, but war in particular... For that kind of large-scale scene, even if we add Rhodes Island's manpower, it probably still will not be enough."

"And there are all sorts of equipment issues. Even if those are solved, there is not enough time—I first need to film something that Victoria's citizens will enjoy."

If he wanted to make an anti-war film, he first had to expand their scale enough to handle a war-themed production. Otherwise, it would be nothing more than a minor affair, and the final effect would not be very good.

Chen Qi was completely stumped at that moment. However, as his gaze shifted toward Vina, it seemed as though something suddenly occurred to him.

"...Miss Vina, may I ask something? During Aslan's rule, did Victoria never experience a situation like the current one?"

"The country was on the verge of falling apart... Though it already is now, during Aslan's reign, was there never a time when someone turned the tide?"

"This..."

Vina had not expected Chen Qi to suddenly ask about the history of Aslan's rule. But before long, she turned her thoughts to Aslan's history. After thinking it over, she quickly answered:

"...There was indeed such a period in the past. It was during the Four Nations War of Victoria. Victoria fell into a disadvantageous position in its war against Gaul, and voices opposing the war within the country grew louder and louder. Calls for the emperor to step down became increasingly fierce."

"And at that time, Columbia declared independence while Victoria was weak, adding fuel to the fire of Victoria's situation. The country was filled with opposition."

"In the end, Emperor Frederick III chose to continue fighting. To sweep away all of Victoria's gloom in a single battle, he endured enormous pressure, unified all voices in the end, chose to persist in the war against Gaul, and won a glorious victory."

"From then on, Victoria stood at the pinnacle of the world."

Vina recounted that period of history. Yet she also noticed that Chen Qi's eyes were growing brighter and brighter. Slowly, she began to realize that Chen Qi had clearly come up with some good idea.

"Director Chen Qi, do you have an idea?"

"Ah, yes, I have an idea!" It was as though Chen Qi had suddenly swept away all the gloom. He became invigorated again and said to Vina:

"War, history—back then, Victoria's emperor unified all voices during its darkest period and brought Victoria into a glorious age. So why can we not put that history on the screen now?"

"Let Victoria's people, and those ambitious dukes, see how the emperor of Aslan led Victoria out of its darkest era, united Victoria's voices, and persevered in the external war."

"The continuation of a nation is not easy. It requires a heroic figure to hold the situation together, and it requires the support of countless citizens. All of this is what can help Victoria escape its predicament."

"I have it!"

Chen Qi slapped his forehead and immediately knew what he should do. If those dukes could not hear the voices of ordinary people, then let them see how Victoria's true role model had acted!

But before Vina could ask anything, an excited voice came from not far away. It carried a distinct Shu accent and sounded very familiar to Vina.

"What?! Filming? How could you not call me for something like filming?!"

"I only went outside to explain some things to a few high-ranking Yan officials. How could you not come to me for something like this? If I had not asked around, I would not even have known that the great Director Chen Qi was on Rhodes Island!"

Before long, amid a burst of heat, Nian's excited figure came to a stop before Chen Qi and Vina. Nian did not even have time to catch her breath before her eyes lit up. She excitedly grabbed Chen Qi's hand and said:

"Director Chen! Hello, hello! Nice to meet you for the first time! Do you know me? I am also a somewhat famous director! My name is Nian!"

"Regarding what you were just discussing, I think I can help! Don't worry! On all of Rhodes Island, other than you, no one understands filmmaking better than I do!"

"Oh, right, have you eaten? This time, it is on me. I will treat you to extra-spicy hotpot. I guarantee you will not be able to stop eating!"

Seeing her idol, even Nian could not hide her excitement. She had even made such a grand claim, leaving Vina and Chen Qi, who both knew exactly what Nian was like, somewhat embarrassed.

However, looking at Nian before him, Chen Qi thought of something... Perhaps the people Nian knew could help him solve the issue of locations and actors for the anti-war film he intended to make later.

"She is a big spender... Then extra-spicy hotpot and all that might be acceptable."

"Darkest Hour" and "Braveheart: World War"

"I see. You have run into issues with locations and manpower. After all, you are making a war film, and even if it is anti-war, there will be no shortage of battle scenes."

"But for me, that is not a big problem! I can find someone who can solve all those troubles!"

In Rhodes Island's cafeteria, Nian finally began discussing the two productions Chen Qi intended to make after eating and drinking her fill. The moment she heard that Chen Qi had two productions, Nian perked up and declared that she could contribute in the most difficult area.

"But first, I want to hear what such a creative great director as you thinks about these two productions! A competitor like you has become quite the topic across the continent lately. I have always considered you my rival!"

...A rival? Hearing that, Vina, standing nearby, almost could not hold back her laughter.

As someone Nian had once forcibly dragged along to critique one of her films, Vina did not wish to be too discourteous in evaluating Nian's movies... She could only say that they used quite a few filming techniques from Chen Qi's movies of similar genres, techniques Vina recognized. Beyond that, there was nothing worth praising.

Calling Nian a third-rate director would not be an exaggeration. Of course, Vina would not say such things now. She could only hope Chen Qi would not truly be deceived by Nian and hand any important work over to her.

Otherwise, the good reputation Director Chen Qi had painstakingly built might be ruined by Nian... And Vina still wanted to rely on Chen Qi's films to prevent Victoria's civil war!

What Vina did not know was that Chen Qi understood Nian far better than she did. After all, "terrible film director" was not some fan-made interpretation. Nian truly was a director who made terrible movies!

However, Nian's greatest issue seemed to be her screenwriting. Her filming techniques, casting, set design, and so on... actually all looked quite good. It was just that when it came to the script, the most important part of a film, her ability was truly lacking.

Fortunately, Chen Qi could guarantee the script. With Nian's biggest problem solved, Chen Qi could indeed rely on her to help make films.

Especially since... after joining them herself, Nian could not only reduce Chen Qi's workload enormously, but also bring in the ideal person he needed for large-scale productions: her younger sister, Xi!

To be honest, from the moment Chen Qi learned that Xi could paint tangible objects into existence and even draw people into paintings, he had felt that Xi was a rare filmmaking talent! On her own, she could solve the most difficult problems in large-scale productions: sets and special effects—and she could even paint an actual "monster" directly into existence!

It would be such a waste not to bring someone like that into filmmaking! But Chen Qi had no connection with Xi at present, so he could only find a way to ask Nian to approach her sister and see whether she could persuade her.

Now that Nian wanted to see his plan, Chen Qi did not mind revealing it for the sake of smoothly filming the next two productions.

"I plan to make two films first. They need to be produced quickly, spread rapidly into Victoria, and be accepted by Victoria's people!"

As for the goal, honestly, Chen Qi did not expect these productions to stop the war. He had never thought that they could.

He only hoped that Deep Pool and several dukes might gain at least a little... uh, sense of national identity? Chen Qi did not know how to describe it, but he felt that presenting a heroic figure worth emulating would help strengthen internal unity and cohesion.

At the very least, it might make Deep Pool consider its own identity and kill a few fewer civilians. With a hero as an example, those dukes would have to care about appearances to some extent, right?

"The first film will be called Darkest Hour. It will depict Victoria's darkest and most internally divided period."

"At that time, Victoria was plagued by troubles both within and without. Because Victoria had intervened in the Gaul war, the war's initial setbacks dealt Victoria repeated, severe blows."

"At that moment, Victoria's internal affairs were unstable and its external troubles endless. Several times, mobile cities within its territory were captured and attacked. Even Londinium, the capital, could not escape."

"And at that time, Emperor Frederick III stepped forward voluntarily. As emperor, he had to steady the hearts of everyone in the Cabinet and make them all stand firmly with him, facing both internal and external troubles together and resolutely refusing to bow beneath Gaul's threats!"