Directing on the Ark, Success If Not Banned

Młynar muttered to himself, his decision clearly having gone beyond the borders of Kazimierz. He only wanted to protect the people he wished to protect.

Chapter 76: Nian: Xi Bao, Sis Will Take You to Make a Movie!

A few days later, Nian rushed to Huiji Mountain, where her sister "Xi" lived in seclusion, at her fastest speed. She barely paid attention to her agreement with the Imperial Calendar Bureau and arbitrarily broke free from their surveillance, heading straight for her sister's location.

Nian didn't care about the turmoil her actions would cause for the Imperial Calendar Bureau, let alone Yan. After she ignored everything and plunged into Xi's painted scroll world, the two sisters fought for three days and two nights. Only then did Xi reluctantly agree to let Nian explain her intentions.

"So, you've come uninvited, just to show me those things you film called 'movies'?"

"If that's why you're here, then I think you should go back. Although I live in seclusion here, I've heard of your reputation as a bad movie director."

Xi, as the youngest of the "Sui," although she didn't get along well with Nian, had heard about her siblings' affairs outside. Therefore, she held Nian's hobby in great contempt.

If Nian made good movies, she might have had some entertainment during her seclusion in the painted scroll. After all, she was just a homebody, not a stubborn old fool. She was the second youngest among her siblings and wouldn't think that certain cultural expressions were a desecration.

But... Xi really didn't want to comment on the movies Nian made. Just the fact that one of them almost put her to sleep was enough for Xi to have no good feelings towards Nian's films.

"Don't worry, don't worry! This isn't a movie I made! And I'm not here to drag you to watch a movie, I'm here to ask you to help me—no, help Director Chen Qi make a movie!"

Nian, on the other hand, was completely indifferent to Xi's evaluation. She had some self-awareness, and more importantly, getting Xi to agree to help Chen Qi make a movie quickly was the priority.

"...Chen Qi? Who?" However, due to her seclusion, Xi had no knowledge of Chen Qi, who was now "infamous" among the high-ranking officials of all of Terra.

After all, although "The Godfather" was released in Lungmen, Xi's place of seclusion was too remote for it to spread to her. As for "Yes, Prime Minister"... although Yan didn't treat this drama as an enemy like Ursus, they were still very aware that it would be best not to let the "Sui" see it.

What if the "Sui," after watching this drama, suddenly understood something and decided to change their approach, pretending to obey the court while attacking Yan from within?

Although the "Sui" were very well-behaved now, and some were even defending Yan's borders, Yan had never underestimated the threat posed by the "Sui." After all, "those not of our kind are bound to have different hearts"...

"You don't even know Director Chen Qi?! He's now the most famous director on the entire continent!"

Nian was also surprised that her sister was so out of touch with the world. However, in reality, besides the high-ranking officials of Terra, not many people knew Chen Qi. Most only knew about his film "The Godfather." "Yes, Prime Minister" had no credits at the end and was banned, so most people didn't know it was filmed by Chen Qi.

Fortunately, Nian had anticipated this situation. She took out a tape from her pocket and said to Xi, "Okay, okay! Big sister knows you're ignorant. Come, take a look. I figured you wouldn't be interested in 'The Godfather,' so I brought something you'll like!"

"This is Director Chen Qi's masterpiece! Although I hate to say it, this TV series makes me feel inadequate. It's also the work that made him famous across the continent!"

"I even heard that the court has set up a special team to study this TV series!"

"...What's it called?" Xi's interest was piqued when she heard that the Yan court was studying a TV series. She knew Nian wasn't lying to her about this.

"Yes, Prime Minister!" Nian proudly announced the name of the TV series. Even though it had nothing to do with her, just thinking about working with Chen Qi on films in the future made Nian exceptionally proud.

"It's a political satire comedy! This show even caused Victoria to split! Isn't that amazing?"

"...Boring."

However, upon hearing the genre, Xi, who had been somewhat interested, immediately lost interest and shook her head, saying, "Politics... it's the most boring subject in the world. Political satire is even more uninteresting, a theme that few people understand even when it's presented plainly."

"Hey! Xi Bao, you can eat anything, but you can't say anything. This is a masterpiece!"

"If this show was so bad, would a country as large as Victoria split into nine pieces because of its broadcast? How do you know it's not good if you haven't watched it?"

However, Xi's disdain for "Yes, Prime Minister" greatly displeased Nian. It was the first time she had spoken so seriously to her sister, and her words were full of defense for Chen Qi.

In fact, Nian knew that she was also a fan of Chen Qi. Although she never said it out loud, she was well aware that Chen Qi's imagination and creativity were something she could never learn, no matter how long she lived.

Nian could only imitate, lacking in thought. This was also why she ranked low among her twelve siblings. It took her a long time to realize these truths, just to open her mind a little.

This was why she loved movies and creation, as if she could express her ideas through images—but clearly, her imitations were good, but her own ideas were garbage.

That's why she admired and envied Chen Qi, who could come up with so many wild and imaginative ideas. She wanted to follow Chen Qi and learn his ideas, so that she could... have more ideas of her own.

Xi also saw Nian respect someone so much for the first time. After a slight pause, she pretended to be indifferent and took the videotape from Nian's hand, saying faintly, "...I'll watch it then, but I doubt it'll be interesting. I'll just watch it for entertainment."

Xi took the videotape, waved her long sword, and splashed ink. An old-fashioned television and DVD appeared in the painting.

Then, as Xi inserted the videotape, the first episode of "Yes, Prime Minister" slowly began to play before her.

When she saw Hark, played by Theresis, and Bernard, played by Manfred, discussing jokes about the combat effectiveness of other countries' armies, she scornfully remarked, "It's just defamation. If it really came down to war, they would stop at nothing for their own interests. This is just a joke from a time of brief peace, not proof."

When it showed Hark, as Prime Minister, not having lunch and even proposing to invite a foreign ambassador to dinner each day to solve the lunch problem, Xi continued, "Boring satire, and an exaggerated method at that. How could the head of a country not even be able to solve his lunch? And this person named Humphrey is too inflexible. This is something that could be easily accomplished, so why block it?"

"It's just deliberately created to increase conflict, nothing surprising."

However, slowly, as "Yes, Prime Minister" played, Humphrey uttered more and more famous lines, and utilized his advantage of long sentences, while Hark remained unmoved and even tried his best to push his new policies. This caused Xi to gradually fall silent.

And in the end, when Humphrey had to find a cook for Hark and compromise in order to prevent Hark's new policy from being implemented, Nian clearly felt a long-lost shy smile appear on Xi's face.

"Have the casting for the Emperor in 'Darkest Hour' been decided yet?"

"Not yet... after all, this Emperor is somewhat unusual. He... looks ordinary, but is very charismatic. Although I've added some unnecessary details, the most important thing is to restore the imperial authority and courage that doesn't match his appearance."

"Appearance is easy. With Rob Rata's makeup skills, even a handsome young man can be made to look like an old man... But the problem is, I haven't been able to find an actor who fits the Emperor's aura."

Chen Qi was also troubled. Currently, their group was still speeding towards Kazimierz, but Chen Qi was struggling with the issue of the actor playing "Frederick III" in the film.

After all, in Victoria's history, it was the Emperor himself, not the Prime Minister, who turned the tide and fought against Gaul. To recreate that history, the protagonist of "Darkest Hour" had to be the Emperor, which further raised the demands for the actor.

"I've seen everyone at Rhodes Island, and I haven't found anyone who fits this aura yet... This person must have the aura of a leader, and regrettably, no one from Rhodes Island or the Art Troupe fits the bill."

"Vina won't do either?" Talulah was taken aback by this, and Chen Qi shook his head with a bitter smile, saying:

"She's still too young. I've already had her play the female secretary to 'Leighton' in this movie. She might be able to handle that role, but the Emperor, the Prime Minister... she's not ready for that."

"We need to find a born leader, someone who can shoulder the responsibility in a crisis, someone with that kind of aura... It's hard to find."

Chen Qi was also troubled. Such an important protagonist role was stalled. Rhodes Island had recommended many candidates to Chen Qi, all of whom were rejected one by one. What Chen Qi needed was a "natural" aura.

Simply put, someone who was born to fit that persona. If he truly couldn't find anyone, only then would Chen Qi settle for finding an "actor."

But... it wasn't time for that yet. Especially since Chen Qi had high hopes for "Darkest Hour," he absolutely couldn't be careless in casting; every role had to be perfectly filled!

Just as Talulah saw Chen Qi at a loss, Koschei's voice suddenly echoed in her mind, and he said with a faint smile:

"Don't worry, my daughter. If necessary, I'll step in. I'll dress you up, and with my tone and voice, you'll definitely be a good match."

"—Forget it. I don't think you fit the criteria either, my dear father." Talulah's mouth twitched slightly as she replied:

"We're looking for a leader who can shoulder responsibility and bear humiliation in a crisis. Chen Qi has already evaluated you; you're just a schemer."

"Well... I can't refute that."

Koschei accepted this evaluation with pleasure, understanding that he wasn't suitable. However, even with his eyes and ears all over Terra, it was difficult for him to find a suitable candidate for Chen Qi.

After all, which lord would be willing to lower themselves to act like Theresis? Theresis had a genuine vested interest, so he couldn't refuse, but other lords wouldn't do that.

As they pondered, the group had already arrived at the Grand Knight's Dominion in Kazimierz. Soon, as the Landship docked, everyone understood that they had reached their destination.

"—Welcome to the Grand Knight's Dominion of Kazimierz, Director Chen Qi, and everyone from the Integrated Cultural Troupe."

"I am Knight Commander Iolanta Russell, and I welcome you on behalf of Kazimierz."

Outside the city gates, an old woman in knight's attire, with a long sword at her waist, was waiting for Chen Qi and his group. Chen Qi immediately disembarked from the Landship, shook hands with the Knight Commander, and then Koschei's voice sounded in his mind.

"Kid, be careful. The city guards around here are a bit different."

"Their aura is clearly not that of ordinary city guards. If I'm not mistaken, these are Kazimierz's elite troops, the 'Silvermane Knights'."

Koschei's words made Chen Qi react immediately. The rows of knights in silver armor, wielding halberds and exuding a menacing aura, indeed made Chen Qi feel threatened.

However, before Chen Qi could speak, the Knight Commander smiled and said to him:

"We received your message earlier. We have already arranged accommodation for you, and we have also provided Mr. Chen Qi with two reliable assistants to facilitate communication with us at any time."

With that said, the Knight Commander stepped aside slightly, and Chen Qi soon saw two figures slowly walking towards him—one clad in crimson armor, and the other, a woman with a slender figure and a stern face.

"These two are the champions of Kazimierz's Arena Knight Tournament, the Black Knight and the Blood Knight," the Knight Commander introduced Chen Qi. "They are familiar with the environment of the Grand Knight's Dominion and can escort you and your Art Troupe. You can relay any matters to them."

"We look forward to working with you," the Blood Knight and the Black Knight replied in unison. Chen Qi's gaze immediately fell upon the slender Black Knight.

The Black Knight was slightly taken aback and her gaze instinctively turned cold—but she quickly realized that Chen Qi's eyes held no of the lust that men usually directed at her. It seemed he was looking past her, at someone else entirely.

At this moment, the Black Knight's intuition was correct, because through her, Chen Qi had indeed thought of a potential candidate for the role... Although the possibility of her accepting was slim, perhaps he could try?

Chapter 77: Nian and Xi's Visit, Filming Preparations Underway

At this moment, in a snow-capped mountain range a considerable distance from Victoria, few people would remember that in this land of perpetual snow, there was a country called "Siracusa."

Siracusa, as a religious nation, was isolated, conservative, and geographically treacherous... All these factors meant that its people had rarely seen the outside world, living year-round lives of self-sufficiency and devotion to their gods.

However, even in such a snowy realm, there were exceptions. For Siracusa, the CEO of Karlan Trade and the head of the Shiwaish Family—Enciodes Siiwais (hereinafter referred to as "Silver Ash")—was the "exception" who most encouraged development and trade in this conservative land.

"So, regarding Karlan Trade's order with Victoria this time, I've had someone negotiate with the Duke. He indicated that our order needs to be delayed. Victoria is currently in a state of war, so he may not be able to continue selling military supplies to us."

Recently, Silver Ash had seemed quite distressed. Victoria's sudden split had caught the CEO, who had been developing in Siracusa for a long time and was somewhat out of touch with news, completely off guard...

Silver Ash could never have imagined that Victoria, which had been in a state of stagnation since his graduation from university there, would suddenly split apart recently. Although the eight Dukes had not yet formally declared war on each other, the tense atmosphere was palpable, even in Siracusa, where news was conveyed only through letters and word of mouth. Silver Ash had heard rumors.

...But he wasn't entirely clear on the specific reasons.

"Rumor has it that a television drama directly exposed the corruption of Victoria's civil service system, thereby accelerating the process of division."

Before Silver Ash stood Noxis Edelweiss (Oracle), his good friend from his university days in Victoria and the current CTO of Karlan Trade. He had come to his side and said:

"Although it sounds absurd, several of our informants in Victoria have reported very consistent information. All signs point to a political satire comedy called 'Yes, Prime Minister'."

"I'm pulling strings and paying a hefty sum to acquire the videotapes from locals in Victoria."

"—When did you start believing this nonsense?" Silver Ash had always found such rumors unbelievable. As someone who had studied in Victoria, he voiced his opinion:

"A TV show destroyed a country? Such a thing has never been heard of throughout history. Victoria is an old and powerful nation with a deep foundation. No matter how sharp the words in a TV show are, it's impossible for it to destroy a country because of it."

"That's true." Oracle did not argue with Silver Ash on this issue, as he himself didn't quite believe it. He only had doubts because the information from his informants was so consistent.

"...By the way, where is your knight bodyguard?"

"Someone from Kazimierz traveled all the way to Siracusa to summon Jian back to Kazimierz to be responsible for security." Silver Ash naturally understood that the "knight bodyguard" Oracle was referring to was Jian. He had paid a considerable sum to invite this woman, the three-time champion of Kazimierz's Arena Knight Tournament, to be his bodyguard.

"The person sent by Kazimierz said they would restore Jian's reputation in Kazimierz and abolish the Commercial Federation's kill list, in exchange for inviting Jian to Kazimierz."

"...It seems the situation in Kazimierz is also not optimistic. This land is becoming increasingly turbulent."

Silver Ash sighed slightly. First, Victoria's split, and then Kazimierz summoning Jian back for security duties. All these events made him uneasy.

But at this moment, suddenly, a strange sound echoed throughout the entire conference hall. If there were any other Siracusa natives present, they would likely be astonished at the source of this sound.

But Silver Ash and the Oracle both knew clearly that this was the sound of a "communicator" – and it was precisely because of this seemingly ordinary occurrence that Silver Ash and the Oracle became instantly alert.

– Because Siracusa doesn't even have a signal, and a local network hasn't even been established yet. How could an external signal get through to a communicator?

This strange anomaly put them both on high alert. After a moment's hesitation, Silver Ash answered the call and calmly asked:

"...Who is it?"

"Ah, it actually got through, huh? A place like Siracusa with no signal actually connected?"

From the other end of the line, Jian's familiar voice came through, though tinged with surprise. Silver Ash was stunned by Jian's call and immediately asked:

"Jian? Aren't you in Kazimierz? How did you get through to my communicator?"

"...I don't know either. That guy gave me his phone and said as long as I had a phone, it would connect. I didn't expect it to reach Siracusa."

Jian was also amazed by this miraculous phenomenon, but he quickly focused on the main issue and immediately said to Silver Ash:

"President, I'm in Kazimierz right now... Also, I have something to tell you. I'm not on guard duty anymore; I've been chosen to act."

"Act?"

"Yes, act. In fact, this director named 'Chen Qi' asked me to call and ask if you'd be willing to come to Kazimierz and take on a role that he believes only you can handle."

Jian got straight to the point, relaying Chen Qi's message to Silver Ash: "He said he's a fairly well-known director in this land. If you haven't heard of him, you can come to Kazimierz and see his work."

"He also said you might have heard of him. The events that led to Victoria's split were somewhat related to a drama he filmed."

"So it was him?" Silver Ash hadn't expected that the creator of the script rumored to have split Victoria was actually in Kazimierz.

This news surprised even the Oracle standing beside him. But before either of them could reply, Jian continued:

"Director Chen Qi said he's inviting you to participate in an important role. If you're worried about being recognized, he guarantees that with makeup, your identity won't be revealed. And this role can only be handled by you. For this, he's willing to facilitate cooperation between you and other factions."

"Even if you need to film any promotional videos for Siracusa in the future, he can help, as long as you accept this role. Everything else is negotiable."