Directing in Arknights, Success if Not Banned Chapter 5

"The one with the execution shot is The Godfather's son-in-law, 'Carlo.' He was ultimately executed as a traitor himself. Clemenza, another of The Godfather's right-hand men, personally strangled him in the car."

"This is good," Lappland said with a look of interest and a light chuckle upon hearing that someone could be strangled.

"I've decided. I want to play the role of 'Clemenza.' What are this character's traits?"

Chen Qi: "He is the godfather of The Godfather's eldest son, Sonny. He is fiercely loyal to The Godfather. However, in my script, he is a man, and he's described as obese and fierce."

However, Chen Qi glanced at Lappland, whose figure was so beautiful that few in all of Syracuse could match it. He immediately chuckled, "But that kind of thing isn't important. It can be changed. It's even fine if you retain your female identity."

If this were Chen Qi's original world, such gender issues would be worth a great deal of discussion, especially during that period when ZZZQ was "all the rage." Without stacking enough buffs, some movies might not even be able to be released.

But in this land, all these issues were easily resolved. Because here, compared to gender, there were many more conflicts that hadn't been discussed yet, such as race, whether one was an Infected, and so on... Gender issues were simply too far down the list.

If Chen Qi's film wasn't called "The Godfather," Madam Sicily and Texas would have had to wear men's clothing to fit the film's theme. They could have even appeared as women, just like Chastisement.

Therefore, having Lappland play Clemenza was not a problem at all. She might become the most beautiful actress to portray Clemenza.

"However, convincing your father to speak out against a domestic abuser like Carlo..."

"Leave that to me. That old man won't refuse," Lappland agreed with a smile. But soon, a red figure immediately squeezed forward, sliding to a stop in front of Chen Qi.

"Director Chen Qi! What about me, what about me?!" Exusiai, having snapped back to attention, saw that Lappland and Texas were both participating. As a Sarkaz who was naturally inclined towards causing trouble, Exusiai immediately asked Chen Qi, "I want to play a role too! Since it's a mafia movie, there must be some gunfights or chases, right?!"

"Let me play too! I promise I can play it really well! No one is more suited to play a role involving gunfights than me!"

Chen Qi: "Don't worry, Exusiai. This time, you'll definitely have a scene. Not just you, but everyone from Penguin Logistics will have scenes. I've prepared them all for you."

As he said this, Chen Qi reached out towards Sora and Croissant. The two girls, who thought they were just there for a minor role, said with some surprise, "We have scenes too?"

"Yes, each of you does, and your roles are quite important," Chen Qi nodded, giving the girls a positive answer. He then immediately arranged, "Croissant, this time you will play the first clear villain to appear in our movie. Her name is 'Sorozzo,' nicknamed 'The Milosian.' Do you have any objections?"

"Oh! Playing a villain? I think I'll be very good at this job!" Croissant didn't feel any reservations upon hearing this and replied to Chen Qi, "Don't worry, it's happening in Syracuse anyway. The people of Minoan won't mind!"

"That's good," Chen Qi nodded, feeling much more at ease. He then turned to look at Sora, who was watching with anticipation, and smiled, "Sora, your role is the most important one besides Texas. The character I've given you is named 'Kay,' and she's Texas's girlfriend whom she made in Columbia."

"Girl... girlfriend?" Sora was taken aback upon hearing this identity. She instinctively glanced at Texas beside her. Noticing that Texas was also looking at her with a surprised expression, she nervously asked, "But, but isn't Texas a girl?"

"In reality, she is. But in the movie, Texas is The Godfather's youngest son, so he's a man in the film," Chen Qi explained to the rather nervous Sora.

"This time, only Texas and Madam Sicily will appear in men's clothing. So your role is also very important, Sora. Can you do it?"

"I, I'll do my best!"

Although initially startled by this, Sora, as a professional idol, quickly adjusted her mindset and accepted the premise.

"I'll consider it training for a future transition from idol to a capable actress. I'll work hard!"

"Very well, everyone, please take a look at your respective scripts and lines," Chen Qi said softly. At this moment, Texas, the only one who hadn't been assigned a role, couldn't help but feel overlooked. She immediately asked, "What about me? What do I do? Didn't you say... I was playing the second male lead?"

"Oh, Texas, of course, there's something you need to do. Your first assignment is to stay with Si Ye, Chastisement, and Madam Sicily."

Seeing Texas speak up, Chen Qi immediately informed her of her first task, "Because you are playing a family, but due to real-life factors, it's difficult for you to act completely like a family. However, I need you to achieve this effect, so you need to communicate and bond with each other constantly."

"And, as long as you are on set, you must address each other using your in-character names. For example, Texas, you and Chastisement should call Si Ye 'Sonny.' He is your eldest brother."

"And more importantly, when you see Madam Sicily, you must call her 'Dad' or 'Father.' Can you do that?"

Texas: "...This is a bit difficult, but I'll try my best."

As Texas said this, she turned her gaze to Madam Sicily. Her lips moved slightly, but she choked out the words unnaturally, "Dad... Father."

"I'm sorry... this is harder than I imagined."

"Don't force yourself," Madam Sicily understood very well that this was a huge challenge for Texas, and overcoming it wouldn't be easy. She immediately showed the leniency of a "father" and said, "We have plenty of time to spend together, Celina... no, Mackie."

"For this time only, let's act like a real family. Don't think about anything else."

Texas: "Yes... Fa, Father."

With these broken utterances of the title, Texas showed a rare hint of awkwardness. She was beginning to doubt if she could truly treat Madam Sicily as a father.

Chen Qi had clearly anticipated this. He realized it was time to use acting methods to help bring these individuals closer. He immediately took out his walkie-talkie, "All departments, prepare yourselves. Get ready to shoot the next scene. Let's start with Si Ye's wedding shots."

"Yes, regarding Si Ye's bed scene, and then Chastisement's scenes, let's arrange them. Has my camel head arrived? We're about to start shooting."

Si Ye: "...Ah?"

However, Si Ye, who was merely watching from the sidelines, found himself in an awkward situation due to the sudden turn of events. The eighteen-year-old Lupo youth rarely showed a flustered expression, and for a moment, all the women present turned their gazes towards him, making him so embarrassed he almost wanted to jump from the second floor.

Didn't we agree to film this last?! Why are we starting now?!

Chapter 8: Others Act Poorly, But I Insist on Filming It Like It's Not Acting

As a mafia film, The Godfather maintained a generally dark tone. The opening wedding scene was one of the few relatively relaxed moments in the movie.

But ultimately, it was a mafia-themed film, so Chen Qi retained most of the violence and other scenes from the original work. Among them, the scene where the eldest son, Sonny, and the bridesmaid Lucy were secretly fooling around at the wedding reception was also kept by Chen Qi.

Si Ye naturally knew this, but the eighteen-year-old young master of the Bellone Family was clearly extremely embarrassed by this scene. He had initially discussed with Chen Qi whether this scene could be filmed last, and Chen Qi had agreed.

But now Chen Qi had suddenly moved the scene forward, and what's more, he had presented it in front of everyone Si Ye cared about. One could imagine how chaotic Si Ye's mind was at this moment.

"This isn't what we agreed on, Director!"

After several rounds of NG, Si Ye's scene finally passed. At this moment, Si Ye, still blushing, practically fled the scene, leaving behind another Lupo girl from the Bellone Family who looked around with a hint of lingering interest.

"Huh? Is it over already? I thought it was real..."

While the Lupo girl was clearly disappointed that she had forgotten she was just acting, having been caught up in a "romantic scene" with her family's eldest young master, Si Ye was far more bewildered.

He immediately went to find Chen Qi. However, when he arrived at Chen Qi's room, he found not only Chen Qi but also Chastisement, Madam Sicily, and everyone from Penguin Logistics... all in the room.

What surprised Si Ye even more was a figure he was all too familiar with – his own father, Bernardo, was actually present!

And before them, on the room's big screen, the footage of Si Ye "seducing" the bridesmaid at the wedding was still playing...

"Director, this isn't what we agreed on! This scene, didn't you say we'd film it last?!"

"And why are you showing it in front of everyone!"

At this moment, knowing that the scene he had just acted had been seen by everyone he cared about, Si Ye almost wanted to dig a hole and bury himself, but a shred of dignity remained. This made the eighteen-year-old turn to look at everyone's strange expressions and quickly say:

"No, everyone, this is all acting, I—"

"—It's alright." However, the first person to speak was Madam Sicily. After watching the scene, Madam Sicily seemed to have a teasing smile on her face as she said, "After all, in the movie, this is his character – hot-tempered and lustful, but willing to stand up for his family. I think this kid is quite a promising talent."

"Although he's still a distance from becoming the next Godfather, as long as he overcomes his impulses, he'll be a great asset."

"—However, doing this at a wedding, Sonny, I must punish you. This is against the rules."

Madam Sicily deliberately used the in-character address here. Clearly, Madam Sicily understood perfectly why Chen Qi had orchestrated this scene in front of everyone – Chen Qi wanted to use Si Ye's embarrassment to help the main actors' relationships become more harmonious.

Although this method of bringing people closer, related to the lower body, was vulgar... it was indeed effective.

Think about it, what could bring a group of people closer than discussing lewd content? For a moment, even Madam Sicily couldn't think of a better solution.

Therefore, Chen Qi used Si Ye's frequent blunders in this scene to quickly liven up the previously unfamiliar actors.

At first, when they heard that Si Ye had a "bed scene," these girls were all shy, one after another. But as Si Ye's NGs increased and Si Ye himself became more nervous, the girls' shyness was gradually washed away by feelings of ease and joy.

It even progressed to the point where Croissant and Exusiai, the lively ones, were laughing uncontrollably while watching Si Ye's "bed scene" on set, completely devoid of shyness. They even pointed and commented that Si Ye, looking like that, was clearly an inexperienced virgin...

Although Madam Sicily could tell at a glance that they were all girls who had never experienced such things, she had to admit that Chen Qi's method showed results. Even the cold Texas couldn't help but chuckle, and listening to her companions chatter in her ear made Texas seem much more relaxed.

Therefore, Madam Sicily very cooperatively teased her "eldest son" and then continued, "According to Syracuse customs, you must do something you dislike the most... Tom (Chastisement), what do you think your big brother should be punished with?"

"How about we punish him by only letting him eat thistles today?" Chastisement, suppressing a smile, looked at Si Ye's pale face with a hint of disdain and said, "Having a big brother like you, Sonny, is truly disappointing."

Si Ye: "I was acting! Lavinia! I—"

Chastisement: "Really? Didn't you get all worked up in the end? They say others act poorly, but you're acting like it's not acting."

However, Chastisement's words also took away Si Ye's last supporter. When he looked to Texas for help, he saw Texas gently shake her head and say with helplessness, "...Doing something like that at a wedding is indeed not good, and my friends are all here. You've gone a bit too far, Sonny."

"Then it's decided, Sonny will only eat thistles tonight." At this moment, Madam Sicily, as the "father," issued the final directive. At this moment, Madam Sicily, who had never had children, finally seemed to find a sense of being a "father."

Is this what it feels like to have family around... It feels really good.

Even if they weren't her real children, at least during their time on set, she could see these outstanding young people as her own children.

No one knew Madam Sicily's inner thoughts. At this moment, everyone else left the room, leaving behind a dejected Si Ye, who was just short of saying the line, "I'm not clean."

It wasn't until Si Ye's biological father, Bernardo, noticed his son's emotional instability that he stepped forward, helped his son up, and patted his shoulder, saying, "Stand up, my son. You acted very well, and I'm proud of you."

"Dad..."

At this moment, encouraged by his father, Si Ye was almost moved to tears. The way he called out "Dad" felt more intimate than ever before.

The next moment, Bernardo patted his son's shoulder and, after a long pause, finally found the words to say, "There's nothing to be ashamed of, my son. As the next successor of the family, you are inherently tasked with the mission of continuing the family line. Therefore, there's no need to be ashamed of such things; consider it a prelude to your future."

"If there's a girl you fancy, you might as well tell me. You're about that age, and it's normal to want women..."

"Dad?!"

At this moment, Si Ye, struck by his biological father's words, almost collapsed. He felt his image had completely crumbled because of this scene.

The eldest young master of the esteemed Bellone Family, performing a bed scene in front of people he'd be interacting with for so long... He might as well find a gun and end it all.

At this moment, even Si Ye himself didn't realize that, through his subconscious, he was accepting a fact: he would be spending a long time with everyone... Although there was still some distance from his family, this kind of mental shift was surfacing in his mind.

And it wasn't just Si Ye; Texas, Chastisement, and Madam Sicily, who had watched this scene, also found their relationships a little more harmonious because of it. As the time spent on set increased, everyone's relationships would inevitably and subconsciously grow better and better.

"...If it's just like this, then their subsequent 'deaths' one after another will be very impactful, but it will definitely make them very sad, won't it?"

"That's the effect I want, Talulah. The best performance state is genuine emotion that isn't acted."

Chen Qi and Talulah were also constantly adjusting equipment backstage. Today's work was finished. For this wedding scene alone, there were over fifty extras from the mafia; one could imagine the attitude of the Twelve Families towards Chen Qi's support now.

"Oh, right, Chen Qi, about the camel head you wanted, I've already asked Mephisto to buy it from the local canned goods market." Talulah remembered the prop needed for the next scene and said:

"FrostNova used her Originium Arts to freeze the head. On site, Mephisto will use his Originium Arts to cause bleeding by continuously stimulating the head, which will definitely fill an entire bed."

"I hope this doesn't scare poor Mr. Rubio silly. We didn't notify him in advance, just gave him part of the script."

Talulah said this, and as she thought of the next scene, she teased Chen Qi:

"Your wicked taste, sometimes I really can't imagine what tricks you'll come up with for filming."

"This is me being responsible for the audience's experience." Chen Qi had no psychological burden about this. When he initially asked the other party to act in this scene, he had considered all aspects except revealing the script, such as whether they had any illnesses or took blood pressure medication. But Rubio was the only one who met the requirements, so he had to let him do it.

"I just don't understand why you're so fixated on realistic reactions?" Talulah couldn't help but ask: "Back then, you even made me beg Chen, and then Chen begged Swire, to invest in a full set of 'Fedia' tactical stealth suits and matching equipment, just so our photography and sound recording teams wouldn't affect the actors' states."

"Because I want to achieve the best effect for some 'legendary scenes'."

When Chen Qi answered this question, he was more confident than ever, speaking clearly and articulately: "Some scenes will become classics and be passed down forever. I hope our movie can achieve all of this."

Chapter Nine: Legendary Scenes: My Beloved Horse Mist, Syracuse-style Threat

The afternoon of the second day, Chen Qi's crew temporarily changed their filming location. They were now heading to the city center of Volcini, where there was a city council hall that had never been used by any officials.

That city council hall was actually a building jointly constructed by the family powers of Volcini City, with the purpose of allowing their family representatives to convene and discuss any family matters in the future without activating the "Grey Hall."