Chapter Eleven: When We Film, We Always Go for Genuine Reactions / Chapter Twelve: That Punch Was Definitely Personal

"Pull over, Fredo."

Madam Sicily's sudden words made the bewildered Giovanna hit the brakes at once. As Madam Sicily got out of the car, Giovanna followed her out and asked in confusion, "Dad?"

"Wait for me. I'm going to buy some fruit." Madam Sicily answered casually, as though it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, and Giovanna, who had just begun to feel suspicious, relaxed again.

"Okay, Dad." Giovanna answered and returned to the car. Her loosened nerves still failed to realize just how dangerous Madam Sicily's situation was at that moment, with not a single bodyguard visibly present.

Madam Sicily, seemingly unaware as well, walked over to the fruit stand. She spotted the oranges at once and said:

"Happy holidays. I'll pick out some fruit."

"Three of these, and this one too..."

Madam Sicily casually selected fruit. Meanwhile, the "assassination squad" played by Executioner was already in position. She soon received the signal and immediately whispered:

"Ready? Go!"

As she spoke, Executioner and Mudrock, both disguised for their roles, quickly stepped forward. They raised the compact prop guns in their hands, immediately drawing Madam Sicily's attention.

Almost instantly, Madam Sicily dropped the fruit and ran toward Giovanna's car, shouting sharply:

"Fredo!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

However, Madam Sicily was still a step too late. As she lunged toward the car, the two women had already raised their guns and fired at her. The compact weapons struck the body covered in blood packs, quickly punching one bleeding hole after another into her.

"Dad!"

Giovanna rushed out almost immediately and instinctively drew her own gun. But then, with a sudden whistling sound through the air, pain shot through her hand, and the gun slipped from her grip and fell to the ground.

By then, the gunfire had stopped. When Giovanna came to her senses, the assassins had vanished without a trace.

All she saw was Madam Sicily, riddled with bullets, collapsing lifelessly from the car and falling into a pool of blood on the ground, completely motionless.

At that moment, Giovanna, once the head of her family and no stranger to bloody scenes, felt her mind go blank the instant Madam Sicily fell. All strength left her body, and she crumpled to the ground.

Fear and panic flooded Giovanna's mind in an instant... She understood now. Because of her negligence... the assassins had actually been given the chance to get close to Madam Sicily.

Who were they? Which family did they belong to? Why had they chosen this moment to assassinate Madam Sicily? Where had Madam Sicily's bodyguards gone?

Yet none of those questions mattered to Giovanna now. She realized that she and her family would be held primarily responsible for this assassination—every family across Syracuse would uproot hers because of this single lapse in judgment.

At the thought of her closest family members dying, of her family being completely erased from this land after today, Giovanna lost all composure. She clawed at her hair, her face twisted in agony, and sobs began to escape her...

"Dad! Aaaaahhh—"

Overwhelmed by regret, Giovanna lowered her head in anguish and even instinctively called Madam Sicily by the name she had been using lately. Her miserable state caused the surrounding citizens, unaware that this was a film shoot, to gather around her.

Yet they were clearly used to assassinations like this. Their expressions were numb. No one even called for a doctor; they merely watched in silence.

Everything about this was so commonplace in Syracuse. The crying Giovanna had completely lost her bearings—until a crisp voice rang out:

"Cut! Good, this shot is done! Giovanna performed wonderfully! Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Madam Sicily really died."

Chen Qi's delighted voice immediately came through the loudspeaker. Giovanna, who had just been clutching her head and sobbing, raised her head blankly, only to discover Madam Sicily on the ground opening her eyes with a smile as she looked at her.

...That had been acting? Giovanna finally realized it, and Madam Sicily spoke apologetically:

"I'm sorry, child. I didn't mean to hide it from you."

"But to get that effect, it had to be done this way. It also saves a lot of time. At least judging by the result, it was truly very good."

"Now, all that remains... is to see how everyone else does. I hope they can get it in one take like you did."

Let's see... what expressions the other children would show when they learned she had been "assassinated."

Si Ye would probably be furious. Could Chastisement keep her eldest brother under control then? Probably? Of all the children at home, Texas made her feel the most at ease. She was an excellent successor and would certainly handle things calmly...

More importantly, she would no longer be able to oversee affairs from here on. Which of these children could take charge of the bigger picture?

As Madam Sicily thought this, she could not help feeling that something in her mindset had changed... She seemed to be treating these children more and more like her own children...

We Always Film Real Reactions

After Madam Sicily's assassination scene ended, Texas and Sora, elsewhere at the same time, followed Chen Qi's instructions and first got a feel for being "a couple."

For Texas and Sora, this experience was, in a sense, a vacation. Everyone at Penguin Logistics was already good friends and had organized plenty of group outings together, so Texas took the opportunity to bring Sora to see a famous Syracuse play.

What Texas and Sora did not know was that outside the theater, Chen Qi had long arranged for the hidden camera crew and sound crew to lie in wait nearby... Hoping to capture the best possible first reactions, Chen Qi was simply waiting for Texas and Sora to come out and deliver performances worthy of being called "Best Actor" caliber.

Soon, Texas and Sora emerged from the theater together. Having just watched a play, both seemed to be in good spirits.

"That production of Two Old Daggers was really good, wasn't it? What did you think?... Mike?"

Before Sora could call Texas by her real name, she smoothly changed it to Texas's "current" name.

This was also Chen Qi's requirement. He had made this request of everyone before: no matter where they were, they had to address one another by their names in the story. It was not only to help everyone get into character faster, but also because Chen Qi had his own reasons.

"From now on, the entire city will be our filming location. To achieve the best results, I may start filming at any time without any of you noticing."

"So if you encounter sudden events that are not in the script, that is perfectly normal. You can naturally act according to your first reaction. That is also the kind of performance we want on camera."

"My only requirement is that no matter how nervous you are, I hope you remember your respective relationships in the film and address one another using the names from the movie. If there's an NG, many performances that would otherwise have been perfect may lose much of their impact."

Those were Chen Qi's words. Therefore, Sora and Texas now addressed each other by their film names even when they were outside.

Sora's timely correction also reminded Texas of this. She answered flatly:

"It really was a rare and excellent play. I haven't been back for years, but the playwrights' writing has indeed improved lately."

"I'd like to perform on a stage like that too." Sora linked arms with Texas somewhat intimately. They were currently "a couple," but Sora already enjoyed moving around with Texas, so it did not seem out of place.

Especially since Texas was currently wearing male makeup and dressed in the men's clothing of the Texas family... That makeup artist Chen Qi had brought in, named Rob Rata, was truly quite skilled. She highlighted Texas's heroic air, making her seem instantly male while still allowing those familiar with her to recognize that she was Texas.

The two women happily walked down the street together. However, as they passed a small newsstand, Sora's pupils suddenly tightened when the corner of her eye caught a familiar face in the newspapers.

And through the hidden camera behind those newspapers, what was recorded was Sora, originally cheerful, suddenly turning grave after passing the newsstand.

"Kay, you'll definitely achieve your dream. I believe in you." Seeing Sora's expression change, Texas had not noticed the newspapers because of the angle, so she offered comfort. But Sora immediately shook her head and grabbed her.

"No, look over there..."

Sora pulled Texas back to the newsstand. Only then did Texas notice the newspaper on display—the familiar portrait of Madam Sicily in disguise was printed on it.

Texas immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and grabbed a paper. The far more striking headline than Madam Sicily's portrait, "Vito Corleone Murdered," instantly caught her eye, making her breathing quicken slightly.

"It doesn't say whether he's alive or dead—"

Texas muttered to herself, instinctively folding the newspaper shut with a touch of roughness. Then she suddenly realized that this newspaper was probably just a prop. This was exactly the kind of situation Chen Qi had described, where filming could be happening at any moment.

Yet on camera, Texas's initial rough movement and her sudden return to calm perfectly displayed her cool-headed thinking, unlike her eldest brother Si Ye's temper or her second sister Giovanna's timidity.

Almost immediately, Texas pulled Sora toward a telephone booth nearby. Whether this was acting or not, she needed to call Si Ye first and confirm the news to prevent anything unexpected from happening.

Texas entered the telephone booth at once, while Sora could only remain outside due to the cramped space inside.

The "couple" who had been inseparable just a minute earlier now seemed like people from two different worlds.

Sora felt the same way. Her expression carried a trace of subtle sadness, while inside the booth, Texas dialed Si Ye's number and hurriedly asked:

"Sonny, it's Mike."

Si Ye: "Mike? Are you all right?"

"Is he all right?" Hearing Si Ye address her that way, Texas felt relieved. It meant this really was part of the plot, and Madam Sicily had not actually been assassinated.

Thinking back on it, that made sense... If it had been real, the atmosphere in the city would surely have been extremely tense. Texas regained her composure, and Si Ye's deep voice came through the phone.

"Father was badly hurt. Are you all right, Mike? We're all worried about you."

"I'm fine." Texas raised her head slightly. At that moment, she noticed a sign being held high not far from the phone booth—it was a cue card.

"Go to the hospital now. Improvise this scene freely. Just make the judgment you believe is most correct—Chen Qi"

So the next scene was at the hospital? Texas withdrew her gaze without showing it, then hung up the phone. After telling Sora to go home first, she ran alone toward the hospital.

Not long after Texas left, the previously quiet street quickly filled with people and equipment. Ethan, who was in charge of filming there, sighed in relief and said happily:

"We got quite a few good shots this time. The great director should be satisfied."

"Then the hospital scene is Executioner's, right? The chief cinematographer is already standing by there. Hopefully, they'll get it in one take too."

By the time Texas arrived at the hospital by car, the sky had completely darkened. As soon as she reached the entrance, Texas noticed a crucial problem—there were no guards.

Even if this was just acting, there was no way the surroundings would be unguarded after a Mafia boss had been assassinated. Director Chen Qi could not possibly make that mistake, because Madam Sicily would certainly point it out.

Texas observed the area. Various signs and details showed that guards had originally been there, yet now not a single one remained. Texas quickly reached a conclusion.

Someone had bribed the guards. This assassination attempt against The Godfather was not over yet!

After making her judgment, Texas immediately headed for the ward area. She soon fixed her eyes on the only room with flowers outside its door. Madam Sicily had to be in there.

Texas carefully pushed open the door. She did not know what would happen next in the plot, and Chen Qi had told her to improvise... So she worried that if she opened the door and found Madam Sicily being shot, she would not know what to do.

Click.

When she opened the door, Texas did not see a bloody scene—Madam Sicily lay there unharmed, the transfusion tube still feeding blood into her body while she slept soundly.

At the sight, Texas breathed a sigh of relief. She walked over to Madam Sicily and looked at the elderly woman, who seemed to have aged considerably after the assassination attempt...

"What are you doing here? It isn't visiting hours."

The sudden voice made Texas instinctively place a hand at her waist. But when she saw it was a nurse, she calmed down and said evenly:

"I'm Mike Corleone. He's my father."

"There are no guards here. Where did they go?"

Nurse: "Your father had too many visitors, and they were interfering with the hospital's work. The police had them leave ten minutes ago."

"I see..." Texas's eyes darkened slightly. The information the nurse had revealed was enough... The police had been bought by the people trying to assassinate him. It was the police who had ordered the guards away.

The moment she realized this, Texas grabbed the bedside phone. After dialing, she immediately said to Si Ye on the other end:

"Sonny, I'm at the hospital. I was too late. There's no one here—no guards, no police. Dad is alone in his room."

"I'm not panicking."

After the brief exchange, Texas immediately hung up. After thinking for a moment, she said to the nurse, "Miss Nurse, you need to help me move him to another room. We need to remove the tubes before moving the bed."

"But..." The nurse was about to say something, but Texas gave her no chance. Her gaze turned sharp as she said word by word:

"You know who he is, right? Someone is coming to kill him. If your mistake lets their plan succeed, you won't be free of responsibility either—so help me, all right?"

Although this scene was Texas's improvisation, it was almost no different from Chen Qi's script. Texas possessed the same calmness and investigative ability as Mike.

Texas was even colder and more forceful than Mike—if she had not already left the family, the Texas of the future might have become someone even more ruthless than the character she was playing.

"Texas is fiercer than I imagined."

In the backstage area, Sora and Lappland watched Texas's performance on the large screen fed by the equipment.

Sora still seemed a little shaken by Texas's reaction, but Lappland smiled and replied:

"This is the Texas I knew before. It feels like she's coming back a little."

"Ah, looks like there was a slip-up. Madam Sicily's hand got caught in the door. That's okay, right?" Lappland's sharp eyes noticed it, but when she turned to ask Chen Qi, she found him still busy arranging what came next:

"Since we've made it this far, Croissant, Exusiai, are you ready?"

"Are we really doing this, Director? Do I really have to punch Texas?"

Exusiai's voice came through the radio, sounding worried but unable to hide her excitement. Chen Qi smiled faintly and said calmly:

"You have to hit her. There are some things I probably shouldn't say, but it would be best not to hold back. That's how we'll get the best effect. But if you want to go easy, that's fine too. Texas should understand."

"It's fine if you hit too hard. Our Medical Operator is nearby and can heal Texas right away, so don't worry."

"Okay, since the director says so, then I won't hold back!"

After that, Chen Qi paid no attention to Exusiai's voice over the radio saying things like, "It's rare to get a chance to hit Texas openly," and "Should I hit hard or go easy later?"

Because the harder Exusiai hit now, the more invested Texas would be when she paid her back later. That way, they could get two more perfect shots.

...Better not tell him, right? Seeing that Chen Qi's attention was elsewhere, Lappland thought about getting to watch Texas being beaten and ignored the fact that Madam Sicily's hand had been caught in the door, focusing instead on the large screen.

"Texas... Let me see how much of your old fire this scene can bring back."

This Punch Has a Bit of Personal Grudge in It