"Yes, Prime Minister" exposed the financial world? / Chen Qi became the rule-maker of Terra's financial circles?

"Yes."

With the Duke of Wellington's order, many spies who were about to travel to Kazimierz and other countries made preparations. They took out pamphlets and their own video cameras, ready to film a new episode at any time. After recording all the content, they would go to Kazimierz to release it as soon as possible.

Under everyone's expectant gaze, filming resumed at Chen Qi's command. After a period of rest, filming for the new episode officially began.

However, the opening of this fourth episode has nothing to do with the "finance" that the Duke of Wellington and others were looking forward to. Instead, it is a party conference within Victoria. What troubles Theresis is that her work report at the party conference does not seem to have any achievements worth boasting about.

What worried Theresis was that the media was also attacking him at this time.

"Everyone says that nothing has changed since I took office."

"You must be very proud, right?" Manfred said without much thought, after all, maintaining a stable administration during his term was already a great achievement for a politician.

Nothing is better than something, and steady development is the priority. However, no matter how you look at it, Manfred's words don't sound like a compliment; instead, they sound like a sarcastic jab at Theresis's incompetence.

"This isn't a compliment, Bernard." And Theresis, clearly used to her personal secretary's temperament, wasn't easily annoyed by such a small "daily resignation tip," and replied:

"I read through all ten morning newspapers in Victoria, and nine of them didn't say a single good word about me."

"And there's one that's even worse; it didn't mention me at all."

As for the news criticizing her as just a "pretty face" with no political achievements, Theresis naturally doesn't think so. Throughout the filming, even from a third-person perspective, Theresis doesn't feel that the "Hacker" she plays is incompetent.

If Theresis were to evaluate "Hacker," he would be more like a mediocre talent. Although somewhat ordinary, he is highly adaptable, willing to accept opinions, able to distinguish right from wrong, and truly knows how to delegate professional tasks to professionals. Moreover, he occasionally displays quick wit. In terms of handling unexpected situations, his abilities may surpass those of Humphrey, played by the Bloodborne Archon.

At most, it might be a bit of a stretch to say he's in the position of "Prime Minister," but to call him incompetent would be an exaggeration.

"That's blatant lying! Various reforms are in the works, and the overall policy is completely different now."

"A new development philosophy has been established, the governing ideology has been continuously refined, and significant progress has been made in the social structure! The country's geopolitical landscape has also been completely transformed!"

"... So what exactly have you accomplished?" Faced with Theresis's boasting, Manfred was much more direct and straightforward. However, confronted with this probing question, Theresis's expression visibly turned awkward, and she sheepishly replied:

Not yet.

Fortunately, this awkward situation did not last long. After the news brought by the Bloodborne Archon arrived, Manfred analyzed why there were so many news reports criticizing the Prime Minister overnight.

"These criticisms probably all stem from the rumored scandals surrounding the 'The City'."

It's here. Upon hearing about the scandal involving the "The City," everyone who had been waiting for this news sat up straight, ready to record all the relevant information.

During filming, with the party convention approaching, Theresis decides to send someone to intervene in the City scandal. By resolving the issue, he will have a political achievement to announce.

However, the Bloodborne Archon did not approve of Theresis's behavior of pandering to the media.

"I cannot comply, Prime Minister. What must be remembered regarding the media is that they only cater to the readers' prejudices."

"I don't need you to teach me about the media; I know newspaper readers much better than you do." In the established setting, Theresis, a media professional who entered politics, clearly understands the media and readers better than the Bloodborne Archon.

So he went on to publish some of the most insightful and memorable critiques of several of Victoria's most familiar newspapers:

"The readers of the [The Mirror] (which targets the working class and criticizes the ruling class) are people who think they are governing the country."

"The Guardian's readers (who are middle-class and lean left) are people who think they should be governing the country."

"The readers of [The Londinium Times] (which targets the ruling class and speaks for the government) are truly the people who govern the country."

"The Daily Mail's readers (aimed at women and the middle class) are the wives of those who govern the country."

"The readers of the Financial Times (business-oriented) are the people who have bought 'national shares'."

"The readers of the Morning Star (which targets the Labour Party and was once pro -Ursus or Gaul) are people who want to hand over the country to another country to govern."

"The readers of the Daily Telegraph (which has a conservative stance) are people who believe we are being governed by other countries."

In one breath, Theresis summarized the contents of seven newspapers in Londinium in the most concise and to the point, almost like a branding label. It can be said that Theresis's words were very simple and easy to understand. Even someone who had not read much could understand the contents of several newspapers from this conversation.

However, this conversation not only amused a large group of Victoria officials, but even the Bloodborne Archon, who was acting, had a rare, slight smile on his lips, though he still managed to suppress his laughter and asked curiously:

"Prime Minister, what about the readers of the [The Red Wine]?"

This time, however, it was Manfred took over the topic of the Bloodborne Archon, speaking in an extremely calm and matter-of-fact tone:

"Readers of [The Red Wine] don't care who governs the country, as long as the news is sensational and the person on the cover is curvy."

"Hahahahaha!" XN

Manfred's last words delivered the final blow that shattered everyone's composure. Fortunately, the next scene was about to begin after this segment, so it didn't matter if everyone laughed. However, there was no doubt that most of the newspapers in Londinium would not want this segment to air, given the three men's earlier remarks.

"However, it's good that it aired. It's a good opportunity to teach these lawless newspapers a lesson. Now is the time for Victoria to unite, and they also need to do something positive for unity."

After laughing his fill, the Duke of Wellington away the tears from the corners of his eyes. Even as he laughed uncontrollably, he still made sure to jot down the characteristics of the newspapers summarized in the script—characteristics that would prove useful in the future.

In this way, they could influence the bias of the opinions published in these newspapers, taking into account their characteristics. Especially during this critical period, when Victoria of all classes needed to unite, these newspapers were the best means of disseminating information.

This time, it wasn't just Victoria's crew watching the filming. Kristen was also observing the shoot on Chen Qi's set, and she took notes of everything Chen Qi wrote down about the newspaper's characteristics in his script.

"Coincidentally, these newspapers also have divisions in Columbia. If we can collect this information, it will be beneficial for Rhine Lab's publicity."

Of course, there's a deeper reason: Kristen plans to use this information to negotiate with the newspapers in the Columbia branch, so that when Chen Qi and she go to Columbia to film " To the To the Moon," these newspapers can do some publicity for them.

The greater the publicity, the higher the chances that Saria will see " To the To the Moon," and Kristen certainly won't let that opportunity slip by.

Kristen also came to visit the filming location with a "learning" mindset. She had naturally heard of the reputation of "Yes, Prime Minister," and now that it was both a newspaper and a financial publication, every piece of information there was something that the current head of Rhine Lab needed to learn.

Although Kristen is well-versed in this art, who wouldn't want to learn from the condensed essence and summary of the work of the exceptionally talented director Chen Qi?

"Regarding media knowledge, I must admit I'm not as skilled, Director Chen Qi, but when it comes to financial knowledge... I'm afraid you don't have that much talent to surprise me."

Kristen was very confident in her talent in the financial world. She believed that no matter how much knowledge Chen Qi had in politics and media, he would never know more about finance than she did.

Chapter 138: "Yes, Prime Minister" Reveals the Secrets of the Financial World?

The "The City scandal" that occurred in the show gradually comes to light. However, when Humphrey, played by Bloodborne Archon, and Sir Desmond of Bartley Bank learn about the situation, they discover that the problems are even more serious than what the media has revealed.

"Is it not just a matter of one investment bank making the wrong investment?" the Bloodborne Archon asked.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," Sir Desmond said calmly, revealing a shocking truth, before adding, "They broke the rules."

"--The unspoken rules of insider trading?" Bloodborne Archon clearly knew some inside information. Having served as a civil servant for so many years and dealt with various mistakes, Bloodborne Archon was obviously experienced in these matters.

But to everyone's surprise, Sir Desmond shook his head upon hearing this, his calm tone belying the seriousness of the situation, and said:

"This is obviously the most important one, but they also broke the basic rules of the City."

"... I didn't even know they had rules." At this moment, the Bloodborne Archon unintentionally uttered a question that was on everyone's mind. Of course, what the Bloodborne Archon was expressing was not just his own ignorance, but also a sigh about the lawless bankers and capitalists in the City.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened in the City. However, the Victoria officials watching, along with the Duke of Wellington, Ablana, and even Kristen, all stared at the screen with blank expressions.

Because what on earth are all those things mentioned in the show, like "insider trading rules" or "basic rules of the City"?

Let alone the civil servants in Victoria, even Kristen, who founded Rhine Lab in Columbia and has devoted most of his time to finance, as well as the development and expansion of Rhine Lab, now doesn't know what these words mean.

Or rather, Kristen does understand, but the financial world of Terra hasn't yet adopted it as an "unspoken rule." The financial world is still in the exploratory stage, and the word "finance" is still relatively new to Terra.

"Just one." Fortunately, the confusion didn't last long; Sir Desmond calmly explained:

"If you're incompetent, you have to be honest; if you want to play tricks, you have to be clever."

He then enthusiastically explained why he did this, continuing, "If you're honest and make a mistake, everyone will help you out."

"Playing tricks?" the Bloodborne Archon asked curiously, and Sir Desmond replied matter-of-factly:

"If there's profit to be made, nobody will bother. They're not stupid, at least not that stupid."

Bloodborne Archon: "... So the ideal company has to be both honest and smart?"

"Yes, please let me know if you happen to run into one."

In a few words, the two explained the rules of finance. However, Sir Desmond's words had clearly indicated that it was impossible for someone to be both "honest" and "intelligent" in the financial world today.

In other words, if you earn money honestly and by following the rules—paying taxes, not misappropriating capital, and not bribing officials—you are unlikely to make a lot of money; but if you are smart and have the ability to lead everyone to make a lot of money, you simply cannot avoid using the methods mentioned above.

That's why Sir Desmond said to let him know if he comes across a "company that is both honest and intelligent," because he knew perfectly well that such a company simply couldn't exist.

However, now, many Victoria officials, as well as Kristen himself, sat up straight, each of them gradually realizing how important the message revealed in this scene was to them.

"Currently, most of the financial industry on Terra is still in its exploratory stage. Kazimierz and Columbia are still in their initial phases, while Victoria's financial circle has already developed a set of well-established rules?"

Kristen immediately recognized the immense value of the knowledge contained in "Yes, Prime Minister." If they could learn from the rules of Victoria's financial world, Rhine Lab's path in Columbia might be much smoother!

At this moment, Kristen had completely forgotten her initial thought that Chen Qi's understanding of the financial world could not possibly surpass her own. She had even completely entered a learning state, just like the thirst for knowledge she felt when she was studying at Columbia University.

However, after that, Sir Desmond revealed more inside information to the Bloodborne Archon about a series of scandals involving his bank's investment in Berenson Bank.

"Didn't the bank directors withdraw capital to their own companies?" the Bloodborne Archon couldn't help but ask. This question could be summarized as "unauthorized misappropriation of capital," which was a very serious matter.

However, Sir Desmond replied nonchalantly, "They might come back."

"But not yet," the Bloodborne Archon pressed, but Sir Desmond brushed it off, saying, "It's not paid back yet."

Seeing that the other party had glossed over such a question, the Bloodborne Archon showed an expression of interest and continued to press, "What about tax evasion?"

"... They have their own way of interpreting the Ministry of Finance regulations—someone has to explain them, right?"

"Explanation," to put it bluntly, is about exploiting loopholes. Using seemingly legitimate methods to exploit legal loopholes is still, in essence, tax evasion.

"What about the explanation issued by the Ministry of Finance?" the Bloodborne Archon asked, while Sir Desmond's explanation was simple, yet carried an eerily matter-of-fact tone. "It doesn't seem to work very well, does it?"

"The capital has been transferred to companies in small countries like Rim Billiton and Bolívar?" the Bloodborne Archon inquired about the transfer of these tax-evaded funds, and Sir Desmond readily admitted it.

Another nonchalant explanation followed, Bloodborne Archon, knowing the tax evasion issue was unlikely to be resolved, proceeded to ask the third question, "What about bribery?"

This time, however, it was much easier. Sir Desmond directly offered their explanation. "Foreign government officials took kickbacks privately."

"It's bribery." "Yes."

In less than two minutes, the conversation revealed three huge problems in the financial world: misappropriation of capital, tax evasion, and bribery. Any one of these crimes is enough to send a person to prison for life, because financial crimes are serious offenses. Often, a conviction for one crime will have a chain reaction, bringing other things to light.

However, during filming, the two casually revealed so many serious issues from the past. It's conceivable that even seasoned veterans in the financial world would have handled these matters extensively.

"Record this entire segment, paying attention to clarity and sound quality."

During the filming, after a moment of silence, the Duke of Wellington quickly instructed his spies, whom he was about to send to Kazimierz, to disseminate the previous recordings.

However, before he could give the order, the spies had already begun recording. Clearly, they all understood the enormous impact these financial scandals would have on Kazimierz, a country where even military expenses were now almost entirely covered by the Commercial Federation.

Because the unspoken rules of the Kazimierz Commercial Federation are not public knowledge, although every high-ranking member knows that the Kazimierz Commercial Federation and the National Assembly are colluding, most of the people of Kazimierz are unaware of this.

The people of Kazimierz are unaware that their National Assembly, the symbol of their country's highest judicial body, is in cahoots with the Commercial Federation. And which of the aforementioned misappropriation of capital, tax evasion, and bribery hasn't the Commercial Federation used against the National Assembly? And when has the National Assembly ever publicly addressed these matters?

However, they now seem to have found a way to break through this barrier. They can transmit these videos to various Mobile City in Kazimierz and then guide the people and media of Kazimierz toward the Commercial Federation and the National Assembly.

What? How do you guide the audience? Isn't this simple? You don't even need to mention the Commercial Federation and the National Assembly. Just title the video something like "Déjà Vu" and then release this one clip alone.

At that time, the public and the media will naturally think in a direction that is familiar to them and seems familiar. They won't say a word, but everyone will know who they are talking about.

They are all using this method now, which is effective and minimizes their suspicion of being "spies," because it is the Kazimierz, not them, who will ultimately cause a huge uprising; they are at most "instigators."

"Now, it's impossible for Kazimierz to stay in chaos."

Duke of Wellington couldn't help but think the same thing. He had to admit that although the birth of the Commercial Federation seemed to have caused discord among the Campaign Knight of Kazimierz, the Commercial Federation was actually very beneficial to Kazimierz.

First, the Knights' Tournament of the Commercial Federation broke down the class distinctions among knights. Although this made the so-called knightly titles worthless, it actually encouraged more people in Kazimierz to start practicing martial arts.

Although these Competition Knights and Campaign Knight are quite different, and the companies behind them would not allow their high-priced individuals to go to the battlefield, there are still some noteworthy and skilled ones.

Moreover, if this encourages the entire population to practice martial arts, wouldn't the residents of Kazimierz unleash an even more ferocious fighting spirit if they were to face a national war similar to the one in Victoria?

The Supervision Committee and the Commercial Federation have always been at odds, but they are hampered by the fact that the Commercial Federation and the National Assembly are colluding with each other. They cannot use force against their own country, as that would be treason. Therefore, they can only use the loopholes that have been exposed to attack the Commercial Federation.

"Well, that should keep them in chaos for a while. If the reputation and credibility of those in the Commercial Federation collapse, and they suddenly unleash all the crimes they've been suppressing, then things will get interesting."

Meanwhile, the plot being filmed seemed to be aligning with the Duke of Wellington's ideas. The Bloodborne Archon and Sir Desmond discussed the Prime Minister's desire to appoint a "Central Bank Chairman" to handle the City scandal, and the Prime Minister's recommendation was an overly honest man, Alexander Jameson.

"It's not just him who's honest; that's alright. I have several friends who are very honest too, after all, they don't have the brains to play tricks..."

"But Jameson won't allow anyone to be dishonest, and that would be the end of it; that's not how things are done."

Sir Desmond was extremely worried that if this matter were handed over to someone as overly honest as Jameson to investigate, the truth would be uncovered, and then too many problems would erupt, turning a situation that could have been quietly resolved into something completely unmanageable.

"Once Jameson starts investigating, other problems will also come to light."

"Financial earthquake, credit collapse, currency crisis, Victoria gold coins will plummet in value..."

"You need to make the Prime Minister understand that credibility cannot be compromised. The City brings in six billion dollars to the country every year. We can't gamble that away to investigate a few guys who are helping their friends behind the taxpayers' backs, can we?"

During the filming, Sir Desmond listed these possibilities one by one. However, the more the Duke of Wellington listened to these consequences, the more satisfied he became.

"Let the Kazimierz Supervision Committee deal with these matters. Let them decide for themselves whether to eradicate the cancer they themselves planted, even if it severely damages their strength, or to let public opinion ferment without responding."

It doesn't matter, either way, Victoria has achieved her goal. The Duke of Wellington is quite pleased, and he believes that the people of Victoria will also be happy to see those unpopular Kazimierz in a state of utter chaos for a while.

Chapter 139: Chen Qi Becomes the Rule-Maker of Terra's Financial Circle?