Chapter Summaries

After “Young and Dangerous” earned Chen Qi considerable Prestige, he gathered the Integrated Cultural Troupe in Syracuse to plan “The Godfather,” despite Wei Yenwu intending to ban their previous film. Chen Qi sent the script to Syracuse’s Mafia families and arranged for Executioner to invite Texas, while FrostNova thanked him for treating her Oripathy.

• Chen Qi received the rewards and Prestige for “Young and Dangerous,” reviewed its praise from Lungmen figures, and hoped to use the rewards to help the crew’s Infected members.
• Chen Qi told the troupe that Wei Yenwu planned to remove “Young and Dangerous” from Lungmen in a month, upsetting Talulah before he calmed her.
• Chen Qi explained that he had sent “The Godfather” script to Syracuse’s major Mafia families and invited them to supervise filming, easing the crew’s fears about local opposition.
• Chen Qi identified Texas as his preferred actor for Mike Corleone and gave Executioner a package for The Emperor and Texas, including a song and a letter requesting Texas’s participation.
• FrostNova thanked Chen Qi for the medicine that had suppressed her Oripathy, and he concealed that he had used a system loan to buy it.

Chen Qi secured Madam Sicily’s support for The Godfather and faced a dispute over who would play Vito Corleone. He recruited Penguin Logistics and began inviting Syracuse family heads to join the film, leaving Alberto Saluzzo reconsidering his refusal after learning Madam Sicily would participate.

• Madam Sicily told Chen Qi that she and Bernardo both wanted to play Vito Corleone, and she asked him to choose between them.
• Executioner invited Penguin Logistics to Syracuse, and Texas agreed to join after reading Chen Qi’s letter.
• The Emperor read Chen Qi’s song, “In the Name of the Father,” praised it, and ordered Penguin Logistics to leave for Syracuse.
• Mephisto invited Alberto Saluzzo to act in The Godfather, and Alberto resisted until Mephisto said Madam Sicily had already agreed to participate.

Chen Qi’s crew recruited influential figures from Syracuse for The Godfather, drawing Lappland back to the set and bringing Penguin Logistics to a manor where they overheard a father seeking help. The chapter ended after Texas concluded that the father’s decision to call the police had left him with no hope of getting the family head’s aid.

• Mephisto persuaded Alberto to invest in The Godfather by invoking Lappland, while Alberto denied acting for her sake.
• FrostNova and Patriot recruited Si Ye and Judge Lavinia for important roles, and Bernardo eagerly agreed to send them to the crew.
• The Emperor and Penguin Logistics arrived in Syracuse, while Lappland secretly followed them after spotting her father at the crew.
• Texas recognized the manor’s wedding as a Syracusan family gathering and led Penguin Logistics to the family head’s office.
• Texas, Exusiai, Croissant, and Sora overheard a father describe his daughter’s assault and his appeal for help.
• The father revealed that he had called the police and sent the attackers to court, and Texas said there was no hope.

Chen Qi’s filmed Godfather scene convinced Texas to join his production, while Lappland also volunteered after abandoning her plan to attack Syracuse’s families. Lappland asked for a role that would let her kill the Saluzzo family head, and Chen Qi suggested Tessio, whose execution he had not planned to film.

• Texas, Exusiai, Croissant, and Sora listened as Madam Sicily’s Godfather character refused Bonacera’s offer of money, then accepted him as a friend and promised justice as a wedding gift.
• The filming crew revealed that the tense exchange had been a scene, and Texas discovered that Madam Sicily, Leon Bellone, and Lavinia were among the actors.
• Chen Qi invited Texas to join the production, and she accepted after learning that influential family figures had already joined.
• Lappland arrived, announced she wanted to act in the film instead of attacking the families, and asked Chen Qi for a role that could kill the Saluzzo family head.
• Chen Qi proposed casting Lappland as Tessio, a Godfather ally who would be executed for betrayal, though he had not planned to film that scene.

Chen Qi assigned roles for The Godfather and used Si Ye’s embarrassing wedding scene to help the cast grow closer. The next afternoon, the crew moved to Volcini’s municipal assembly hall to prepare for another iconic scene.

• Lappland chose to play Clemenza, while Chen Qi assigned roles to Exusiai, Croissant, and Sora, including Sora as Texas’s girlfriend Kay.
• Chen Qi told Texas to build a family bond with Si Ye, Chastisement, and Madam Sicily, and Texas struggled to call Madam Sicily “Father.”
• Chen Qi filmed Si Ye’s wedding bed scene early and played the footage for the cast and Bernardo, leaving Si Ye mortified as everyone teased him and treated him like family.
• Bernardo encouraged Si Ye, then embarrassed him further by suggesting the scene could prepare him for continuing the family line.
• Chen Qi and Talulah prepared a blood-soaked horse-head prop for a later scene, and Chen Qi said he wanted the film’s iconic scenes to feel genuine.
• The next afternoon, Chen Qi’s crew moved to Volcini’s municipal assembly hall, built by the city’s family powers for meetings outside Grey Hall.

Chen Qi filmed Rubio’s character being terrorized with the severed head of his racing camelbeast, then planned a staged assassination of Madam Sicily to capture genuine reactions from the uninformed actors. As filming began, Giovanna drove Madam Sicily toward the scene, unaware that the assassination sequence was already underway.

• Madam Sicily improvised a slap while playing The Godfather, and her scenes with Johnny helped Texas, Chastisement, and Si Ye see her as a more familiar, caring parent.
• Rubio’s film-company boss refused Chastisement’s request to cast Johnny, so Chen Qi’s crew frightened Rubio by placing a severed camelbeast head in his bed.
• Talulah learned that Chen Qi intended to stage Madam Sicily’s assassination without telling Texas’s group, while ensuring the apparent attackers were crew members and the weapons were harmless.
• Madam Sicily met Giovanna Rossetti, who played Fredo, and the two set off by car while Giovanna remained unaware that filming had begun.
• Madam Sicily spotted the staged figures on the street and realized the car had reached the assassination scene.

Chen Qi staged Madam Sicily’s assassination and secretly filmed the cast’s genuine reactions, then sent Texas to improvise a hospital scene as Mike Corleone. Texas recognized that the threat to Madam Sicily was not over, and Chen Qi prepared Exusiai and Croissant for the next scene, which would involve Exusiai punching Texas.

• Madam Sicily and Giovanna filmed an assassination scene, and Giovanna’s distraught reaction was revealed to be exactly the genuine performance Chen Qi wanted.
• Texas and Sora watched a play together, but a newspaper headline about Vito Corleone’s murder prompted Texas to call Si Ye and then head to the hospital.
• Texas found Madam Sicily unguarded in her hospital room and concluded that the police had been bribed to clear the guards away.
• Texas called Si Ye and persuaded the nurse to help move Madam Sicily to safety.
• Chen Qi arranged the next scene with Exusiai and Croissant, telling Exusiai to punch Texas without holding back.

Texas protected Madam Sicily after her apparent assassination and proved herself a strong candidate to succeed her. During filming, Texas later shot Croissant and Exusiai’s characters in a restaurant scene, then admitted she would have killed them if they had truly threatened her family.

• Texas gained Enzo’s help, returned to Madam Sicily’s room, and promised to protect her as she slept.
• Madam Sicily considered Texas a suitable successor, while Texas and Enzo waited outside for reinforcements.
• Texas recognized Croissant’s car and made Croissant leave, but Exusiai’s disguised police officer arrested and punched her.
• The crew ended the scene, and Texas reassured Exusiai before warning her that she would seek revenge for the punch in the story.
• Texas shot Croissant and Exusiai’s characters during the restaurant negotiation scene, then fled as the crew called cut.
• Texas told Croissant she would have killed her if she had truly threatened Madam Sicily, while Exusiai followed Chen Qi after her role ended.

Chen Qi staged Si Ye’s spectacular on-screen death, letting Exusiai and Agniell fire on him without knowing who their target was. Si Ye was carried away unconscious for the next scene, while Chastisement learned that Madam Sicily had not been given the full script.

• Madam Sicily praised Texas’s acting, and Chen Qi suggested she become a real Godfather to the performers; she said she would consider it.
• Exusiai demanded a gunfight role, and Chen Qi promised her a part in the film’s major shooting scene.
• Agniell bet Exusiai she could hit a car’s occupant more times while firing blind, and they prepared for Si Ye’s arrival.
• Si Ye drove into the toll booth ambush and was hit by staged gunfire from the extras, Exusiai, and Agniell before a tranquilizer dart knocked him unconscious.
• Exusiai celebrated her forty-eight hits without learning she had shot Si Ye, while Chen Qi had him taken away for another scene.
• Chen Qi told Chastisement he had withheld the full script from the performers, and Chastisement agreed to tell Madam Sicily.

Chastisement and Madam Sicily filmed the grief and funeral rites after Sonny’s death, as Madam Sicily ordered an end to the family war. After Talulah and Texas returned, Chen Qi prepared to film the final scenes and Texas reunited with Madam Sicily.

• Chen Qi told Chastisement that Si Ye’s character had died, and Chastisement struggled to tell Madam Sicily that Sonny was dead.
• Madam Sicily mourned Sonny, ordered no revenge, and asked Chastisement to arrange a meeting with the Five Families to end the war.
• Madam Sicily, Chastisement, and Bonacera confronted Sonny’s mangled body, while Madam Sicily asked Bonacera to make him presentable for his mother.
• Chen Qi told FrostNova that filming was nearing its end and delayed giving Texas the next part of the script until her scenes were ready.
• Talulah returned from the Syracuse countryside and embraced Chen Qi, while FrostNova watched their affectionate reunion.
• Texas greeted Madam Sicily as her father, and Madam Sicily warned her not to lose herself in the role.

Chen Qi’s crew completed The Godfather, as Madam Sicily passed the role and her final wisdom to Texas before filming her character’s death. After Texas finished the film’s violent succession, Madam Sicily hosted the wrap celebration and announced free screenings for Mafia members across Syracuse.

• Chen Qi gave Texas and Madam Sicily two days together before filming their handover scene.
• Madam Sicily warned Texas about Barzini, urged her to become a powerful figure who could shape Syracuse’s future, and died peacefully after playing with her grandson.
• Madam Sicily praised Chen Qi’s film and asked to invite her family to its premiere; Chen Qi offered free screenings to Mafia members from all Twelve Families.
• Texas’s character avenged Sonny, eliminated the family’s traitors and outside enemies, and became the new Godfather.
• Madam Sicily hosted the cast and the heads of the Twelve Families at the wrap celebration and announced that Syracuse theaters would admit Mafia members for free on the premiere day.

Madam Sicily made Texas, Si Ye, Chastisement, and Giovanna her godchildren after the film’s wrap party, while Chen Qi arranged for Penguin Logistics to promote The Godfather in Lungmen. Days later, Swire watched the film’s promotional video and became captivated by its song and imagery.

• Madam Sicily invited Texas, Si Ye, Chastisement, and Giovanna to call her Godmother, and all four accepted.
• Chen Qi asked The Emperor and Penguin Logistics to promote The Godfather in Lungmen using its promotional video, then explained his plan to Talulah.
• Swire learned that Young and Dangerous had inspired children to fight in the slums, and she grew furious over the trouble and the film’s impending ban despite being a major investor.
• Swire opened The Emperor’s trending video, recognized Texas and the other performers, and watched the promotional video for The Godfather.
• Swire listened to In the Name of the Father and became intrigued by the film’s Mafia setting and striking visuals.

Swire watched Chen Qi’s six-minute promotional video for The Godfather and realized the film had gone viral, then visited Chen to share the news. Chen learned that Talulah and Chen Qi had made another movie in Syracuse and reacted with immediate interest.

• Swire watched a rap video that paired lyrics with scenes from The Godfather, including Texas, the old Godfather, and a series of killings.
• Swire noticed the acknowledgments credited Chen Qi and the Integrated Cultural Troupe, and learned that The Godfather would premiere in Syracuse in a week.
• Swire saw that the video had more than two million views and decided to ask Chen to help her watch the film in Lungmen.
• Chen told Swire that Young and Dangerous had kept the Guard Department busy and that Chief Wei had approved a collective pay raise.
• Swire teased Chen about The Godfather, and Chen eagerly asked how Swire had learned that Talulah and Chen Qi had made a new movie.

Chen arranged for Lungmen's leaders and elders to preview Chen Qi's The Godfather in hopes of securing a local screening. The movie drew the Rat King in despite his intention to criticize it, while the Black Capes waited outside as the screening continued.

• Chen called Chen Qi, who agreed to send The Godfather for Madam Wenyue and other influential Lungmen residents to watch, and asked for their feedback.
• Wenyue gathered Wei Yenwu, the Rat King, Chen Huijie, Hoshiguma, Swire, and Lin Yuxia at the Wei residence for the screening.
• The Rat King criticized the movie's dim lighting but became absorbed when Bonacera asked The Godfather for help, recognizing similarities to his own dealings in the slums.
• Lin Yuxia teased the Rat King about his plain manner, and he began considering whether he could learn from The Godfather's composed presence.
• The Black Capes debated whether to interrupt the screening, worried that Wei Yenwu would be left with official work late into the night.

The Godfather moved the Rat King and Wei Yenwu, who arranged a simultaneous premiere in Lungmen and Syracuse, while Chen Qi prepared Oripathy suppressants for the Art Troupe. After the film became a hit and drew praise from influential figures, Chen Qi learned that Theresis had noticed it; the chapter then shifted to Theresis in Londinium, where Manfred reported their growing control of Victoria.

• The Rat King recognized his own hopes for Lin Yuxia in The Godfather, and he and Lin Yuxia reconciled.
• The Rat King asked Wei Yenwu to release the film in Lungmen, and Wei Yenwu arranged a simultaneous premiere with Syracuse.
• Chen Qi received reputation points from influential viewers and set out to secure Oripathy suppressants for the Art Troupe.
• Mephisto told Chen Qi that The Godfather had earned strong reviews and unprecedented box-office success in Syracuse and Lungmen.
• Chen Qi discovered that Theresis in Victoria had taken notice of his film.
• Manfred reported to Theresis that the Kazdel forces had subdued Victoria’s Parliamentary Guard and controlled seventy percent of Londinium’s city defense forces.

Manfred persuaded Theresis to invite Chen Qi’s film crew to Londinium to help ease unrest among the workers, and Theresis watched The Godfather. Worried Theresis might target Patriot, Chen Qi left Siracusa for Kazimierz, but Manfred caught up with the crew and delivered Theresis’s invitation.

• Manfred asked Theresis for Sarkaz mercenaries to suppress riots in Londinium and proposed hiring Chen Qi’s film crew to provide entertainment for the workers.
• Theresis agreed to watch a recording of The Godfather, and he stayed awake through the night after seeing it.
• Fearing Theresis might seek Patriot, Chen Qi left Siracusa with the crew and accepted a landship from Madam Sicily, naming Kazimierz as their next destination.
• Chen Qi spent sixty thousand Reputation Points to buy the system’s Mini-map, then spotted a group of approaching gray markers as Mephisto reported an aircraft nearby.
• Manfred landed alone, introduced himself as Theresis’s subordinate, and invited the Integrated Cultural Troupe to Londinium to make films for the General.

Chen Qi met Theresis in Londinium, where the Regent hired his production crew to make entertainment that would ease local tensions and weaken Victoria’s sense of identity. Chen Qi proposed a comedy television drama, chose Yes, Prime Minister, and secured permission to recruit actors from Londinium, including Theresis’s own people.

• Manfred offered Chen Qi two crates of Oripathy Inhibitor as a deposit, and Chen Qi agreed to travel to Londinium to discuss filming with Theresis.
• Chen Qi entered Londinium with Talulah and Patriot, while most of the Integrated Cultural Troupe waited outside the city.
• Theresis explained that he wanted Chen Qi to produce broadcasts that would calm Londinium’s citizens and erode their attachment to Victoria without encouraging resistance.
• Chen Qi recommended a television drama instead of a film and chose the comedy Yes, Prime Minister as its subject.
• Theresis accepted Chen Qi’s comedy proposal and promised to protect the production crew from interference by his army and the city defense army.
• Chen Qi asked to recruit local people as actors, and Theresis granted him permission to use anyone in Londinium, with no more than a hundred people at a time.

Chen Qi cast Theresis, the Bloodborne Archon, and Manfred in his political satire Yes, Prime Minister after securing a Blood Pact that protected his crew and allowed them to leave Londinium after filming. A week later, the three began preparing to film the first episode, their rehearsals bringing unusual laughter to Theresis’s guards and Confessors.

• Chen Qi secured Theresis’s agreement to his conditions and signed a Blood Pact with him, then persuaded him to consider playing the lead role in the production.
• Theresis stayed up watching The Godfather to prepare for acting, while Chen Qi developed Yes, Prime Minister as a political satire about Victoria’s decline.
• Chen Qi cast Theresis as Prime Minister Harker, the Bloodborne Archon as bureaucrat Humphrey, and Manfred as secretary Bernard.
• Theresis accepted the first episode’s script and ordered the cast to prepare to film the following week.
• After a week of rehearsals, Theresis, Manfred, and the Bloodborne Archon gathered at 10 Austerity Street to begin filming, unsettling guards and Confessors with their laughter.

Chen Qi filmed the first episode of Yes, Prime Minister, using Victoria’s failing defenses and political dysfunction to entertain Sarkaz and Londinium officials. As the episode revealed Victoria’s weakness and deep Ursus infiltration, Hacker concluded that the Steam Knights were the country’s only dependable defense.

• Theresis, Manfred, and the Bloodborne Archon laughed at Chen Qi’s satirical script before Rob Rata disguised them as Victorian officials for filming.
• Talulah worried that making a drama for Theresis would help the Sarkaz seize power, but Chen Qi said the crew had no safe way to refuse and promised to get them out of Londinium.
• Chen Qi began filming an episode in which Hacker learned that Victoria could not withstand an Ursus assault for seventy-two hours and that its military was weakened by years of underfunding.
• Manfred’s character described Leithanian casters’ drug use and the weekend absences of Laterano and Bolívar soldiers, making the watching Sarkaz and Londinium officials laugh at the truths behind the satire.
• Manfred revealed that Ursus learned about Victoria faster than Victorian officials did, and Hacker concluded that Victoria had to rely on its Steam Knights.

Theresis and Manfred filmed scenes from Yes, Prime Minister that mocked Victoria’s corrupt arms industry and introduced Huck as an ambitious but ineffectual commoner Prime Minister. Theresis recognized how civil servants could control the government and planned to show the series to Londinium’s officers, while filming continued with Huck confronting his secretary over being left without lunch.

• Manfred explained that Victoria’s new Steam Knights were unreliable because of faulty parts and corruption, and Theresis proposed ending their production, redirecting funds to the army, and restoring conscription.
• Victorian officials laughed at Theresis’s proposed reforms until a young officer pointed out that modern Victoria was already following those policies, silencing the room.
• Theresis filmed a home scene in which Huck’s wife left him to prepare his own lunch, establishing Huck as a socially elevated but helpless Prime Minister.
• Theresis asked Chen Qi why Huck had become Prime Minister, and Chen Qi explained that civil servants had backed him as a stable, controllable alternative to more extreme candidates.
• Theresis saw the civil service’s permanence as a potential source of power, asked Chen Qi to make a prequel, and ordered Manfred to gather Londinium’s officers to watch the finished series.
• During filming, Huck angrily told Bernard that he had received no lunch while the rest of the government ate well, and Bernard asked whether Huck’s wife could cook.