Above the mage

Chapter 804 The Premiere of the Demon Shadow

"A new style of drama... Your Highness also possesses the literary talent of a bard?" Elsa exclaimed in surprise.

This kind of "refined" act of arranging secular dramas is really not in line with Gao De's usual public persona.

Gaode waved his hand, too embarrassed to accept.

He believed that standing on the shoulders of giants and mastering the art of borrowing and adapting ideas, writing a simple mythological script should be a piece of cake.

Only after hands-on experience can one truly understand the reality: these things may seem simple, but they are all genuine professional skills.

Everyone has their own area of ​​expertise, and he truly has no talent whatsoever in scriptwriting and film and television arrangement.

This time it was a forced effort, and it's enough to barely cobble together a coherent piece.

He will definitely not take on this kind of "directing work" himself again in the future.

Elsa suppressed her surprise and voiced her biggest question, her tone full of bewilderment: "What surprises me most is that you would actually set up the Shadow Division specifically for this purpose."

"The process of modifying and developing the photo-taking image, creating special effects, reviewing content, producing the final film, and promoting it in theaters has been divided into so many steps and functions."

"I thought it was just a novelty gadget for leisure, and I never thought it would be formally incorporated into the city hall and become a regular functional department."

Elsa had never seen a country that incorporated theater into its administrative system.

Military and political affairs, finance and taxation, public security, law, law enforcement, and construction—each of these systems has its own responsibilities.

How could something as lowly as drama be allowed to be mixed in?

Even though the Shadow Division isn't of a high rank, it is still under the jurisdiction of the City Hall.

Gao De was naturally aware of Elsa's doubts.

He said earnestly, "The cultural industry is actually a very important part of governing a country."

"Most people only see it as a trivial pastime because they only see its entertainment aspect and have never truly made it popular among the masses."

"Most of the time, theater was just a pastime for the aristocracy."

"But cultural narratives are actually the most insidious and effective weapon for governing territory and uniting people's hearts," Gao De remarked.

"Laws regulate people's behavior, government orders regulate people's livelihoods, and the army safeguards the stability of the borders. What can truly subtly influence people's hearts and shape their minds are precisely these things that you consider to be for entertainment and amusement."

Gao De looked up at the growing crowd in the square outside the window and said with certainty, "Ideology is not predetermined. What people believe, respect, remember, and follow is all shaped by the stories they see, hear, and feel."

"It's a bit hard to understand," Elsa said honestly, listening quietly.

This was something she had never been taught in her education.

"It's alright... Although this movie, 'Shadow of the Demon,' isn't very well made, you can still go and watch it... You're not here for the plot. After watching 'Shadow of the Demon,' you should be able to understand the immense power this unassuming thing possesses in the realm of domination."

Gao De chuckled upon hearing this, thought for a moment, and gave Elsa a piece of advice: "Don't stand on high ground and watch from the sidelines; be among the crowd and watch with the people."

"I will go, Your Highness," Elsa nodded.

The venue for "Anivia" is not a traditional theater.

In order to reach as many people as possible, and of course, because Phoenix doesn't have theaters.

Therefore, the most primitive, outdated, but also the most down-to-earth promotional channel for the Magic Shadow was "open-air screenings".

The spacious City Hall Square, located in the heart of the city, thus became the first venue for the Magic Film screening.

Half an hour before the 6 p.m. premiere, the designated viewing area in the square was already packed with people.

Workers from various construction projects, farmers from farms, and students from colleges flocked from all over the city and converged on the square.

No coordination or appeal was needed; it was purely the public's curiosity and enthusiasm that made this free premiere a hit even before it aired, destined to be a sell-out.

There weren't even any chairs on site; the conditions were extremely basic.

Some people are particular and thoughtful, and will bring their own chairs.

Most people simply sat on the ground.

Fortunately, Gaode Maps took the weather into account.

Therefore, the premiere date was set after the weather was predicted in advance using magic and it was confirmed that there would be no snowfall or strong winds.

Elsa stood quietly amidst the crowd.

She wore a fur robe, the most common type of animal skin robe in the North, made of coarse and thick material, with a tight fit that covered her body.

The collar and hood were pulled up high, obscuring her delicate jawline and eyebrows, revealing only a sliver of her clean profile.

Her attire blended perfectly into the crowd, and no one could associate her with the high-ranking office director.

Just as the crowd was whispering and eagerly anticipating what was to come, the moment arrived.

A sharp, piercing shout reached Elsa's ears: "Fried rice! Fresh, fragrant fried rice! One copper coin a serving! Hot and delicious! Anyone want some?"

Elsa glanced sideways, her gaze passing over the rows of people sitting on the ground, and landing on the source of the sound.

A local boy who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old was weaving through the crowd, hawking his wares.

He had a large, coarse cloth bag slung over his shoulder, the opening of which revealed clumps of kneaded objects inside.

They were about the size of a fist, neatly stacked.

He moved nimbly, carefully avoiding the legs and feet sticking out from the ground as he went.

The shouts were neither too loud nor too soft, delivered in fluent Ace language, just enough to carry over a small area without drowning out other people's conversations or causing any dissatisfaction.

Elsa's heart stirred slightly, and she raised her hand to wave at the boy.

The boy immediately stopped shouting and came over, his attitude enthusiastic: "Would you like a plate of fried rice? It's freshly fried and piping hot!"

"Hmm." Elsa nodded gently and handed over a copper coin.

The boy quickly took a ball of rice from his coarse cloth bag and placed it in Elsa's hand.

The raw material for rice balls is actually Northwest Barley No. 1.

Elsa picked up a grain and put it in her mouth, making a crisp, very soft "crunch" sound as she bit down.

The outer shell is crispy, the inside is soft, and there is a very faint salty taste.

Although the flavor was simple, the texture, which remained dry and warm even in the cold air, made her unconsciously chew a few more times.

The rice ball wasn't very big; Elsa only had to lift it in her hand to estimate its weight.

One pound of barley can make about thirty servings of this fried rice, and each serving costs one copper coin.

The market price of Northwest Barley No. 1 is 1.5 jin for 10 copper coins.

In other words, a pound of barley can generate more than thirty copper coins in income.

Elsa glanced at the sack on the other person's shoulder, which weighed at least five or six pounds.

In other words, if he can sell them all, he can earn more than a hundred copper coins tonight.

This is no small sum of money for the workers.

With the thought settled in her mind, Elsa softly asked, "What made you decide to sell this here?"

When Elsa asked him, the boy honestly replied, "The whole city has been putting up posters these past few days, and everyone says they're coming to join the fun tonight."

"The premiere is at six o'clock, which is only an hour after the end of the school year and most construction sites have closed. It's also first-come, first-served, so many people are probably coming on an empty stomach to grab a good spot because they're afraid they won't be able to get one."

"Everyone needs to eat something sometimes, so I thought I'd sell some food to earn a little money through hard work."

"And this is the simplest thing. Just fry the barley grains until they are heated evenly, so that the outer shells are opened up, they are browned and dehydrated, and then add a little salt, and you can eat it."

Elsa nodded slightly upon hearing this. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "What's your name? Where do you work? Are you literate?"

"My name is Hu Yue. I work at Jinhui Farm. I'm one of the pioneers on the farm. I attended night school for literacy and have completed the basic literacy course and passed the assessment," the boy named Hu Yue answered quickly.

"The Ministry of Education has opened new short-term vocational training programs to provide specialized skills training that allows graduates to obtain certificates for their jobs."

"Those are all high-paying jobs, far better than your current farm clearing work, and more respectable. Why didn't you sign up for further training?" Elsa asked, somewhat puzzled.

Hu Yue hesitated for a moment, then spoke the truth: "I don't want to do those jobs..."

"You like pioneering new lands?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's just that the farm work can be stopped at any time, but those jobs can't..." Hu Yue explained.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know either, but I want to make money, I like making money!" The boy clenched his fist, his eyes shining.

"So you still think those jobs pay too little," Elsa chuckled.

"No, Miss." Hu Yue shook her head and said seriously, "I just like making money, but I don't like money."

Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was five minutes before six o'clock.

The crowd density in the square has reached an extremely exaggerated level.

They are densely distributed.

The front row is the most crowded, with people almost touching each other. If your shoulder is occasionally bumped by the elbow of the person next to you, no one will care.

The middle area is slightly looser.

The back row was filled with people, mostly those who had arrived late and couldn't find a suitable spot.

The days are short in the North, and at this time it is already shrouded in thick darkness.

So normally, the surroundings should be pitch black at this moment.

Fortunately, the city hall had already arranged for mages to illuminate the entire square with light magic.

The staff had already carried two large boxes to the newly built platform, opened the boxes, and took out the numbered photo stones that had been prepared in advance.

After checking them one by one, they placed these photo stones into the short pillars erected on the high platform according to their numbers.

These were all rehearsed in advance.

As for these staff members, they now have a resounding and formal name.

Shadow Recorder.

A staff member stepped onto the platform, took a half-step forward, and spoke in a clear, steady voice, amplified by a sound-amplifying spell, clearly throughout the entire plaza, covering the entire viewing area: "The Shadow Play is about to begin. Please remain quiet: During the screening, please do not get up and move around, shout, or weave through the crowd, disturbing others... The premiere will last one and a half hours, without interruption or replays... Please take care of any young children to prevent them from getting lost... After the screening, please follow the on-site guidance to leave in an orderly manner, avoiding crowding..."

'

Then he stepped down from the platform.

Six o'clock sharp.

Ding ding ding ding ding.

The huge clock tower in the square chimed the hour.

In an instant, all the light spells were canceled by the mage.

The entire square was plunged into darkness.

The sudden darkness made the Phoenix residents sitting in rows tense, and a sense of panic arose in their hearts.

However, this panic lasted only a moment.

The next second, a soft light appeared in the very center of the platform.

Dozens of numbered photo stones were activated simultaneously.

A play of light and shadow took shape, dominating the entire platform and creating a vibrant and lively world in the pitch-black night.

At that moment, the entire venue fell silent.

Some people were completely mesmerized, their eyes fixed on the dynamic light screen they had never seen before.

The first thing that catches everyone's eye is a gray sky, with howling winds and blizzards flying everywhere.

An atmosphere of oppression, desolation, and bitter coldness washes over you.

The camera zooms in, revealing a small group (actually only eight people) of ragged figures struggling through a blizzard.

They were the first Iceborn people to arrive in the North, emaciated and frail, with bluish-purple complexions.

The exposed skin was cracked and bleeding from the cold wind, and every step was unsteady, as if it would be swallowed up by the wind and snow at any moment.

In the scene, a little girl, about seven or eight years old, with chapped lips, is curled up in her mother's arms, breathing weakly, her voice trembling with childlike fragility, as she whispers, "Mommy, I'm so cold—I can't hold on any longer—"

In a corner of the crowd in the square, a little boy suddenly gripped his mother's hand tightly, his eyes suddenly brightening with surprise and excitement.

He almost shouted, but then he remembered the rule about not making loud noise that the staff member had just mentioned, so he lowered his voice and whispered excitedly, "That's Moss! It's my classmate Moss!"

"A few days ago, city hall officials came to the General Education College to select people to film 'Shadow of the Demon,' and Moss was chosen!"

The mother beside her stared intently at the weak, critically injured little girl in the picture, her heart clenching instantly, her eyes filled with genuine worry, and she sighed softly, "What a poor child—"

"It's okay! It's fake!" the little boy quickly explained. "Moss told me beforehand that this is all part of the story, it's not real suffering!"

town Hall.

Gao De stood by the window, while Sunafa stood quietly beside him.

The two watched this scene unfold together in the city hall square.

The emotions of everyone in the square were firmly grasped by the dynamic light and shadow in the center, fluctuating with the plot.

People were deeply concerned about the desperate situation faced by the early settlers as they first arrived in the snowy plains and struggled to survive.

He felt indignant at the indiscriminate slaughter of the weak by the ferocious snow wolves in the wilderness;

When the scene unfolded of a ferocious beast attacking, and a mother desperately opening her arms to shield her young daughter from the beast with her own body, a suppressed sob rippled through the square.

People felt a lump in their throats and quietly shed tears.

The simple and straightforward storyline of suffering, layered upon layer, pushes the oppressive sense of impending annihilation of the Iceborn ancestors to its peak.

Just when everyone felt heavy-hearted and depressed, thinking that their tribe would eventually be completely wiped out.

The blizzard suddenly stopped, and the dark sky burst open with a roar.

The strange, giant bird that appeared on the poster descended from the sky and materialized in mid-air.

Her name is Anivia.

She led the ancient people from the desperate situation to the Ancient Frost Terrace to seek shelter from the wind and live in peace, and bestowed upon them the power to resist the severe cold and drive away ferocious beasts.

She single-handedly protected the entire human race from extinction.

As the scenes of ferocious beasts fleeing, snowstorms subsiding, and miraculous survival unfolded, the entire square could no longer contain its emotions.

Cheers and gasps of amazement erupted in waves.

Everyone had long forgotten the rule against loud noise before the screening; their heartfelt excitement and gratitude resounded throughout the entire municipal square.

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