I am a director in Ark. If I am not banned, I will be considered successful.

"We can help you find a cook." Manfred suggested, and Tracy immediately grasped the point and asked, "Who will pay?"

"You pay for your cook, of course."

"How many?"

"—about eight thousand to ten thousand Victoria gold coins a year."

"This is more than I can pay!"

Tresis returned to his seat in a slightly frustrated manner, apparently not surprised by the result. However, this scene made the Sarkaz and politicians in the two rooms smile uncontrollably.

After all, it is quite rare for a prime minister to be stumped by a cook's question. It can be said that it completely broke everyone's initial perception of the position of "prime minister".

However, unlike the officials of Victoria who simply watched the joke, in the eyes of the Sarkaz, the man performing in front of the screen was their regent, and the impression that Tracys gave to all the Sarkaz was mostly that of an "iron-blooded king" or an "iron-fisted general".

And now, for the first time, Tracy showed an expression other than impartiality, seriousness and majesty in front of everyone, which unconsciously changed the Sarkaz who were watching this scene's view of their king.

It seems... His Royal Highness the Regent is not as cold as they think. He seems to be quite humane?

Theresis did not intend to create a people-friendly side like Theresa. After all, he and Theresa had two different styles. He intended to create an image of a king with majesty and deterrence. He needed his subordinates to be in awe of him to ensure that they would carry out his orders.

But now, unknowingly, his performance has actually caused some changes in the opinions of his subordinates in Sarkaz towards him... I wonder how Tracy would feel if he knew about it?

"Fuck national affairs, I want a cook." Tracy looked like a willful child, but in the end he had no choice but to deal with the matter first.

Manfred recommended Tracys to let Humphrey, played by Lord Blood Demon, solve the problem. After discussing with the people in the News Department about the first press speech and the visit to the representatives of the Columbia Alliance (now part of Victoria, but only a member country, responsible for the distribution of a large part of the Steam Knight production parts), Lord Blood Demon came to the office.

"Humphrey, I'm thinking."

"Very good." The Blood Demon Lord smiled and spoke in a doting tone, like an old fox coaxing a child.

And Tracy was slightly stunned by the other party's attitude, but he still said: "Since I became prime minister, let me think... it has been three days, right?"

"——and he has always been a very good prime minister." The Blood Demon Lord immediately took over Tracy's boasting and teased with a wink.

"...I didn't ask you to flatter me, although it did go a long way." Tracys was flattered by the Blood Demon Lord's timely flattery and was almost unable to control the smile on his face, but he still pretended to be calm and spoke.

After just a few words of dialogue, all those who didn't know them before suddenly understood their personalities. Especially those politicians and civil servants, they all gave hilarious high praise to the Blood Demon Lord's performance at this moment.

Looks like, too much like, these civil servants are exactly the same.jpg

Chapter 34: The potential that Tracy saw in "Yes, Prime Minister"!

"This cabinet secretary will play this stupid prime minister around."

"Yeah, just like when we played tricks on our Prime Minister."

"You will definitely be led by the nose."

Humphrey, played by the Blood Demon Lord, had just appeared on the scene and had only spoken a few words to Huck, played by Tracy, but these old foxes who had been in the political circle for who knows how many years saw the clues and commented with subtle smiles.

There is an unwritten rule in Victoria's political circles that whoever is closest to the prime minister has more power - because the prime minister's views are largely influenced by the opinions of his cabinet secretary and private secretary.

In this regard, the veterans present here can be said to be experienced. As long as the secretary can master the words that the prime minister finds acceptable and the appropriate guidance methods, many of the prime minister's views can be changed.

Humphrey, played by Lord Blood Demon, clearly showed his ability to influence the Prime Minister from the very beginning, for example, he was able to firmly control the Prime Minister's emotions.

Soon, just as the ministers and civil servants had thought, after a brief chat, Tracys raised the issue of his cook to the Blood Demon Lord.

"There's a small matter. I need a cook and housekeeper."

"You can place an advertisement." Lord Blood Demon was not interested in this matter at all, but Tracys immediately added:

"No, a government-appointed cook and housekeeper."

"Ah... that's a bit difficult." The Blood Demon Lord quickly realized the key point of the matter. Although it was indeed a small matter, it was unexpectedly a matter of principle. He said, "That is your private residence. It just happens that your residence and office are in the same place."

Tracy said as a matter of course: "I live here and eat here. I just want to find someone to cook for me. Doesn't it make sense?"

The Blood Demon Lord rejected it decisively, saying, "It's not unreasonable, it's just impossible."

Teresis was very surprised by this result, and subconsciously said: "-I have the power to destroy any country on this earth with Steam Knights, but I can't ask for a plate of fried eggs?"

"You have the right to apply." The Blood Demon Lord answered seriously, but it was obvious that the politicians knew the second half of his sentence.

Yes, you have the right to apply, but whether they will grant it is another matter.

And Tresis obviously knew what this meant, and immediately changed his mind and said, "What if I invite Ambassador Leitania to dinner?"

"That's fine. This is a formal appointment, an official reception." As soon as the Blood Demon Lord talked about the professional issues he was familiar with, he immediately replied: "We can provide a seven-course meal, wine and brandy, no problem."

"So Ambassador Leitania's lunch is a government event, but mine is not?" Tracy seemed to have found an idea all of a sudden, but his tone was somewhat resentful.

"Not just for Leitania, but for any ambassador."

"Okay..." After getting this affirmation, Tracys turned around and said to Manfred beside him: "Berna, take my schedule."

"On Monday, we have the Leitanian ambassador for lunch. On Tuesday, we have the Gallic ambassador. On Wednesday, we have the Casimir ambassador. On Thursday, we have the Lateran courier. How many countries are there in this land of ours?"

"21." Manfred answered immediately, and Tracy said with joy:

"That's enough for three weeks, then we can start all over again!"

Tracys acted as if he was racking his brains to the point of a diplomatic incident in exchange for a solution to his lunch problem. Not only did the Sarkaz and politicians burst into laughter, but even several members of the art troupe at the filming site could hardly hold back their laughter.

However, Chen Qi did not stop the process immediately. He thought that all these sounds would be dealt with later, so he didn't want to destroy the perfect atmosphere.

Soon, Tracy was naturally rejected. After all, it was impossible for the Prime Minister to conduct diplomatic activities with various countries every day just to have lunch. This would destroy the diplomatic achievements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the years.

What's more, the prime minister has never had a private chef. The prime ministers before Hake were either rich or noble. There was no precedent for a civilian prime minister like him, so it was naturally difficult for him to make any progress on this issue.

"Let me put it another way. Are you sure your first policy as Prime Minister will be to give yourself a pay rise of 10,000 Victorian gold coins a year?"

"——Just don't tell them (the public), haha." Tracys showed a little cleverness at this time, which also made people smile.

Especially the Sarkaz, it was quite interesting when they saw their regent being so... uh... cute.

"No, no, transparent government, you know." The Blood Demon Lord shook his head, denied Tracys' idea, and said righteously:

"We must be open and honest with the media and the public about all the information they can find out."

Having said that, Tracy knew that his cook problem could not be solved. He then told Lord Blood Demon about his new policy, which was to stop the research funding for the new steam knights, stop producing new steam knights, and restore the conscription system.

But in the end, as soon as this proposal was put forward, it was strongly opposed by the Blood Demon Lord. He firmly supported the creation of new Steam Knights on the grounds that the current Steam Knights were very old, because only in this way could they be sure that powerful countries such as Ursus, Gaul, and Iberia would not have any intention of spying on them.

But Tracy feels that Victoria's Steam Knights are now enough to deter any country. Hundreds of Steam Knights can seriously damage any powerful country. If they don't want to be taken advantage of, they will not provoke Victoria. All this is enough to deter Ursus.

"But this is not enough!" Lord Blood Demon argued: "As long as the new steam knight is put into use, we can dominate the entire west of this land!"

In the end, neither the Blood Demon Lord nor Tracys was able to convince the other, and they ended up parting on bad terms. But it was clear that neither of them had given up their ideas.

Blood Demon Lord: "Then, the only way to get the Prime Minister to give up this idea temporarily is to find a cook for him."

"Then it seems that the Prime Minister is not that difficult to coax. It's like coaxing a toddler. As long as his previous demands are met, he will forget about the later ones."

Tracy: "——Really? I think this is just a test. I believe that after what happened today, Huck will definitely make progress and know how to bargain with the people in the cabinet to achieve his own goals."

After the filming was over, the Blood Demon Lord took off his makeup, restoring his pale skin and charming face, and confidently poured himself a glass of red wine.

In front of the Blood Demon Lord, Tracys and Manfred, who had taken off their makeup, each poured themselves a glass of red wine. After a day of filming, they could finally take a break and discuss the subsequent plot.

It has to be said that "Yes, Prime Minister" has created many topics for the three of them during this period. The only thing they have in common is their understanding of politics. However, many issues reflected in the plot of "Yes, Prime Minister" are indeed worthy of their discussion.

"It seems that without the support of these important people, the prime minister will find it difficult to do anything, even a simple matter like cooking will be difficult."

Manfred expressed his own opinion first, and then said to Lord Blood Demon and Tresis: "This seems to be what the general is doing now... General, you keep trying to win over the kings of the royal court to support you, just to give you more say?"

"You've made progress, Manfred." Tracy nodded. Although they had already read their respective scripts, when they actually acted them out, they realized that many of the things that happened in them were related to their current situation.

"If I can't guarantee the support of the royal court, which has the final say, then all my reforms in Kazdel will be difficult to implement... not to mention everything in Londinium now."

"Just like Prime Minister Hake." Manfred nodded, and then asked:

"So, General, you asked me to summon all officers above the rank of 1,000 to watch the show on the day it airs. Do you also hope that they can learn some political knowledge while having a good laugh?"

"—and more than that, Manfred."

However, Tracys opened his eyes upon hearing this, revealing a pair of scarlet pupils, and said word by word:

"This show is a satire of Victorian government, however, the mistakes of the enemy are the vulnerabilities we can know about."

"As an old and powerful country, Victoria's political system definitely has its merits. But now, a TV series can reveal many problems for us to avoid making the same mistakes as Victoria in our future rule!"

"By exploiting the weaknesses and flaws of our enemies, we will not make the same mistakes again, and in this way, our rule will be more successful."

This is Tracy's ambition. He feels that the potential of the play "Yes, Prime Minister" may not only allow him to use it to undermine the resistance of the residents of Londinium, make them realize the corruption of the Victorian government, or reduce the probability of some strikes and riots.

Now he sees the potential in this TV series. Their Sarkaz top brass know too little about Victoria's politics, and he wants to use the enemy's loopholes to improve his own policies.

"Director Chen Qi... is a genius, not only as a screenwriter, but also a political genius."

Tracys smiled wickedly and said to Lord Blood Demon and Manfred, "I have told him that we will broadcast the first two episodes of Yes, Prime Minister in Londinium. We will know the response to the show on Sunday."

"And, even if the response is really bad, I will tell him that everything is very good..."

"——Does the general need his wisdom to write more content exposing the malpractices of Victorian politics?"

At this moment, Manfred and Lord Blood Demon also understood Tracys's plan, but Lord Blood Demon said a very important point at this moment:

"Then, when he has nothing to write, what will you do with him, General?"

"You can sign the blood contract. Even if you are a general, if you violate the blood contract, you will be despised by all Sarkaz."

"...That will be a matter for later. For now, let's just appreciate his wisdom."

Tracy did not express his thoughts immediately. He no longer had such greedy ideas about the integrated art troupe headed by the Patriot and Tallulah - the Sarkaz army would never lack high-end combat power, and the strength they now had in their hands did not so urgently need the "icing on the cake" of the art troupe.

What Tracy wants more now is Chen Qi's "wisdom". How much of Victoria's shortcomings can he reveal to these "country bumpkins" from Kazdel?

"I really look forward to seeing whether Victorians can still trust their own government when they find that the government they support has so many exposed problems... or choose to turn to a more enlightened leader."

Tracy drank the red wine in the glass. He gradually felt that...public opinion was something that once you got hold of it, you couldn't stop.

Chapter 35: We need to convince people that Victoria is protected!

On Sunday, Londinium, which was surrounded and almost completely controlled by the Sarkaz army, was as gloomy as usual in terms of city defense and information. Not only was it difficult to see blue sky and white clouds due to frequent natural disasters in this world, but also the environmental pollution caused by Londinium's industry was a factor.

The whole sky and this moving city, everything seemed dead... depressing and boring. This should have been a normal and boring day for worker Bill.

"I am back."

After a day of intense work, Old Bill dragged his tired body back to his home today because the Sarkaz overseers did not allow any laziness. His home was no different from that of an ordinary worker, a house of about 50 to 60 square meters with a living room, dining room and kitchen all connected together. There was only one room, which could barely support him, his wife and a child.

If there is anything valuable in their house, it is probably the TV in the living room, which was bought three years ago to celebrate the birth of a child. Although it is a bit old, it finally provides them with their only entertainment option.

It's a pity that due to Tracy's entry and control of Londinium, the programs of Londinium TV station now only play some old programs in a loop. After a long time, even old Bill got bored.

But on this day, when old Bill returned home, he did not find his busy wife. There was only his dinner on the wooden table: black bread, half a fish and mashed potatoes left over from yesterday, and a glass of strong liquor.

There was also the sound coming from the old TV at home, and occasional laughter - from strangers and his wife.

"Ah, you're back, Bill."

Soon, Bill's wife heard the sound of her husband returning. At this moment, she seemed to have not recovered from her previous smile. Her face, which was originally pale and thin, and gloomy due to the bad environment, began to become full of life, and there were even tears in the corners of her eyes.

Old Bill was a little stunned. Ever since the Sarkaz entered the city and took over Londinium, he had never seen his wife smile so happily.

But before old Bill could react, his wife couldn't wait to get up and pulled Bill to sit on the sofa, like a child sharing candy and said;

"Come here quickly, come here, watch TV with me!"

"Today the lady next door told me about a great TV series, a new one! It's so funny, I've already watched it for the third time!"

"We are now at the most exciting part, come and watch!"

"Ah, ah, ah, I haven't eaten yet!"

Old Bill couldn't persuade his wife, so he was dragged by her to sit on the sofa. He was not very interested in the new drama because ever since the Sarkaz surrounded Londinium, the news had been blocked, and everyone in Londinium knew that they had become "captives" of the Sarkaz, but most of them did not dare to resist.

Those who dared to resist were either hanged or fled to the underground passages, calling themselves the "Londinim City Self-Rescue Army" and secretly asking everyone to join the ranks of the self-rescue army every day.

Old Bill considered himself an ordinary man who just wanted to protect his children and wife. He also thought that he did not love Victoria that much. After all, Victoria did not give him anything and he earned everything he had by himself.

Old Bill was sitting on the sofa, and the TV in front of him was playing a picture - a few Aslans who were obviously social elites were acting, which made Old Bill, who was slightly jealous of the rich, frown and asked:

“What’s the name of this TV show?”

"Yes, Prime Minister." Bill's wife sat down next to him, looking forward to her husband's reaction and said, "It's about government affairs, but it's very interesting."

"Government affairs are not interesting...it would be better to give us more subsidies." Old Bill replied sullenly, already beginning to have critical views on the TV series.

But he still didn't want to spoil his wife's interest, so he watched it patiently. Soon, the two Asuras were playing on TV.

"...Why do I feel like there's someone here who looks familiar, like the Sarkaz General who has been hanging on the wall?" Old Bill frowned slightly, but then looked more carefully.