He changed Tiwat

"Although I don't want to talk about my father like this, no matter who looks at it, all I can say is that he abused his power to force me to come home, right?"

Ying and Paimon whispered to each other, "Now that Anaye says it, it does seem to be true..."

"Yes, so Anaye thinks that if she leaves the troupe, her father will let the troupe go, right? After all, Sharif just wants his daughter to come home..."

Nilu also lowered her head sadly.

She was the one who brought Anaye back to the theater. If Sharif really targeted the theater because of Anaye, then she should bear the responsibility.

But Han Fulai shook his head dramatically.

“Oh, Miss Anaye, I think you’re overestimating yourself. Do you really think your father would abuse his power for you, even going so far as to demolish the theater in the face of the wrath of so many people in the Grand Bazaar?”

He smiled faintly, pointed to the door, and said, "You should all remember that the tunnel between the Grand Bazaar and Baoshang Street is guarded by the 'Thirty-Man Group' of mercenaries, right? No matter who enters or leaves the Grand Bazaar, the mercenaries guarding the gate will verify their identity through the 'Void Terminal'."

“Shelif himself is the instructor in charge of the Grand Bazaar. How could he not know that his own daughter was running around with the dancers in his own jurisdiction? He already knew you were in the Zuber troupe. He knew from the very first day you came here.”

“We all heard him say it himself: ‘I’m just doing my job, it has nothing to do with where you are, what you do, or what you think.’ I think even if you leave the troupe, Mr. Sharif will not change his mind about dismantling the troupe.”

"To put it bluntly... you might not hold much weight in Mr. Sharif's heart. He might even be relieved that you ran away from home. Other young ladies have run away from home before, like Miss Dina Zedai from the Huma family. The moment she stepped out of her house, her bodyguards were searching the whole city for her. If Mr. Sharif really loved you that much, he would have brought people to bring you back long ago. Why wait until today?"

“Mr. Jiang Xue, no matter what, these kinds of words are…” Nilu raised her hand, trying to stop Han Fulai’s overly sharp words, but Ying quietly pressed Nilu’s hand down and signaled to her with her eyes not to interfere.

Ying was all too familiar with Han Fulai's smile just now.

Without a doubt, this guy is deliberately trying to provoke Anaye.

Anaye clenched her fists, clearly a little angry: "That's because you have no idea what kind of person he is!"

Han Fulai spread his hands innocently: "How would I know if you don't tell me?"

Anaye's fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly, clearly struggling with her memories.

After a long silence, she finally spoke: "He was once called a genius at school. I think he probably felt that the daughter of a genius must also be a genius. From the time I was a child, he placed excessive expectations on me. He always hoped that I would become a great scholar and be able to carry on his work."

“I also tried very hard to meet his expectations. While my peers couldn’t even speak in complete sentences, I had already started preschool education; while my peers were playing and fooling around outside and calling me to go out and play with them, I could only cover my ears and do my homework at my desk; I studied every day until late at night, and finally got into the Faculty of Education…”

“I thought I had done enough to live up to his expectations, but he was still not satisfied… or rather, he was never satisfied with me.”

"On the first day of school, while other fathers were congratulating their children, what did he do? He said that his colleague's child, Kavi, was two years younger than me when he took the entrance exam and got first place at such a young age. And me? I'm young, so I can only be young!"

"Yeah, I'm not a genius like Senior Kavi, but every time he scolds me, it's like he's questioning me, 'Why am I not a genius?' And who am I supposed to ask..."

Tears welled up again and uncontrollably, and Anaye raised her hand to wipe her cheeks, her voice choked with sobs: "I thought that my father would gradually accept reality over time, but it seems that he just keeps venting his resentment on me."

"Just recently, I got third place in the college's test."

“I feel that my efforts have paid off, and I can finally make my father happy. I also used the embroidery skills I learned at the academy to make him remember this day…”

“‘At least my daughter has her moments of being liked by him, right?’ That’s what I thought… I originally thought that if I achieved something, he would at least smile at me, right?”

"As a result, when he heard about my grades and received the gift, he was angrier than ever before, and he slapped my embroidery away."

"Do you think you should be complacent about coming in third place? Don't you reflect on why you weren't first?"

"I've forgotten how long I cried back then. I only remember hearing my mother and father arguing, and my mother also felt that my father was too harsh. But the two of them argued for a very long time, and finally my father slammed the door and left. I didn't get an apology or any comfort..."

"me……"

Anaye's voice grew softer and softer until she finally squatted down and buried her head in her knees.

“I give up… Mr. Jiang Xue, perhaps you are right…”

"He doesn't care about me at all."

"He just wanted everything in the world to revolve around him, this genius. He felt that everything should go according to his wishes. What I cherished, my humble abode, was worthless in his eyes..."

Seeing this, Nilu once again tried to step forward to stop the "debate," but Han Fulai walked up to Anaye before she could.

He also squatted down next to Anaye and gently patted her back: "No, your father actually cares about you a lot. There's just a misunderstanding between you."

"Hoping their sons become dragons and their daughters become phoenixes—almost every parent instills these expectations in their children. You two are just a very common and ordinary father and daughter. It's just that Mr. Sharif's personality is a bit more eccentric than most people's..."

“Think about it, Mr. Sharif hated art and denounced it as a superficial thing that was far removed from ‘wisdom’. But during the years he was in charge of the Grand Bazaar, he never stopped the people of the Grand Bazaar from singing, dancing and holding festivals.”

"Although he doesn't think much of the troupe members and looks down on their art, and often issues notices demanding they make changes... it seems that Mr. Zuber and Miss Nilu have never met Mr. Sharif's demands for changes, has it? Nevertheless, Mr. Sharif has never interfered with the theater's performances, has he?"

Anaye suddenly raised her head.

Nilu was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then realized, "That's right! Mr. Sharif has sent us many rectification notices before, but he has never forced us to change anything..."

Han Fulai nodded slightly: "From this, we can see that although Mr. Sharif's attitude is not very good, he is very reasonable and follows the rules. He is not someone who abuses his power."

He looked at Anaye and said, "Think about it. He values ​​your grades so much and expects you to get first place. He is an official in the Order of the Church system. Wouldn't it be easy for him to put in a good word for you with his colleagues in the Order of the Church and ask the teachers to give you preferential treatment or special tutoring? Has he ever done that?"

"Moreover, this approach of emphasizing reason and rules probably also affected Mr. Sharif's academic career, causing his career as an instructor to be quite unsuccessful." He winked at Anaye. "Think about it again, your father was a genius in school, and was taken as a disciple by a sage. He was very knowledgeable and wrote extensively, but he was assigned to be an instructor in a 'lower-level' place like the Grand Bazaar, where he hasn't moved for twenty years..."

“I don’t think he only talks to you, his daughter, like that. He’s probably constantly having ‘debates’ with his colleagues and teachers too. If I were his boss, I wouldn’t want someone like that to get promoted.”

Han Fulai smiled and said, "He would meticulously issue announcements about these annoying things, such as stopping the 'Flower Goddess Festival' and closing the 'Zubair Theater,' not only in writing but also verbally. He is clearly someone who pays great attention to procedures and rules, to the point that he could be described as 'pedantic.'"

"He came to give the announcement without any of the 'Thirty-Man Regiment' of guards, he just came all by himself... Isn't he afraid that Mr. Zubair will beat him up?"

Ying and Paimon recalled how Mr. Zuber had wielded the prop sword to slash people, and after trying to hold back, they couldn't help but burst out laughing.

“As I said before, Mr. Sharif is the instructor in charge of the Grand Bazaar. He knew you were in the theater all along, but he never thought of bringing people to arrest you, right? This shows that Mr. Sharif still respected your choice. Although he was disappointed and angry, he would not force you to go against your will or use violence to force you to do something you didn’t want to do.”

“I even suspect that he was the one who regretted it the most after you two had your argument. Before, you pointed your finger at him and called him despicable, and this eloquent Mr. Sharif couldn’t even utter a word in rebuttal—he probably felt that he would feel better if you scolded him.”

Han Fulai concluded: "So, closing the Zubair Theater was indeed a decision made by the Papal Council. Sharif, as the Papal Officer, was simply following orders, and it had nothing to do with his personal feelings. Although his tone was unpleasant, he was actually using what he felt was the most direct way to tell Mr. Zubair that they should make plans early and arrange their escape route as soon as possible."

"Putting aside personal likes and dislikes, I must say that Mr. Sharif is a man of great scholarly integrity and a very good man."

His first impression of Sharif was that he was a "dean of students' affairs." Now it seems that Sharif and he were exactly the same person – the kind of dean of students who patrolled the school at night with flashlights, would knock on the toilet doors to catch kids smoking, would glare at people from outside the corridor windows during class, and would call parents if students were dating.

But these are the people who care most about their students.

Those who don't care about you, who cares if you sneak out to internet cafes at night? Who cares if you smoke or have early relationships and whether it affects your exam scores?

"Is...is that so?" Anaye murmured to herself, momentarily unable to believe that her cold-hearted father could receive such high praise from others.

Should she have a serious talk with her father?

Han Fulai patted Anaye on the shoulder and stood up: "Alright, Miss Anaye, thank you for the information. Now I'm absolutely confident that I can defeat your father at the 'hearing'. When Mr. Sharif cries because of his defeat, remember to comfort him, okay? Consider it me helping you and your father find a way to reconcile."

Anaye stared at him blankly: "What...what does all this have to do with the debate?"

Han Fulai curled the corners of his mouth and asked Yingmei, "Judges, I should be considered the winner of the debate with Miss Anaye just now, right? After all, the opposing debater agreed with our point of view with tears in her eyes."

Ying and Paimon both glanced at him sideways. What time is it? You still care about this little victory or defeat?

Han Fu turned around and smiled at Anaye again: "I'll teach you an extra little trick. Next time you argue with your father... no, 'debate', remember to ask your mother to be the 'referee'."

“‘Debate’ is not for the audience and the opponent to hear; the one who decides the winner is the ‘referee.’ None of these three ‘referees’ want you to leave the theater.”

"So... all three 'referees' here are my people, how could I possibly lose?"

Chapter 49: What are your intentions in using the Great Tree King to negate the Little Lucky Grass King? [5k]

Two days later, at 3 p.m., the administrative review hearing of the Religious Council was held as scheduled in the Grand Bazaar.

The venue was set up on the stage of the Zubair Theater.

The small theater was packed with people from the Grand Bazaar who had come after hearing the news, and the atmosphere was as lively as the "Flower Goddess Festival".

After all, the Zubair Theater is the only theater in the Grand Bazaar and a source of pride for its people.

The fate of the theater and the success of the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" are matters of great concern to everyone living in the Grand Bazaar.

The audience spontaneously made various banners in support, and the slogans chanted at the scene grew louder and louder: "Down with the Vatican! Defend the Grand Bazaar!" "We want the theater! We want the festival!"

While some of this stemmed from the deliberate instigation of Manager Zubair and the troupe staff, the majority of the resentment stemmed from the long-standing grievances of the local people against the eccentric administration. Now that they had an outlet, the people naturally no longer held back, and various slang and insults, in addition to slogans, were directed at the ancestors of the religious officials.

The "thirty-man group" of mercenaries guarding the stage were all intimidated by the crowd's momentum and retreated, shrinking their defensive perimeter in unison. The mercenaries genuinely wondered if, if today's "debate" failed to deliver a satisfactory result to the public, they might be trampled into mincemeat by the angry mob.

On the contrary, the two scholars from the Order of the Church that the mercenaries were responsible for protecting were completely unmoved by the scene before them.

Sheriff stared at the clock on the theater wall, seemingly calculating when it was time to leave work; while the other had his head down and eyes closed, and if you looked closely, you could see his head tapping rhythmically, as if he were really asleep.

As one of the theater troupe's "debaters," Han Fulai was also standing on the stage. However, he seemed more like someone who was there to perform, waving to the audience every now and then, occasionally striking a pose to show off his not-so-impressive biceps, and shouting things like "The Grand Bazaar will prevail!" or "Justice will prevail!"

Yes, muscle definition can be faked with makeup. From a distance, standing in the audience, it did look quite powerful. Although whether you have well-developed muscles or not should have nothing to do with debating, the people in the Grand Bazaar really liked it, and their cheers were even louder.

Desia, who came to watch the game on behalf of Miss Dinazede, also made the same gesture from below the stands. Holding the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" was Miss Dinazede's wish, and since Miss Dinazede had invested so much Mora in it, she naturally had to take good care of her.

The mercenary sister's arms, muscular and well-proportioned from carrying a greatsword, drew envious glances from Nilu standing nearby.

At 3:15, just as the clock struck the hour, Sharif spoke: "Mr. Seidaf, it's time."

The scholar who had been resting with his eyes closed opened them, first wiping his round glasses, then taking out a comb to smooth his gray hair, and then properly putting on the laurel wreath on his head—the "Golden Laurel Crown," a symbol of honor for high-ranking scholars, representing the title "Hebantu."

The entire Sumeru Buddhist Academy has only about thirty "Hapandas," making them "below the Six Sages and above ten thousand others," revered wherever they go.

According to the rules of the Council of the Church, such administrative review hearings must be decided by a high-ranking scholar representing the Council of the Church, and this Habantha was invited to be the "referee" of this "debate".

He stepped onto the stage and bowed gracefully to the audience: "Greetings, everyone. I am Saidaf Pulbiluni, a scholar from the College of the Church and a disciple of the Pulbiluni lineage. I will be the moderator of this debate."

Then he raised his right hand, clenched his fist toward the sacred tree above his head, and solemnly swore: "I swear that I will judge the statements of both sides with the wisest and most impartial eyes, without interference or bias."

Saidaf is a renowned Habantha of the "Ming Lun" school, with outstanding achievements in mathematics, astrology, medicine, and education. After all, their previous "leader," Hibankati Purbiruni, who was once a sage, famously said: "A doctor who does not understand astrology is not qualified to call himself a doctor."

Mr. Saidaf also practiced medicine at the "House of Health" when he was young. Many people in the Grand Bazaar know him and he is considered one of the best scholars in the Instructional Academy.

Saidaf's voice was very loud and clear, and he had a confident yet unarrogant scholarly air. The commotion in the hall quickly subsided, and all the audience's attention was focused on Saidaf.

Satisfied, he stepped back and raised his hands in an invitation: "Please come forward, both participants. May the God of Grass witness this clash of ideas with us."

Han Fulai smiled slightly at Saidaf, then stepped forward with Sharif and stood face to face.

No one noticed the fleeting smile.

There's a reason why he deliberately chose "debate" as a way to break the deadlock.

One reason is that "debate" is his absolute strength.

It's not just his strength as "Secretary of Yuehai Pavilion," but also his strength as a university student from Huaxia University.

As a liberal arts student who graduated with a degree in Chinese literature, Han Fulai was completely outmatched by the students from the neighboring science and engineering college in everything from football and basketball. So, the only way he could make a name for himself was in debating, where he could use his verbal skills. Han Fulai participated in many inter-departmental competitions, inter-school competitions, and university leagues during his four years of university.

You, Shariputra, have won the Academy's "Best Debater" award for four consecutive terms?

What a coincidence! I, Han Fulai, have also won the title of "Best Debater" at our school for four consecutive years!

Moreover, how many people are there in the Sumeru Academy? There are only six debate teams in six academies, which is not even comparable to any university in China. In Han Fulai's eyes, Shariputra's title of "Best Debater" is not very prestigious.

Of course, while strategically underestimating the opponent, tactically taking them seriously is crucial—knowing yourself and your enemy is the most fundamental principle. "Seven parts preparation, three parts reaction" is an irrefutable truth in the debate arena.

Even in university departmental debates, it is necessary to prepare the debate materials in advance, anticipate the angles of attack that the opponent may raise, and strive to dismantle all of the opponent's responses in the "mock debate" stage before the competition.

If you can obtain information about your opponents, especially videos of their past competitions, you must carefully review and study them to tailor your strategies to their debating style.

Although Sharif doesn't have any match videos available for viewing, his daughter Anaye is right here, which is more useful than any match video.

Correspondingly, Sharif completely looked down on these "opponents" of the Zubair Theatre Company, and didn't even care who the Zubair Theatre Company sent to debate with him, so naturally there was no possibility of any "pre-competition preparation".

Even if Sharif were truly a genius debater of the "intellectual school," relying solely on his on-the-spot reactions would be no match for the well-prepared Han Fulai.

The second reason is that the "referee" in this "debate" was one of his people.

After talking with Anaye that day, Han Fulai went to the Religious Council immediately.

In addition to submitting an "administrative review" application on behalf of the Zubair Theatre, he also went to see the Habantha of the "Pulbiluni family," Saidaf Pulbiluni.

Ordinary citizens rarely dare to debate openly with scholars from the Religious Council, and such administrative review hearings are held only a few times a year, so the Religious Council naturally does not have a permanent department specifically for handling them.

As is customary, the person presiding over the hearing must be a high-ranking scholar with a title of "Habantha" or above; basically, whichever Habantha is available will be chosen to preside over the hearing.

Scholars who reach the Habantha level generally achieve "academic freedom"—as long as the topic does not violate the Religious Law, they can study whatever they want, without lacking in funding or time.

Therefore, most of the Hebantas, like the great scholar Pursina who invented the "Pursina Light Nail," wandered the world, seeking out research that interested them, and rarely stayed in Sumeru City.

According to Han Fulai's prior investigation, the most likely candidate to preside over the hearing is a scholar of the "Chilism" school named Safuwan. Safuwan is Shariputra's senior, and it's hard to say whether he will be biased towards Shariputra.

Even if that Safuvan was truly fair and impartial, and never favored one side, Han Fulai still couldn't trust him.

How can you trust someone to be the referee if you don't put one of your own people in such a crucial position? He even chose one of his own "family members" to be the referee for the "martial arts contest to choose a husband," okay?

So Mr. Saidaf, who "suddenly found free time," became the host.

The wisdom passed down from our Chinese ancestors is that "victorious armies first secure victory and then seek battle."

The outcome of this debate was decided long before it even began.

The hearing has officially begun.

Sharif adjusted his glasses and began, "Since you are so insistent on questioning the executive orders of the Council of the Church, then let me explain the Council's thoughts."

He glanced coldly at the angry crowd below the stage.