Xue Chuqing's eyes flickered. She could tell that Zhou Yi was emphasizing that Wen Mosheng's conduct went far beyond mere "moral flaws" and that his works could hardly be called "great," thereby refuting the fallacy that "an author's moral flaws do not diminish the greatness of his works."
Gu Qitan, meanwhile, was making the opposite argument: by demonstrating the excellence of Wen Mosheng's works, he sought to prove that literary merit had nothing to do with personal character, and that banning those works was unreasonable!
Zhou Yi's logic was certainly clear and precise, but Gu Qitan was no slouch either!
"Gu Qitan, watch what you say!" Zhuo Cheng could not help warning him.
"Debate brings clarity. We're only having a discussion. We should give younger people a chance to speak!" Zheng Hua still wore the genial smile of a generous elder. It was impossible to tell whether he was deliberately backing Gu Qitan or simply approaching the matter impartially on its merits.
It really was no big deal!
Everyone had the right to express their views. Freedom of speech-whoever made the better case should be heard.
Even the Standing Committee practiced democracy, let alone a symposium!
"The decision on how to handle a certain individual's works was made by the relevant authorities in Jiangnan Province. If you or anyone else has objections, you're welcome to take them up with those authorities. But bringing this to me means you've come to the wrong person," Zhou Yi said coldly.
The rebuff left Gu Qitan rather uncomfortable. Frowning, he said, "I'm not bringing a complaint to you. I'm merely pointing out that My Hometown is an exceptionally fine work."
Zhou Yi shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I simply cannot agree with your assessment of this book. It conflicts with my values!"
Gu