Chapter 100: Contentious Debate

Chapter 100: Controversial Debate

Fire Phoenix immediately flared up. She had never been fond of Xiao Tianci, and coupled with her fearless, rebellious nature that day, she snapped, “I won’t move.” Grabbing Meg by the hand, she said, “Meg, let’s go. Let’s ignore him.”

Meg leaned against the wall, tears welling in her eyes, shaking her head and refusing to follow Fire Phoenix. Qinglong and the others were taken aback; the situation had changed so quickly. Qinglong hurriedly said, “Little sister, the boss must have something important to say. Don’t get upset just yet.”

Fire Phoenix hadn’t quite caught what Xiao Tianci said earlier. But when she turned and saw Meg retreating in tears, her eyes fixed on Xiao Tianci. “No matter what you say, speak kindly to a child.”

Xiao Tianci thought to himself, “Wasn’t I speaking kindly? Fire Phoenix, you’re just stirring up trouble.” His brow furrowed. “I was simply telling Meg that she’s still young and must keep learning. She has to stay here to study. It’s not safe for her around me now; if I take her along, what will happen to her safety?”

Xiao Tianci assumed that after this, Fire Phoenix would be at a loss for words. Even if she tried to argue, she’d have no grounds. This was for Meg’s own good. How could such a young child not be educated? He truly didn’t want her involved in violence or living in such a harsh world.

Yet Fire Phoenix showed no sign of admitting fault. She turned to Meg and asked, “Meg, do you want to stay here and study?”

Meg shook her small head vigorously. Fire Phoenix then looked at Xiao Tianci and said, “See? She already said no. If you force her to stay, that’s on you.”

“Humph…” Xiao Tianci thought, absurd beyond imagination. He glanced at Fire Phoenix. “Meg is still a child. If we don’t let her study now, what about her future? She doesn’t even understand the world or life yet. Don’t you know children need guardians? She can’t tell right from wrong. Fire Phoenix, I want to talk to Meg properly.” He bent down and said kindly, “Meg, listen to your brother. Come here; I’ll explain why you need to stay.”

Meg shook her head and hid behind Fire Phoenix. Fire Phoenix understood Xiao Tianci’s point of view—it was somewhat reasonable—but seeing him act as if he alone was right irritated her.

Shielding Meg protectively, Fire Phoenix said, “Even children have their own rights. You have no authority to force her to do something she doesn’t want. No matter what you say, I’m in charge here. As long as Meg refuses, no one can force her.”

“You…” Xiao Tianci was genuinely angry. This wasn’t a trivial disagreement or a joke between two people; this was about Meg’s entire future.

Even Qinglong beside them was at a loss for words. Of course, he agreed with Xiao Tianci—people must learn and acquire knowledge no matter what.

But Fire Phoenix had her own thoughts, some her own ideas, others triggered by Xiao Tianci’s words, which made her consider the opposite side of things.

“Xiao Tianci, do you think you’re some old fogey? You’re still so young, yet you have such outdated and rotten ideas. Who says you can’t succeed without studying? There are many paths to choose.” She pointed at Qinglong and King Kong—she was quite familiar with King Kong now and knew much about him. “Neither my brother nor King Kong ever went to school. Are they unsuccessful? Are they worthless? They just chose their own paths.”

Xiao Tianci snorted coldly. “If circumstances prevent you, that’s another matter. But when you have the chance and don’t study, that’s ignorance. People can choose their own paths, but some basics must be understood. Otherwise, not knowing if the world is round or flat, or why an apple falls—lacking even elementary knowledge—is tragic. Once she’s learned the basics, she can choose her path without interference. But not now.”

Fire Phoenix suddenly stood up, facing Xiao Tianci. “I don’t care if the Earth is round or flat. When I eat apples, I never ask why they fall. You think you’re so great just because you read some books? I despise people like you.”

The chief steward, Lin Jian, glanced quietly at the boss’s glass of wine and silently praised the boss’s increasingly sharp judgment. This was among the top-quality wines here; just looking at it was a pleasure.

Sigh, the boss is so clever but clueless when it comes to women. Truth is, such matters can’t be reasoned out clearly. A dispute can last centuries, two schools of thought can battle for millennia—who’s right or wrong? It no longer matters. The boss truly cares for Meg. Better hide this wine first; if anyone gets impulsive, it’d be a shame to waste such a century-aged wine.

Fang Meng stood there, confused about why the two suddenly argued. Was it necessary? Qinglong rubbed his forehead, feeling helpless and frustrated.

“You’re just a young girl with a sharp tongue; how can I not be convinced?” Thinking of persuading Fire Phoenix, Xiao Tianci calmed himself and spoke very rationally: “People can learn in different ways, but the best place is school. Especially for a child her age, school is essential for learning and growth. I don’t consider myself a scholar or look down on anyone. In any civilized country, the foundation is education—the spread of knowledge and culture. With knowledge comes civilization; without it, humans would be no better than low-level animals. If everyone in society fights, ignores laws, doesn’t know murder is illegal, or what is lawful and unlawful, then human civilization is doomed.”

Xiao Tianci, mindful of his opponent, didn’t delve too deeply. Back in university, his closest buddy, Fatty, was an undefeated debate champion, whose eloquence left countless opponents speechless and defeated. Though Xiao Tianci wasn’t as skilled, he didn’t take Fire Phoenix seriously.

“Hmph…” Fire Phoenix snorted. “Don’t lecture me about this and that. I’ve killed many people, unlike you. Does that make you a criminal?” She scoffed.

Xiao Tianci sat back down calmly, speaking rhythmically and steadily: “Society is always ruled by a minority; a utopian society of absolute equality exists only in ideals. What you say is simple—like wealth, which is always concentrated in the hands of a few. Eighty percent of the world’s wealth is controlled by twenty percent of people. And, to be blunt, you and Qinglong killing people is illegal. That’s something you must understand. But as for me now, I haven’t broken the law. If I kill, it’s through legal means—meaning it’s lawful. Laws are made by the few for the many, designed to be fair to the majority. The minority aren’t involved in making these public laws, which are for the majority’s use.”

Fire Phoenix made Xiao Tianci’s words lose their edge. After a moment, she said, “Who do you think you are? If you hadn’t inherited your fortune, who knows what you’d be? Living for yourself is what matters. You’re so great—who dares to compete with you, Boss Xiao?”

Xiao Tianci waved his hand dismissively. “Wrong. This has nothing to do with inheritance or comparison. We’re drifting away from the topic. But I can say more. Everyone lives the same life, but why not live it well? Even without inheritance, I still have these basic views on the world and life. Meg is a hard-luck child. Since I’ve acknowledged her as my sister, I owe her responsibility as a brother. I can face death myself, but I won’t let her. If it were you, would you let her go? We can discuss this a thousand times, but simply put, if it were your own sister, would you let her take such risks?”

Meg seemed to sense that Fire Phoenix was wavering and clung tightly to her. Fire Phoenix blinked and said, “I’ve always treated Meg like my own sister.”

Xiao Tianci nodded. “Exactly. Since you treat her like your own sister, would you bear to see her take risks with us?”

Seeing Fire Phoenix’s expression, Xiao Tianci knew he had hit the mark. He sighed, realizing that reasoning with her through lofty principles was futile. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand; even if she did, she could easily find excuses to ignore the truth.

But this was different. This was real—about life and safety. Fire Phoenix looked down at Meg, who clung to her. Deep down, she understood, but refused to admit it. She also believed Meg could learn without formal schooling. No matter how strong-willed she was, she wouldn’t risk Meg’s safety for some pointless pride.

Gently stroking little Meg’s head, Fire Phoenix’s heart churned with mixed emotions. Seeing her and Meg together, Xiao Tianci also felt uneasy. Perhaps he had been too impatient and needed to calm down and talk to Meg gently.

“All right, let’s put this aside for now. Chief steward, how much longer?”

The chief steward, who had been standing nearby, replied, “The boss just arrived.”

(Top review by Ordinary Heart.)