The bell chimed, echoing crisply across the council room.
Garfield Everworth's chair detached from the floor, rising smoothly and gliding along the invisible path to the central platform.
He stepped off carefully, polished oxfords landing firmly.
Leaning slightly on the podium for support, his tall, aged frame carried a quiet gravity—the kind that commands attention without raising volume.
Dang it… dang it… this is not good.
He thought. They are still landing heavy encounters to our points.
This isn't creating cracks in public perception of the Piao family.
It's not even shifting opinions online.
If anything, their responses are still landing clean.
Fully prepared.
Documented.
No real openings.
Maybe the timing was wrong.
Less than 24 hours would have forced mistakes.
Two days was too much. Too much space for them to respond properly.
"My name is Garfield Everworth. I specialize in transitional governance systems and long-term policy decommissioning, with a focus on institutional sunset frameworks, regulatory phase-out design, and stability-maintained system closure. For almost half a century, I have worked on oversight structures involving large-scale governmental transition programs and managed withdrawal protocols from long-term social policy systems. I am here to address the adequacy, transparency, and accountability of the Male Protection Act's transition plan."
"Let us examine the transition plan of the Male Protection Act. The Piao family proposes a gradual reduction of mandatory participation, eventual equality of legal treatment, and an ultimate cessation of the Act upon meeting certain population percentages. Yet the question remains: is this transition sufficient, accountable, and timely?"
If there's a next time, I'll escalate it further.
No!!!
He stopped himself from going down that path. That's not even the point anymore. Once an opening shows itself… that's enough. I'll tear straight through it. No hesitation. Break them down to the core. Nothing left to stand on.
He raised a hand, and a holographic display flickered to life above the platform.
Graphs and charts showed male participation percentages over the last seventy years, decreasing gradually from mandatory full participation toward voluntary involvement.
"Consider this: even after decades of operation, roughly forty percent of eligible males still engage in voluntary participation at any given time. While this reflects choice, it also demonstrates that significant portions of the population remain bound by structural expectations tied to the Act."
Garfield leaned forward slightly, voice firm but calm.
"The transition plan sets no fixed timeline for completion, only vague conditions—population stabilization, international oversight, and voluntary reduction. These criteria are ambiguous. How is 'stabilization' defined? By whose standards? Without explicit benchmarks, the system's phase-out could be indefinite, maintaining a form of control under the guise of stability."
I can't wait to wipe that sense of power behind Grace Piao's gaze.
His gaze drifted to her for a brief moment. A flicker of intimidation followed. But the second Grace met his eyes, he looked away quickly.
Enough of this messy thoughts. I need to focus.
He thought to himself.
He gestured at the hologram again, highlighting projected curves of decreasing donation and participation rates.
"The plan assumes compliance without friction. Yet historical data indicates fluctuations in engagement, especially as younger males exercise autonomy. If the reduction is too rapid, societal stability could be compromised. If it is too slow, the Act remains unnecessarily restrictive. There is little guidance on who monitors this pace, who enforces voluntary compliance, and how independent verification occurs."
Everworth's tone sharpened slightly, though never raised.
"Moreover, financial and logistical burdens remain. Even as participation declines, infrastructure, rehabilitation facilities, and monitoring systems must continue, funded entirely by the Piao family. While their commitment is commendable, it highlights an imbalance: those who control the system maintain both authority and responsibility until the transition is complete. Any attempt to assume control prematurely risks inheriting both cost and obligation without preparation."
He straightened, hands clasped lightly on the podium.
"The transition plan, as it stands, is promising in concept but incomplete in specification. It relies on trust, discretion, and judgment—qualities that, while commendable in the Piao family, cannot substitute for codified guarantees. If the Male Protection Act is to end responsibly, these gaps must be addressed. Clear timelines, defined metrics, and independent oversight are necessary to prevent the continuation of de facto control under a fading mandate."
Garfield paused, letting the words resonate. The holograms dimmed.
"I present these observations not to undermine past achievements, but to ensure that a system designed for protection does not linger unnecessarily, nor maintain hidden power structures under the guise of transition. The citizens, both participating and formerly restricted, deserve clarity, accountability, and certainty in this phase."
He stepped back onto his hover chair.
The soft hum carried him back to his seat, and the platform returned to silence.