Inside the council room, everyone was waiting in silence.
Some were busily noting a few things, others were flipping through their documents.
Some were listening to music in their headphones, and others were messaging people outside the meeting through their holograms.
Grace Piao, on the other hand, had long turned off the comments on the hologram after signaling for the request to be sent for Camera Six to gain access to the live feed and show her sisters.
She allowed herself a quiet moment to observe.
The room was orderly, yet not without its flaws.
A few were visibly distracted, tapping pens, adjusting chairs, or fiddling with gadgets.
Some thought they were clever. Others thought they mattered more than they did.
This continued until the two Piao sisters entered the room.Everyone looked up, paying their respects in the way people who knew better than to offend a Piao knew how to.
Angel walked in confidently, head held high.
Angela, on the other hand, shrank inward slightly, hugging PewPew tightly and half-blocking her face as she quietly made her way over to her own seat.
Once seated, Grace cleared her throat softly, a small, deliberate sound that immediately drew attention without seeming to.
"Since everyone is here," she began, voice calm, yet threaded with a precision that suggested she enjoyed measuring her audience, "we may begin the meeting. Though, naturally, there are a few formalities that must be observed. Simple rules. I'll brief you before we start, lest anyone be tempted to improvise in ways that might reflect poorly on themselves—or amuse us unintentionally."
She paused, letting her eyes move slowly across the room, lingering on expressions, gestures, the slight twitch of hands.
"First," she continued, "the meeting's format must be clear. To prevent the kind of endless back-and-forth that produces neither insight nor progress: when one group speaks, the other may only rebut the points that were raised. That's all. Nothing more. Nothing less. Any attempts at… creative interpretation will be noted."
She allowed a faint, polite smile.
"So: three meetings. The first, opposition states their points. Proposition may rebut. The opposition may not respond further to the rebuttal. Move on. Efficiency, not ego, is the goal. The second meeting, roles reverse. Same rules. Third meeting, the Male Protection Act's fate is decided. No arguing, no debating. Only judgment, explanation, and finality. Anyone expecting theatrics will be… disappointed."
Grace folded her hands neatly, letting the silence press for a moment before letting the next words fall.
"All right. That covers the basics. Any questions?"
The room remained still, as if waiting for permission to breathe.
Then,
Hesitantly,
A hand rose.
Grace's gaze laid upon the hand immediately.
"I have a question," a weak voice called out.