Chapter 290: The Stubborn Donkey Knows Not the Taste of Soft Meals

"I hope all participants will compete with style, friendship, and high standards in the upcoming matches."

The first-ever National College Debate Championship, long in preparation, finally opened, with over twenty colleges sending their debate teams to Jingda for nearly ten days of intense competition.

Just by looking at the prominent names on the podium, you could tell how seriously the relevant departments took this event.

Pei Wencong, who had traveled a great distance, also held a seat on the podium, and his ranking among the guests was quite high.

Yesterday, Pei Wencong donated thirty thousand U. . dollars to Jingda, and in return, Jingda generously transferred the film and television rights to "Wangxiang Gujun" to Tawang Literature Publishing House without charge.

Although the donation was a donation and the rights were rights—the monetary value and the actual worth could not be equated—this act undoubtedly gave face to many people.

Moreover, the school immediately granted the Gujun Literature Society a thirty-percent share in a dollar-plus-RMB package, to improve their creative environment and reward relevant creators.

This was a blatant declaration—【Look, when we originally asked for thirty thousand U. . dollars, it wasn't nonsense; it was just that some people didn't recognize true value.】

Wu Jinyuan's mood? Li Ye didn't know. But seeing Li Huai and Yang Yu's red-rimmed eyes, Li Ye suspected they wouldn't sleep a wink tonight, lost in daydreams.

Li Huai slung an arm around Li Ye's shoulder and whispered, "Little brother, after the debate ends, let the guys take you to Lao Mo for some foreign flavor!"

Li Ye said, "Why go so far? That old Zhao's restaurant right outside is fine. I actually prefer Chinese food."

Li Huai blinked in surprise. "Don't try to save me money, little bro! We're brothers—no need to be so formal."

Li Ye smirked. "How much can you save on one meal? If you really feel guilty, treat me to ten days at Fengzeyuan."

"Fine. Ten days at Fengzeyuan. It's settled."

""

Such a straightforward guy!

Because so many schools were participating, Jingda prepared multiple venues, hosting several matches daily so students could freely choose which teams to support.

From the crowd sizes, it was clear that Qingda, Jingda, and Minda were by far the most popular.

Li Ye was waiting in a classroom near the venue for his turn when Li Dayong and Fu Yingjie showed up. "Bro, I can't get in—gotta help me find a seat."

Li Ye blinked. "Didn't you ask Xiao Hui? Can't you get in with her?"

Thanks to Pei Wencong's patriotic act, Pei Wenhui had gained considerable clout at Jingda lately—there was no way she couldn't get into the debate hall.

Li Dayong chuckled awkwardly. "We can't rely on a girl for everything, you know."

【What a stubborn donkey, clueless about the taste of soft meals—deserves to eat hay his whole life.】

Just as Li Ye was looking for a classmate to take Li Dayong in, he saw Pei Wenhui appear at the door, waving and smiling in his direction.

Li Ye patted Li Dayong's shoulder. "See? Stop being so stubborn. When two people are together, what's yours and mine?"

Li Dayong, a towering 1. 9 meters, immediately bowed his head and hurried out.

Fu Yingjie licked his lips and said to Li Ye, "Can I still call you brother? Can you help me find a seat too?"

"Get lost. You're years older than me!"

Li Ye laughed and shoved Fu Yingjie out, knowing full well he was just teasing—he'd have used a gentler tone if he'd truly wanted to spare a boy's heart longing for love.

But when Li Ye turned back, he found Yang Chen, Qin Yongsheng, and others staring at him with looks full of tender admiration.

Sigh. Times have changed. What happened to a man's dignity?

"Question to the affirmative's first speaker: You claim morality predates law. What factual evidence supports this? I know that during China's Western Zhou dynasty, the 'Zhouli: Qiugong: Sixing' already existed."

""

"Question to the affirmative's second speaker: If morality is the standard for regulating human behavior, how do you explain the state's current vigorous crackdown on crime?"

""

Li Ye watched the third speaker from Beijing Foreign Languages College, sensing her oppressive tone and language, searching for weaknesses, looking for a chance to strike decisively.

This third speaker was a woman. Li Ye vaguely remembered seeing her once before—she'd helped Professor Zhang move when he bought the Zaojunmiao sihe courtyard.

But now, this woman named He Xue was nothing like the gentle, humble girl from that move.

Her words were fiercely intense; she constantly waved her arms, using gestures and intonations saturated with the spirit of the age to amplify her presence and overwhelm her opponents.

According to the rules, He Xue would pose one question each to Jingda's first, second, and fourth speakers.

Her final question: "If morality can regulate human behavior, then why do we need law at all?"

"Applause, applause~"

The audience erupted in loud applause. In the information-starved year of 1983, such an unchallengeable question struck a powerful chord.

Indeed—if morality worked, why need law? Doesn't the existence of law prove morality fails to restrain human behavior?

After the applause, according to debate rules, Li Ye, as the affirmative's third speaker, had to rise and deliver a rebuttal summary; only after the negative's third speaker did the same would free debate begin.

Li Ye stood and began: "After receiving this topic, we consulted professors and teachers from Jingda's History Department and reached a verified conclusion—"

"Morality emerged from humanity's innate sense of shame and the objective need of clan societies to survive harsh natural environments."

"Long ago, humans understood that only through unity and cooperation could we survive and reproduce safely—this required a standard to regulate behavior, so unwritten customs arose."

"For example, stealing others' property is bad; beating children is bad; stealing someone else's wife is even worse."

"Hahahaha~"

The debate hall burst into laughter. In an era with a low threshold for humor, Li Ye's every word could trigger comedy.

Li Ye paused until the laughter subsided, then continued: "These standards were the earliest forms of morality."

"Law emerged precisely because some people refused to follow these accepted moral norms—thus arose punitive regulations."

"Murder and arson are crimes; bullying the weak is a crime; murdering one's husband is a crime. Think about it—every single one of these crimes violates a moral norm."

The Jingda debate team glanced around the audience and saw many spectators deep in thought—they knew Li Ye's argument was working.

Come on, everyone, think as I've said—

If you just follow what they say, aren't you letting them lead you by the nose?

Li Ye paused for several seconds, then continued: "Moral restraint is a great achievement nurtured by thousands of years of civilization. Its scope is vast, its penetration deep, its societal impact profound—far exceeding that of law. Moral restraint is everywhere."

"Think for yourselves: before you even knew what law was, didn't you already know not to steal persimmons from orchards or dig up your neighbor's sweet potatoes?"

""

Many were stunned—they suddenly felt they'd broken the law.

"And law has loopholes and flaws. For example, two elementary school students walking to school encounter an elderly woman who has accidentally fallen."

Li Ye paused, suppressing his inner discomfort: "According to law, these two students are under no obligation to help her up. But if they don't, and their school teacher finds out—what happens?"

""

No one spoke, but everyone understood: those two students would lose their chance to be named "Three Good Students."

"If morality cannot regulate human behavior, and we follow only the rigid clauses of law, then our society will lose all warmth—fallen elders lie unaided, injustice goes unchallenged, and if you encounter a thug, screaming until your throat breaks won't help."

"Hahahaha~"

"I'm dying! Where did Jingda find this third speaker?"

"I think he's from a crosstalk troupe—he's hilarious."

Li Ye finished his rebuttal summary and sat down.

The debate team exchanged glances—all agreed: everything was going according to plan.

When they received the topic, Li Ye knew it was impossible to directly deny that law was a regulating standard—courts were sentencing criminals every day, based entirely on law.

So their strategy was this: What would society become if we followed only law?

If this argument were made decades later, people might sneer—after all, no one even swept the snow from their own doorstep, let alone cared about others.

A thief dies from electrocution while stealing, then sues for compensation—do you talk to me about morality?

But in 1983, if you left an elderly woman lying on the ground for three hours without helping, your workplace would hold a meeting to denounce you as a heartless degenerate.