When the applause had died down, Fang Hung-Chien forced a smile and began, “Principal Lu, members of the faculty, and students: Though your applause was well-meaning, it is actually quite unjustified. Applause indicates satisfaction with the speech. Now before I have even begun, you have already applaused with satisfaction. Why should I have to go on? You should all listen to the lecture first, then clap a few times as you wish, letting me leave the stage with dignity. Now that you’ve clapped at the start, if my lecture can’t live up to such enthusiastic applause, it’ll put me in the embarrassing position of having been paid without being able to deliver the goods.” The audience roared with laughter.