At last the plan for Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to host a banquet to celebrate the 80th birthday of Sir Sze-yuen Chung at Government House has been called off, but that does not mean the problems associated with the controversy will disappear.
It is true the celebration has been cancelled amid mounting public criticism, but what Mr Tung and Sir Sze-yuen said on Monday suggests the cancellation was not exactly a response to the public outcry.
Instead it was a reluctant gesture to protect Mr Tung from further malicious attack.
In declining Mr Tung's invitation, the Executive Council convenor leapt to the Chief Executive's defence, saying it was common for bosses to treat their staff to meals at the company's expense to help instil loyalty and bolster co-operation.
Speaking after Sir Sze-yuen, Mr Tung also indicated he was not swayed by the public opinion. Had the Exco convenor not declined his invitation, he emphasised, the Exco convenor would still go ahead with the dinner party.
In other words, Mr Tung and Sir Sze-yuen were telling the community they did not think the public objection was valid or fair. They do not agree that the Chief Executive is confusing private interest with official duty.
The frustration and resentment voiced in the recent criticisms that swamped radio phone-in programmes and newspaper columns and letter pages would not have been hard to detect. They may also see some of the criticisms as personal - attacking Mr Tung instead of the party plan.