Barring any dramatic twists, the 'Cargate' saga which has enveloped former financial secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung since March looks close to ending.
Not surprisingly, the government's long-awaited announcement on Monday as to whether or not it would prosecute Mr Leung for buying a Lexus car ahead of his proposal to raise vehicular taxes received extensive media coverage.
But if radio phone-in programmes and newspapers are a mirror of the collective mind of society, the car-purchase scandal had already faded into the margins of public debate. Ordinary people have found electricity charges, the operation of West Rail, unemployment and a fresh Sars scare more relevant to their daily lives.
The rhetorical heat over the decision at a Legislative Council panel meeting on Tuesday might suggest critics and sceptics are keen to keep the case on their political agendas. But there is very little legislators can do to change the 'no case' ruling.
Striving desperately to distance his party from the government, a Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong legislator, Ip Kwok-him, talked tough and asked why the government had not taken the case to court to help allay the public's concerns.
He should perhaps realise any government-bashing without solid ground can backfire.
Superficially, there has been considerable support for prosecuting Mr Leung, as shown in polls conducted by some Chinese-language newspapers. But if the depth of public dismay over the government decision has not triggered massive political fallout, it is because most people are acutely aware of the paramount importance of upholding the fundamentals in handling the case.