FADE IN:
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - DAY
PETER wakes up, reaches for his phone and checks incoming mails in bed.
PETER (V.O.)
The Harvard Dean is asking if alumni
can return to campus to join him
and others to discuss "President
Bush's Public Service and Legacy
Today".
A pause.
PETER (Cont'd)(V.O.)
When I was studying there in
2003, the Dean was Joseph Nye.
I engaged him alright, seizing
the opportunity to learn from
a master. Now, Nye ABC is the
discussion venue.
Another pause.
PETER (Cont'd)(V.O.)
Among the discussants, I only
knew Prof Graham Allison. I
read one of his works. The key
takaway was that, after deep
analysis, what was thought as
irrelevant was very relevant.
Another pause.
PETER (Cont'd) (V.O.)
That I believe is what scholarship
is all about.
Peter reads on.
PETER (Cont'd) (V.O.)
George Bush spent decades in
public service...me too. But when
he began as a fighter pilot at 19,
I was just teaching in a secondary
school.
A pause.
PETER (Cont'd) )(V.O.)
During his presidency from 1989
to 1993, he waged a war to free
Kuwait from an Iraqi invasion.
...Yes I appeared on TV a couple
of times sharing the international
law perspective.
Another pause.
PETER (Cont'd) (V.O.)
Bush was strong on foreign policy...
enabling Bill Clinton's election slogan
"...It's the economy stupid."
PETER (Cont'd)(V.O.)
(Hand in cheek)
That might explain why the current
Dean is an economist...I wasn't
good at economics and gave up the
the idea to do economic analysis of
intellectual property law...
Peter scrolls further down the mail.
PETER (Cont'd) (V.O.)
So Kennedy School recognizes
Bush's commitment to the "noble,
joyous calling" of public service.
He gets up.
EXT. ROAD - DAY
Peter in driver seat waits.
PETER (V.O.)
Would I consider my public
service as noble and joyous
calling? ...Originally, it was just
a job that those recruiting me
thought I could do...
(Pausing)
Irrespective of my ranks or posts,
I was committed to the calling.
FLASHBACK
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY (1998)
GENTLEMAN#1 (50s) talks to Peter (40s)
GENTLEMAN#1
When you assume the post of...
PETER
Why me? There're others who
are senior to me...
GENTLEMAN#1
We work with all of you. We can
tell the difference...
END FLASHBACK
PETER (Cont'd) (V.O.)
My employer granted me
scholarship, educated me
and let me practise what
I've learned. That's joyous!
Peter's WIFE gets inside the car and Peter drives off.
INT. SWIMMING POOL - DAY
Peter rests by the poolside.
PETER (V.O.)
Was my public service noble?
As a paid civil servant for decades,
I was obliged to do public good.
Peter reflects.
PETER (Cont'd) (V.O.)
Having volunteered my time
and effort since retirement to
do particular good for HKUST
and general good for Hong
Kong and for the Greater Bay
Area, I begin to feel the noble
calling.
He swims another length.
EXT. MALL - DAY
Phone rings. Peter looks at the number on the screen.
PETER (V.O.)
Who is it?
(Pause)
Hello...
CALLER (O.S.)
...I'm your anchor. You'll speak
in the BIP Asia Forum, right?...
PETER (V.O.)
I was one of the originators of
this Forum, an example of my
on-going public service to
create and deliver value for
Hong Kong.
Peter buys bottles of energizers.
INT. STUDY - DAY
Peter works on his computer.
PETER (V.O.)
Now that I need not worry
about my basic needs, it's
high time I should focus
more on my psychological
and actualization needs.
INT. JIMMY'S KITCHEN - NIGHT
Peter, GENTLEMAN#2 and a LADY dine in a classy environment.
PETER
...In the Greater Bay Area,
I want to develop an IP-
backed capital market...
Gentleman#2 and the Lady stare at Peter.
GENTLEMAN#2
...I can echo that in Beijing...
The lady looks excited.
PETER
...We can work together to
use IP to save the country!
GENTLEMAN#2
Yes! It's a high level...
PETER
...and noble thing for us to
do!
They smile and clink glasses joyfully.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
Peter comes back from somewhere. He quickly switches on his computer.
PETER (V.O.)
I feel the calling again, hope I
could do more public good.
Legacy, if any, or whether
discussed or not, will follow
naturally.
He looks at his image in a wall mirror.
FADE OUT. The End