A White Helmet

FADE IN.

EXT. RENOVATION SITE, SHENZHEN - DAY

LADIES and GENTLEMEN including PETER get off from a coach.

At an entry point, a STAFF is handing out white helmets to the visiting ladies and gentleman. Peter looks very pleased.

PETER

White helmets!

FLASHBACK

EXT. MARKET, KWAI SHING ESTATE - DAY (1974)

PETER (20) leads a TEAM of people in yellow helmets, walking towards an estate market.

Seeing Peter's team approaching, hawkers hawking near the market begin to disperse.

END FLASHBACK

PETER (V.O.)

I was young and green.

When a senior officer

asked me to do hawker

control, I just shouldered

the responsibility.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I took enforcement

action. I directed my

team to seize those

goods of hawkers who

did not go away. As

an officer, I didn't need

to wear any helmet.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

There're confrontations.

And I learned how to

control the situations.

Two years later, I was

transferred to the

Squatter Control Unit

in Yuen Long.

FLASHBACK

EXT. CASTLE PEAK ROAD - DAY (1976)

Peter (22) was driving a Ford Capri, tailing a car. Peter sees a white helmet placed near the rear screen of the car in front of his.

.

PETER (V.O.)

The driver should be

working at construction

sites at the supervisory

level.

END FLASHBACK

PETER (V.O.)

As an officer of a

demolition team in

Yuen Long, I didn't

wear any white

helmet.

Pausing.

PETER(V.O.) (Cont'd)

But I ensure the safety

of all team members.

Peter remembers something.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Years later, I became a

Land Executive in Tuen

Mun.

FLASHBACK

EXT. TUEN MUN - DAY (1980)

Beside a half-completed highway, Peter (26) is leading a TEAM of yellow-helmeted people who are digging something.

PETER (V.O.)

That was a nasty job -

the exhumation of

graves to make way

for the extension of

the Tuen Mun highway.

END FLASHBACK

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

As an officer, I needn't

wear any helmet. I only

commanded and didn't

do any manual work

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

(Smiling)

After joining Quora in July

this year, there was a

question asking what the

yellow-helmeted construction-

worker-like people were

doing in Hong Kong!

And then...

FLASHBACK

INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY (early Oct, 2019)

A tattooed BARBER (20s) is combing Peter's hair. It isn't smooth.

BARBER

(Confidently)

You're a construction

worker...

PETER

Yes...

END FLASHBACK

After putting on the white helmet, Peter smiles.

PETER (V.O.)

At last, I've to wear

a white helmet!

Peter wastes no time to take a selfie.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) Should I go to that

barber again, I might

show him the photo to

confirm his observation

and I didn't fake any

answer for his sake.

Peter focuses his attention on wearing the white helmet rather than the visit.

FADE OUT.

The End

#AWhiteHelmet