FADE IN.
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
PETER is having screen time.
PETER (V.O.)
Someone just months
my junior in age has
assumed office as
Director of the Liaison
Office...
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I ceased active civil
service on the day I
turned 60 - the beginning
of a new chapter of
my life.
Peter turns to another piece shared by a chat group.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
It's about the impact of
emotions on governance.
Yes, empathy is an important
tool to influence others.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
When I was a Director,
I demonstrated my ability
to understand and shall
the emotions of others,
but that didn't compromise
my high expectations of
my colleagues' performance.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Incidentally, what exactly
are the "7 emotions"
characterized by ancient
Chinese?
Peter surfs the web.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
They are: Joy, Anger,
Worry, Reflecting,
Sadness, Fear and
Panic.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I worried about our
younger daughter who
had flown back to UK
without her room key.
I'm glad to hear that
she has settled down
with a spare from the
management. We're
posting her the original
one.
Having taken a call, Peter looks excited.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I'm excited to know
my wife has got air
tickets for us to visit
her during the Easter
holidays.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.)
Apart from the "7
emotions", there're
"6 desires", what
are they?
Peter surfs that web.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
They're: Life, Death,
Sight, Sounds, Smell,
and Taste.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
While humans may like
to enjoy life more, few
would desire death...
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Perhaps, life in ancient times was more barbaric
and miserable...But,
what about the sensory
pleasure of touching,
physical and spiritual?
Peter surfs the web.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Anyway, they're ancient
intuitive categorizations.
Psychologically, humans
have more emotions and
desires. Many Hong Kong
people are at sixs and
sevens.
Peter taps another chat group and reads another piece.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Oh, in the old days,
those in authority in
Taiwan would make
phone calls, write letters
and send telexes to
Taiwanese studying
aboard urging them
to join the civil service
there. The tagline was:
If you let third-rate
people determine
government policies,
lives of the first-rate
ones couldn't be any
good.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Well, in colonial Hong
Kong, the cream of the
crop would join civil
service and they're
welcome so that they'd
be loyal to Britain.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I was recruited at the
age of 20 probably due
to my work attitude ie
I worked part-time since
15. And I seized government
training opportunities to
better equip myself.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I did design a first-rate
intellectual property
system for Hong Kong.
I retired when I had to,
and didn't seek any
extension.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
My six desires and seven
emotions have been pretty
stable and consistent.
In response to the recent
Hong Kong unrest as an
ordinary people, I chose
to engage and fight in
own way.
INT. CAR TESTING CENTRE - DAY
As he enjoys coffee and snacks, Peter watches TV news. On screen, a MAN in suit (65) is speaking, with body language.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Judging from what he
communicates and how
he communicates, and
his track record, he
gives the impression as
a first-rate civil servant.
INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT
Peter is watching TV news. A WOMAN (40s) speaks in Japanese.
PETER (V.O.)
Oh, Japan may like to
seek mutual legal
assistance to extradict
the fled Carlos Ghosn
who fears unfair trial
back to Japan. This
former Nissan chief
is just two months
my senior in age.
Smiling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
It seems that people
in their 65s can't be at
sixs and sevens!
FADE OUT. The End