FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
Phone in hand, PETER reads something.
PETER (V.O.): Here's a Quora question for me. If one is invited to get together, should one go right now despite the pandemic threat or should one stay isolated?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The request must be coming from US or Europe, or places undergoing the first phase of the pandemic.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It all depends on the context. Hong Kong has done pretty well statistically and on the ground.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): How can eg US citizens understand Hong Kong's total CONVID-19 death toll remaining at 4?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Some US states are opening up earlier than Hong Kong despite their alarming pandemic statistics.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Anyway, I'm going out today. Let me answer the question later.
Act 2
FLASHBACK.
INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY
A BARBER (20s) is about to cut Peter's long white hair.
BARBER: You must haven't had your haircut for months.
PETER (Nodding) (V.O.): I daren't come for a haircut.
BARBER (Cont'd): You must have been bored to death at home. Learn to play video games!
PETER (V.O.): He knew that I didn't know how to play video games.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm only interested in video games if I can create any computer game programs.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Or, I'd consider how video games have impacted on the creative industry.
INT. STUDY - DAY
Checking a phone notification, Peter sees a Quoran question request: Will you read more books during the quarantine?
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Reading books is on the receiving end. At my age, all I want is to give back to society by sharing my experience and widom. I publish my works including my Quora answers daily.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I only read law books. As court hearings have been adjourned, I've no incentive to read them.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'd rather play my own songs with my guitars.
END FLASHBACK.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In short, I don't want to pass my time without capturing, creating or delivering any value.
EXT. CBD, KWUN TONG - DAY
A masked Peter walks past streets with busy human and car traffic.
PETER (V.O.): The same new CBD. The only difference is that people are all wearing masks.
Arriving at the upper floor of a MTR station, Peter takes a photo of the scene.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A picture is worth 1000 words. I'll use it to illustrate that Hong Kong has largely returned to normal.
INT. TRAIN CABIN - DAY
Pretty crowded. Peter types on his phone, inserting a picture. After tapping Submit, he sees another question request.
PETER (V.O.) : What is my favourite comfort food during the pandemic? Ha! Ha! It's Char Kway Teow! I can't take hot and spicy food at all, but I like the fun challenge.
Peter mines an image of a plate of noodles from his phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This's a no-brainer answer. Anyway, someone cares to ask and I can satisfy her curiosity right away.
Peter repeats tapping in his usual way.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When compared with doing nothing or playing video games while travelling, I enjoy engaging different sectors of the public in the world.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But my wife always remarks that I'm wasting my time entertaining such netizens.
Peter looks out of the cabin window, seeing the tunnel walls.
Act 3
INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT
Relaxing on a sofa, Peter is having screen time.
PETER (V.O.): Oh my god! My Quora answers have attracted hundreds of views each, some upvotes, thank yous and sharing to others too.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They must envy Hong Kong's current public health situation. Instead of reading books, they might create their works and do virtual publishing.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I suspect many don't know what is Char Kway Teow and might order it from Chinese takaways.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When compared with US, European and some other Asian cities, Hong Kong is now quite a rare heaven on earth!
Peter reads again his works with image inserts.
FADE OUT.
THE END

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