Break Even
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Feb 10, 2022
- 2 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. SITTING ROOM - 09:30
.
Smartphone in hand, Peter is checking his entrepreneurship fund.
PETER (V.O.): Oh, for my holdings, both Day's Gain and Total Gain are in green.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When it happened the last time, I wrote a screenplay with the title A Resounding Cheer to celebrate that.
Peter checks his diary.
PETER (V.O.): It was Jan 21, 2022. On the next trading day, my gains have returned to the red until now.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Will today's stock market sustain its momentum?
It's 10:00. Peter checks the numbers again.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My total gain has already changed to red.
Act 2
INT. STUDY - 10: 30
Peter is typing on his smartphone.
PETER (V.O.): As I can complete that task at home, I don't need to go back to chambers.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Furthermore, an afternoon meeting at Central has become a Zoom one, without the in-person option.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'll give my secretaries red packets at the next opportunity then.
Peter takes another look of his entrepreneurship fund.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, some stock prices are falling. I had better buy low.
Having checked his buying power on an App, Peter does his orders.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Warren Buffet says the stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I've to attend the afternoon meeting. And I've a hunch that stock prices may have recovered before the market closes.
Having amended his pending orders, we hear Ding! Ding! Ding!
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've matched my price with the last asking price.
INT. SITTING ROOM - 11:30
Smartphone in hand, Peter monitors his entrepreneurship fund.
PETER (V.O.): Now, the stocks I bought earlier have become even cheaper.
Peter touches his throat.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, I've a sore throat.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It shouldn't be a symptom of COVID-19, I hope.
Peter consumes some throat lozenges.
INT. STUDY - 14:20
Having set up his iPad Mini, Peter waits. As soon as he is let in, we hear an image on screen saying Hi to Peter.
PETER: Hi, I guess it's you.' the secretary - the first time we're seeing each other face-to-face since early 2020.
PETER: Hi, I guess it's you.
SECRETARY: I recognise you though!
PETER: I've white hair, right?
Smiles. Soon the meeting begins. Peter makes interventions from time to time.
PETER (V.O.): It's my membership in this committee that has made me try to experience how investment in equities is like.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Apart from having a brief period of a few % positive gain in October 2021, I've been losing.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.): Is there a difference between investing with one's own money and investing with others' money?
Act 3
INT. SITTING ROOM - 22:00
The TV is on. Peter has his eyes on his entrepreneurship fund on his phone screen.
PETER (V.O.): My hunch has become a little reality. My Day's gain and Total Gain are in green.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): It has taken me a lot of investment, both in money or in kind, just to break even, at times.
Peter touches his throat.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Having had honey and cold drinks too, my sore throat is being relieved.
Peter smiles.
FADE OUT
THE END
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