FADE IN.
Act 1
INT - STUDY - DAY
PETER is checking his phone.
PETER (V.O.): I'll have a small reunion with two former female classmates at lunch today.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Recently, I helped the host a bit free of charge and she said she would buy me a lunch. The other one happens to be in town.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We first met in 1981 - our first year in Law School at HKU. I was 27. They were 19. They're among the cream of the crop.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The one happens to be in town used to work in an international law firm specializing in IP. She has retired years ago.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The host is the boss of her law firm.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I don't know what to expect.
Act 2
INT. HONG KONG CLUB - DAY
Sitting with the HOST and the RETIREE in a table, Peter listens to their chats.
PETER (V.O.): The host has a lawyer daughter in UK. She invests in properties in UK and HK. Her son is pretty laid back. She's very busy running her firm and has got fed up with routines.
Listening.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The retiree is living in London. Her elder son is a doctor in HK. Her younger son works with a consultant firm in UK. She has recently bought a premises for him in UK.
Intervening.
PETER: I've sons and daughters...
HOST: Any lawyers?
PETER: Yes, just one.
PETER (V.O.): She wanted to know if my children has followed in my footsteps. I've tried.
HOST: Which firm?
Having recalled, Peter responds with pride.
PETER (V.O.): It's the result of his relentless pursuit to move up the professional ladder.
Peter carries on.
RETIREE: So your children are scattered all over the world.
Peter nods.
PETER: But two of them have flown home because of COVID-19.
The host and the retiree nod.
PETER (Cont'd): Apart from working as a Barrister, I do volunteering work as a HKUST Council Member.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): I also do some online arbitration work. But in Feb this year, a hired killer threatened to take my life and harm my family if I decided the dispute not in his boss' favour.
The host and the retiree look excited.
PETER (Cont'd): I withdrew from the case as I'd become biased involuntarily due to the threat.
Smiling.
PETER (Cont'd): I didn't know the stakes were so high for the disputants, and me!
RETIREE: That might be an empty threat. But there're criminal investigations stuff to follow up.
PETER (Cont'd): Yes...The case should have now been decided by somebody anonymously.
HOST: Arbitration permits anonymity.
PETER (Cont'd): But I don't know if the boss who instructed the hired killer still thinks that I was the anonymous person who decided the case.
RETIREE: Do you know the background of the hired killer?
PETER: I suspect he's from Russia...
HOST: Wow, then you've to be very careful...
PETER (V.O.): Oh my god, that's right! Russians are very skillful in killing or harming others...
PETER: I'm having another difficult case to decide.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): The upside of such online work is that it consumes only my relatively free time.
HOST: Perhaps, I should work as a Barrister...
PETER: No. You're playing a very important role in society now. You maintain jobs.
RETIREE: Yes, that's an important social responsibility.
Act 3
INT. MTR CABIN - DAY
Peter sent a message.
PETER (V.O.) : Responding to my thank-you message, the host has observed that I still enjoy working!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Do I?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I just do what I love to do, adding value while I still can.
INT. STUDY - DAY
Peter works behind his computer.
PETER (V.O.): What an enjoyable small reunion! Back in 1981, I couldn't believe I was in the same class with them.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Perhaps, those who interviewed me in my legal scholarship application and Law School admission before 1981 saw through me - I was worthy of investing.
Peter smiles.
FADE OUT.
THE END
Comentarios