The Rooster at Calton City

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. EXT. RIVERSIDE PARK - 18:15

6. 
   

7. The sun is setting. PETER sits on a wooden bench with Kaji, the family pet. He watches the family turtle moving across the lawn. He smiles, a look of deep contemplation in his eyes.

8. 
   

9. FLASHBACK

10. 
    

11. EXT. SINGAPORE STREET - 11:00 (Oct 1, 2026)

12. 
    

13. The skyline is modern and gleaming. Peter and his WIFE are walking towards the Calton City Hotel. Suddenly - Cock-a-doodle-doo! Peter looks around, confused.

14. 
    

15. PETER: Did you hear that?

16. 
    

17. WIFE: In the middle of a city? It sounded like a rooster.

18. 
    

19. Then, another Cock-a-doodle-doo! They see a rooster and its family members. They enter the Calton City Hotel. Peter approaches the concierge.

20. 
    

21. PETER: Excuse me. I'm curious to know if the hotel keeps the chickens outside?

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23. CONCIERGE: No. It's actually quite common in Singapore. You've these pockets of..."traditional life" surviving next to skyscrappers.

24. 
    

25. Peter looks at his wife, intrigued.

26. 
    

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. FLASHBACK UPON FLASHBACK

30. 
    

31. INT. NAVIGATOR'S CLUB, DISNEY ADVENTURE - 17:30 (28 Sept, 2026)

32. 
    

33. Crowded. Peter and his wife enter.

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35. WIFE: They fix our dinner here at 5:30pm. Our table number is 97.

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37. Peter nods and focuses on number plates on tables. Then, they see table 97 set for six diners. MR & MRS CHEUK are already seated. Soon after they've taken the seats, MR & MRS CHUNG join them.

38. 
    

39. MR CHEUK: Are you aware that we've been charged already?

40. 
    

41. MRS CHEUK: Gratuities for the Head Server, the Main Server, the Assistant Server, and the Stateroom Host.

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43. PETER: We just queued up at the guest information counter...

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45. The MAIN SERVER and the ASISTANT SERVER beam at the table.

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47. MAIN SERVER: Welcome on board! We're so happy to have you. We're serving all your dinners during your stay here.

48. 
    

49. Orders taken. Food being served. They hear a party singing "Happy Birthday".

50. 
    

51. MAIN SERVER (Cont'd): If there's a special occasion to celebrate, we can arrange...

52. 
    

53. PETER (V.O.): I can see the slight fatigue behind their smiles.

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55. The other couples shake their heads.

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57. PETER: No special agenda for us. But we can create an occasion. How about to celebrate a "Happy Staff Day" ?

58. 
    

59. The table chuckles. The Main Server freezes for a second, an embarrassing smile touching his lips.

60. 
    

61. MAIN SERVER: That would be a nice day. But for us, the happy day is the day the contract ends. The day we go home for our families.

62. 
    

63. Pausing.

64. 
    

65. MAIN SERVER (Cont'd): We depend heavily on the gratuities...

66. 
    

67. Later, the HEAD SERVER appears to engage them.

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69. HEAD SERVER: We never stop working...When you check out in the morning, others would check in the afternoon.

71. PETER: How long is your tour?

72. 
    

73. HEAD SERVER: Four to five months. Non-stop.

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75. INT. CORRIDOR/STATE ROOM 9232 - 20:00

76. 
    

77. Peter and his wife see the STATEROOM HOST working by their room door.

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79. STATEROOM HOST: I clean your room twice a day...

80. 
    

81. Later, Peter and his wife stand on the balcony. The South China Sea is a black void, the sound of the waves rhythmic and soothing.

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83. WIFE: It's luxurious and quiet.

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85. PETER: I hope those serving us have reasonable quarters in this new global class cruise ship.

86. 
    

87. MONTAGE

88. 
    

89. INT, STAFF QUARTER, CASTLE PEAK HOTEL - NIGHT (Summer 1970)

91. A room packed with seven bunk beds. Peter (16) sleeps in one of them. A ceiling fan oscillates lazily.

92. 
    

93. PETER (V.O.): I can still remember its smell.

94. 
    

95. END MONTAGE

96. 
    

97. PETER (V.O.): I was them. But I've never told those selling labour how I made it out. Because there's no equality of opportunity.

98. 
    

99. RETURN TO PRESENT

100. 
     

101. Act 3

102. 
     

103. INT. BEDROOM -21:45

104. 
     

105. Peter uploads a photo to a draft on his laptop. It shows a rooster with bright red-brown plumage, a bright red comb, and black tail feathers with white patches standing among branches and leaf litter in a natural setting.

106. 
     

107.  PETER (V.O.): We travel to see the skyline, but the truth is usually find in the alleyway. The rooster doesn't care about the hotel's star rating; it only cares that it and its family are alive.

108. 
     

109. Thinking.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A crowing rooster in Singapore and tired smiles on a cruise ship - they are the same signal. They tell me that behind every paradise, there's someone working hard just to exist.

112. 
     

113. Reflecting.

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The rooster is a glitch in the matrix. It teaches me that if I look closely enough at a vacation, I'll always find the work that makes it possible.

116. 
     

117. The END

118. 
     

119. FADE OUT