The Third Way
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. SKYLINE TOWER - 09:30
Sitting area. PETER sits on a sofa, a smartphone in his hand.
PETER (V.O.): Completing my first task of the morning leaves me feeling relaxed and accomplished.
Peter scrolls through Facebook feeds on his smartphone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Inamori Kazuo's two ways to deal with a person who shows no respect for others, who is arrogant and disregards the dignity of those around them?
Peter's face clearly shows his keen interest. He taps "See more", but finds nothing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Is someone playing tricks here?
 Peter looks unsettling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me mine Inamori Kazuo's two ways to see if they align with mine.
Peter types into the search bar "Inamori Kazuo" and a Wikipedia page appears. Peter reads them with great interest.
Act 2
EXT. STREETS OF KOWLOON - 10:15
Peter walks along, deep in thoughts.
PETER (V.O.): His first way: Ignore them completely. Don't engage.
Peter nods.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Their behaviour is a reflection of their inner world, not mine.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To react is to enter their chaos.
Peter nods.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's wise.
Peter deftly avoids bumping into others.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): His second way: If the behaviour is destructive and unavoidable, sever the connection.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Remove them from my sphere.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This is not an act of anger, but of self-preservation.
Peter nods.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Natural. Neutral. I either transcend the provocation or cleanly remove the source.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No drama. No futile attempts to change them. Very efficient.
Then, a slight frown creases his forehead.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But what about...family?
Pausing.
 PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Family isn't a sphere...it's an ecosystem.
EXT. SILVERSTRAND BAY - 15:30
Red flag and crashing waves. Peter grabs a white buoy at the outer edge of the swimming area for support and a brief rest.
PETER (V.O.): I believe I've overexerted myself, and I can feel the onset of cramps.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For myself...I provide what I need. I expect nothing from my parents.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I started working part-time at age 15, transitioned to full-time at 19, and I'm still engaged in work during my retirement.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I won two scholarships that enabled me to pursue my law qualifications in Hong Kong and my LLM in UK.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've always loved cars and bought my first one at the age of 22. Since 1978, I've been owning more than one car at a time.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But...for junior members in my family, there's the Third Way: the practice of the heart.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's the exhausting, illogical arithmatic of love: where the cost of holding on must forever outweigh the relief of letting go.
 Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:30
Peter uploads a photo of a tranquil scene at Silverstrand, suggesting a balance between nature's beauty and the need for solitude to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): The First Way: Ignore. The Second Way: Sever. The Third Way: Remember. And out of that memory, provide a love that asks no permission to endure.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Third Way is about sanctifying a shared space, even when others disrespect it. Incidentally, I shall begin my solo travel this month.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the family ecosystem, I can't practise clean severance. I can only learn the art of filtered endurance; and my monthly travel hobby is incredibly beneficial to me.
END
FADE OUT
