Thirty Years (And One More)

1. Act 1

2. 
   

3. INT. BUS - 12:15

4. 
   

5. The bus hums through the city. PETER, wearing a blue beanie and a pair of light-blue, closed-back headphones, sits by the window.

6. 
   

7. PETER (V.O.): I'm going to have lunch with my former Tsinghua classmates...we're class of 1996...30 years...

8. 
   

9. INT. HARBOUR INN CUISINE - 12:35

10. 
    

11. The restaurant is elegant, with large windows overlooking the harbour. A WAITRESS leads ANTHONY, who walks with a walking stick to a prime table by the window. Peter appears and spots them.

12. 
    

13. WAITRESS: You must be with him. Good. Can you take care of him?

14. 
    

15. Peter gives a small nod and escourts Anthony to the table. They sit by the window. Anthony taps his stick on the floor.

16. 
    

17. ANTHONY: Carrying it, people give up their seats to me on public transport.

18. 
    

19. PETER: I'm also becoming accustomed to using priority seats.

20. 
    

21. ANTHONY: It's been 30 years...

22. 
    

23. PETER: How many more 30 years do we have?

24. 
    

25. ANTHONY: At least one more.

26. 
    

27.  Act 2

28. 
    

29. INT. HARBOUR INN CUISINE - CONTINUOUS

30. 
    

31. OPHELIA arrives, CC follows. Then, MONICA, who sits next to Peter. When KK arrives, he immediately talks to Peter.

33. KK: A beanie? In this weather? There's no need to hide the white hair!

34. 
    

35. Peter gently adjusts his beanie before discreetly removing it. CHRIS, ML, SIMON, ROGER, and PANDA arrive in a small group, filling the table with energy and greetings.

36. 
    

37. PANDA: Your hair style resembles that of the professor portrayed in a Hollywood movie.

38. 
    

39. PETER: I swim every day and don't use any hair conditioner; I just took off my beanie.

40. 
    

41. They then do the orders. Monica looks around the table.

42. 
    

43. MONICA: Am I the only one here who's still actually working?

44. 
    

45. Peter calmly raises his hand, like a schoolboy.

46. 
    

47. PETER (V.O.): Only the professionals are still working. Her decision to pursue medicine and my choice to study law impact on our later lives.

48. 
    

49. MONICA: I work the evening shifts.

50. 
    

51. PETER: I do petty stuff. Stress may take years of my life. To live longer is my brief now.

52. 
    

53. Roger, adjusting his tai chi top, nods vigorously.

54. 
    

55. ROGER: I want to witness a possible event...that means I've to live to at least 102.

56. 
    

57. WL has been eyeing Peter's headphones around his neck.

58. 
    

59. WL: What are they, a thousand, two thousand dollars?

60. 
    

61. Peter takes them off and places them on the table, like a piece of real evidence.

62. 
    

63. PETER: $70 only. Lenovo. BT.6.0. It works perfectly - It's a strategy of knowing what is truly worth paying for.

64. 
    

65. WL: I remember your son. He's a lawyer...

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.): After graduating from Tsinghua, I took my son to visit his workplace - the Observatory -and to learn from a PhD.

68. 
    

69. PETER: He has married a medical doctor. I've a younger son, he's now a Hong Kong doctor too.

70. 
    

71. MONICA: I believe you'll have another daughter-in-law who is medical doctor as well.

72. 
    

73. PETER (V.O.): Monica's husband is a medical doctor.

74. 
    

75. PETER: Chris, have your son graduated from Oxford?

76. 
    

77. CHRIS: Yes, he got his PhD and is teaching at Oxford.

78. 
    

79. PETER: He wasn't born when we're at Tsinghua!

80. 
    

81. The rest of the lunch is a blur of steaming bamboo baskets, clinking chopsticks, investments, ailments gossips and world affairs. Later, at the exit, they take a group photo.

82. 
    

83. INT. MTR TRAIN - 15:45

84. 
    

85. The carrige is packed. Peter and Anthony stand. They spot two young women with black hair, absorbed in their phones, are sitting in the priority seats. Peter catches Anthony's eyes.

86. 
    

87. PETER (V.O.): His theory is disproven in front of me.

88. 
    

89. PETER: How long can you stand?

90. 
    

91. ANTHONY: For awhile.

92. 
    

93. PETER: The important thing is not to fall again.

94. 
    

95. Peter pulls out his phone. He taps the screen.

96. 
    

97. PETER (Cont'd): I'm sending something to the class chat. A video: The Seven Secrets to Preventing Falls for the Elderly. Watch it.

98. 
    

99. Anthony pats his stick.

100. 
     

101. Act 3

102. 
     

103. INT. LIVING ROOM - 22:30

105. Peter uploads an image of a decorative frame celebrating the year 2026, with vibrant colours and traditional motifs to a draft on his laptop.

106. 
     

107. PETER (V.O.): The gathering of Tsinghua classmates provides a space for shared memory, mutual support, and a sense of continuity that family alone can't always provide.

108. 
     

109. Thinking.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Peace of mind and longevity are greater achievements than professional glory in my later years.

112. 
     

113. Reflecting.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To execute that requires intention, discipline, and a personal strategy - whether it's avoiding stress or swimming.

116. 
     

117.  The END

118. 
     

119. FADE OUT