FADE IN
Act 1
INT. STUDY - 08:15
PETER is reading newspapers.
PETER (V.O.): A former regional secretary for the NT Administration (NTA) has died. Hayes was 92.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He worked for the colonial govt for 32 years, he retired in 1988.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He got his academic degrees while he was a civil servant.
We see Peter reading something by Hayes: Chapters, Afterthought, Postscripts...
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Very serious in his works on NT history and anthropology.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I heard of his name. But I didn't work under him.
Act 2
INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS
MONTAGE OF PETER'S NTA WORK EXPERIENCE (1976-1980)
A. Having parked his metalic blue Ford Capri by the roadside, Peter (22-26), carrying an umbrella, patrols districts in Yuen Long, NT.
B. Leading a TEAM of labourers, Peter directs the demolition of illegal structures with or without police escort.
C. Having surveyed structures, Peter instructs a LABOURER to write down the dimensions on the walls in red paint.
D. Peter drives to HKU to attend housing management courses and takes a car ferry on the way home.
END MONTAGE
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As I was patrolling alone, I carried an umbrella to protect myself eg deterring fierce dogs.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I hated demolishing squatter huts. And anything could happen on demolition day.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I envy senior officers staying in air-conditioned offices. An Assistant District Officer (Administrative Officer rank) headed my division.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When govt granted amnesty to existing illegal structures ie those with dimensions in red paints, it was a great relief to me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I enjoyed attending the part-time day-release courses at HKU from 1977 - 1980.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): With peace of mind, I prepared well for my Philosophy degree exams in 1981 as a London U external student.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I joined govt in 1974 at the age of 20. I had worked as a part-time waiter for five years and a full-time teacher for almost one year.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Then I got a HK govt scholarship to read my LLB and PCLL at HKU.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And then I got a UK govt scholarship to read my second LLM at UCL.
Wondering.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): How did Hayes get his degrees?
INT. STUDY, PETER'S NT HOME - 17:00
Surrounded by papers, Peter picks some to read.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I've written a lot on IP too. But I didn't have any spare time to write and publish anything personal until after retirement.
Calculating.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Hayes had a retirement life of 35 years, three years more than his govt service.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I worked for govt for 40 years. If my retirement life could be longer than that, I'd have to live beyond 100!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): What's my connection with Hayes after all?
Peter surfs the web with his smart phone.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Oh, he's a honorary fellow of HKUST 2008! I'm a HKUST Council Member.
Act 3
INT. STUDY - 23:00
Peter is reading research results on his phone screen.
PETER (V.O.): The six degrees of separation/connection theory suggests that any two individuals can be connected via a chain of six other people.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Studies have indicated that the average number of intermediaries is between four to seven.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I believe social media and smart networking have lowered the number. This instance is a two-degree of separation/connection.
FADE OUT
THE END
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