Go Back to Work

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT/EXT. LIFT LOBBY - STREET - 09:00

6. 
   

7. Checking trousers pockets, PETER takes out a VW car key.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): Yes, that's for my wife's car.

10. 
    

11. Recalling.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yesterday, I returned the Mazda car key to the Nippon Rent-a-car at the Kansai International Airport.

14. 
    

15. Peter takes out a smart card.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, that's for car park access, not an ETC card to pay Japanese road tolls.

18. 
    

19. Pausing.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Today, We've to go back to work.

22. 
    

23. Pausing.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I want to continue my daily routine.

26. 
    

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. EXT. ESTATE PARK - 11:30

30. 
    

31. Having practised Rumba steps, Peter checks YouTube with his smart phone.

32. 
    

33. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Perhaps, I'd relearn Jive steps - the high energy dance.

34. 
    

35. Watching an online tutorial lesson, Peter starts with his left foot, rocking back to the right - replace, and then side to the left - close - side, and then side to the right, close - side.

36. 
    

37. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My wife and I used to dance Jive pretty well. We're admired at dancing parties.

38. 
    

39. Repeating.

40. 
    

41. INT. CONFERENCE LODGE, HKUST - 17:00

42. 
    

43. Joining a gathering, Peter exchanges greetings with an old GENTLEMAN.

44. 
    

45. PETER (V.O.): When I began working on IP in the late 1980s, he was already the Secretary for Trade and Industry.

46. 
    

47. Peter then sees LADY#1 and exchanges greetings with her.

48. 
    

49. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She's now a Permanent Secretary of the Govt.

50. 
    

51. Recalling.

52. 
    

53. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I first came to know her in a Grade Structure Review process in the late 2000s.

54. 
    

55. Pausing.

56. 
    

57. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She facilitated my department to create an additional professional rank at the directorate level.

58. 
    

59. Having chatted with other COLLEAGUES, Peter sees LADY#2.

60. 
    

61. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, she's a new Council Member - a former civil servant too.

62. 
    

63. Peter goes to engage her.

64. 
    

65. LADY#2: Were you with IPD?

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.): It's great that she'd remember me.

68. 
    

69. PETER: Yes! I'm Peter. Have you just retired?

70. 
    

71. LADY#2: I've retired for 4 years...

72. 
    

73. PETER: Is that right?

74. 
    

75. Then, the old gentleman joins them.

76. 
    

77. GENTLEMAN (To Lady#2): When did you join Govt?

78. 
    

79. LADY: In 1986.

80. 
    

81. GENTLEMAN: I was then the Director of Information Services. Let me share a story to both of you...

82. 
    

83. Both Peter and Lady#2 listen very carefully.

84. 
    

85. PETER (V.O.): The reward for good work for us is more work.

86. 
    

87. INT. SWIMMING POOL - 19:30

88. 
    

89. Peter is swimming.

90. 
    

91. PETER (V.O.): I treat doing physical exercises as work for my health.

92. 
    

93. Pausing.

94. 
    

95. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This morning, I read in the newspapers that, Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Japanese composer, died at the age of 71.

96. 
    

97. Pausing.

98. 
    

99. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He's just two years older than me.

100. 
     

101. Act 3

102. 
     

103. EXT/INT. STREET - LIFT LOBBY - 20:30

104. 
     

105. A wet-haired Peter walks towards an estate.

107. PETER (V.O.): Doing nothing is hard to do as one wouldn't know when the doing is done.

108. 
     

109. Pausing.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If motivation to work doesn't last, the way to sustain it is to work daily.

112. 
     

113. Inside a lift lobby, Peter sees his WIFE ahead of him.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The best part of going to work is coming home when the work is done.

116. 
     

117. PETER: Hi Darling...

118. 
     

119. FADE OUT

120. 
     

121. THE END