bayedsolid Chapter 527
Chapter 527
Heathrow Airport is located in the south of the Hillington district of London, about 20 kilometers from the center of London. It has the highest passenger volume in Europe and is one of the world's leading air hubs.
It's hard to imagine that such a massive airport was originally built privately. In 1930, an aircraft manufacturer bought the land for £1.5 and built the original airport, initially called Atlantic Airport.
It didn't become a civilian airport until 1946, and in 1966 it was renamed Heathrow Airport, which means a row of low-lying houses.
The plane landed smoothly at 5:30 a.m. London time, and the British sky was still bright.
Lu Qingfeng looked out the porthole, curiously observing this brand-new country.
After the announcement, I unbuckled my seatbelt, got up, packed my things, and disembarked with the group. We were then taken by shuttle bus to Terminal 2, also known as Queen's Terminal.
"There are quite a few people, so everyone stay close together and don't get separated."
Professor Chen Jiahong spoke up to remind him, and Lu Qingfeng withdrew his gaze from looking around and followed the group.
After walking a long distance along the concourse, I arrived at the arrival gate, where people were already waiting.
He is a vice-chancellor of Cambridge University in charge of this cultural exchange activity. He has a Chinese name, Fan Renli.
Lu Qingfeng was fairly familiar with him, as this highly respected scholar was also a visiting professor in the Department of History at Peking University. He had studied Sinology at Leiden University in the Netherlands in his early years and later obtained a doctorate in history and East Asian languages from Harvard University.
He then taught at Cambridge University, where he conducted long-term research on cultural fields related to Chinese history and published several books.
During his tenure, he consistently promoted cultural exchanges between the two countries, including the collaboration between Cambridge and Peking University. He was a truly virtuous scholar.
A very kind and amiable old man, with the typical British hairstyle, wearing a denim blue shirt and brown casual trousers, shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with Professor Chen in fluent Chinese.
He was accompanied by two other Cambridge University professors, five student representatives, and a staff member from the Chinese Embassy in the UK.
The two sides met and talked for a while, then went to collect their luggage and boarded the bus arranged by Cambridge.
"Hi, I'm Flora, Flora Taylor. What's your name?"
After getting into the car, Lu Qingfeng had just sat down when a white girl came over and started chatting with him in broken Chinese.
She has brown hair, which is common among British people, round cheeks, a fleshy nose, and a very infectious smile.
The Peking University student next to him subtly nudged him with his elbow, but Lu Qingfeng ignored him and said with a smile.
"My name is Lu Qingfeng."
"you're so beautiful."
Flora looked straight at him, her words bold and direct.
"Flora, don't bother our friends who have come all this way. Don't forget you have a boyfriend."
As Lu Qingfeng was pondering how to reply, a white boy walked over. He was not much shorter than Lu Qingfeng, with black hair and green eyes, a trait rarely seen among Germanic peoples.
Well-dressed and with a good demeanor, she is clearly a child from a good family who has received a good education since childhood.
"I'm just looking at it from an appreciative perspective."
Flora pouted.
"You know, like the artwork in museums."
The two were speaking in English, which Lu Qingfeng could barely understand.
The boy was clearly the leader among the student representatives and was quite prestigious. Although Flora was reluctant, she gave up her seat and went to talk to the other Peking University students.
The white boy sat down next to Lu Qingfeng.
“Dennis Hawke, you can also call me by my Chinese name, Li Shibai.”
His spoken Chinese was noticeably better than Flora's; his intonation and pronunciation suggested he had been communicating with people in Chinese for a long time. Lu Qingfeng shook hands with him.
"Lu Qingfeng, your Chinese name sounds very nice."
“I like it very much too. I also know that the name comes from that great poet of the Tang Dynasty.”
As he spoke, he even recited a poem, "Thoughts on a Quiet Night."
"sharp."
Lu Qingfeng gave a thumbs up.
“It was my father who told me. He was a diplomat who worked in China, and I lived there with him when I was very young.”
No wonder, Lu Qingfeng's feeling was right.
"Actually, I recognized you when you came out of the airport."
Li Shibai suddenly said.
Lu Qingfeng looked at him doubtfully.
The other person didn't speak, but instead took out his phone and showed him the YouTube video, which showed Lu Qingfeng performing at a concert in Shenzhen.
Lu Qingfeng suddenly realized.
Because Van Cleef & Arpels hired him as their spokesperson, he learned that a music critic had written an article about him in Gramophone, which attracted the attention of the classical music community.
He was somewhat famous, but he had never performed here before. I thought that only people in the professional circle knew about him, but I didn't expect to meet someone who was interested in classical music as soon as I landed.
Do you like classical music?
"Hi man, isn't that super cool?"
Li Shibai had a lot to say about this.
The journey from Heathrow Airport to Cambridge University is about 150 kilometers and takes more than two hours. During this time, Lu Qingfeng chatted with Li Shibai.
From music and literature to art, sculpture, and painting, this white college student, educated in elite fields, has a broad knowledge base and extensive study abroad experience, having visited many countries.
At 8:30, the bus finally stopped in Cambridgeshire, home to the fourth oldest school in the world.
Cambridge University was founded in 1209. It originated from the fact that two philosophers from Oxford University were accused of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. A group of Oxford University teachers left in protest, and some of them came to this place and established the prototype of Cambridge University.
What the outside world calls Cambridge University is actually composed of thirty-one colleges, which is also the biggest feature of Cambridge University. The central government of Cambridge University does not interfere in the administration and finances of the individual colleges, but only grasps some general matters.
It's somewhat similar to the federal and state governments in the United States.
Lu Qingfeng was reminded of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from Harry Potter, which has four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
It's hard to say that the author didn't draw inspiration from Cambridge University.
Hogwarts is one of the three major magic schools in Europe, and Cambridge in reality is one of only three universities in Britain that have maintained the tradition of a medieval college system.
The other two are Oxford and Durham.
Lu Qingfeng didn't know what J.K. Rowling was thinking, but after he got out of the car and saw the Gothic building in front of him, he felt like he had stepped into a magical world from a story.
"This is Trinity College, Cambridge, the largest and most prestigious of all the colleges."
Li Shibai explained.