novelhk Chapter 156 Philadelphia Double Day – Art, History, and the Passion of the Golden Age
Chapter 156 Philadelphia Double Day – Art, History, and the Passion of the Golden Age
Chapter 159: Philadelphia Double Day—Art, History, and the Passion of the Golden Age
It was late at night when they arrived at the Valac Hotel in Philadelphia. Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming both looked tired from their long journey. Ethan efficiently checked them in, and Lin Yan told his two friends, "Get a good rest tonight. There are no special plans for tomorrow. Just wander around the city and sleep in." Back in his suite, Lin Yan took Xiao Qi out of his spatial dimension and fed it spirit fish meat, spirit rice, and a bowl of beast milk. After Xiaoqi finished eating, its bright black eyes curiously surveyed the room, and it rubbed its head against Lin Yan's hand: "Brother, do we think we've been here before?" Lin Yan smiled and rubbed its little head: "Good memory, we played with the 'Iron Bird' in the sky here last time." Xiaoqi immediately became excited, its eyes sparkling, and tried to climb onto Lin Yan's lap: "Brother, I want to catch the Iron Bird again! It's so much fun!" Lin Yan gently held it down and laughed: "Not this time, we're here to watch a basketball game. Next time we'll go to another country and play with the 'Iron Bird' then." He thought to himself, he couldn't just focus on fleecing America; Britain, France, Germany... they also needed to experience the awe-inspiring power of "alien civilization."
The next morning at nine o'clock, Lin Yan got up and put Xiao Qi back into his spatial dimension. Just as he finished washing up, Ethan knocked on the door, followed by Lin Gang and a refreshed Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming. The group decided to have breakfast first. Lin Yan, familiar with the place, led them to the beef sandwich shop they had visited before. The delicious food immediately revitalized everyone.
During the meal, Lin Yan presented several sightseeing options. After listening to the introductions, Li Wenbin showed great interest in Franklin's birthplace and the U.S. Mint, while Zheng Jiaming preferred to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art. After some discussion, everyone decided to respect Zheng Jiaming's choice and head to the art museum as their first stop.
Philadelphia was bathed in clear blue skies that day. The convoy drove along the imposing Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and at its end, a magnificent building resembling an ancient Greek temple came into view—the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Its facade, constructed of Minnesota dolomite, features pediments adorned with Greek gods, appearing solemn and majestic in the sunlight. In Zheng Jiaming's words, "The building itself is a great work of art."
Stepping inside the museum, the spacious exhibition halls and tranquil atmosphere immediately shut out the hustle and bustle of the city. Lin Yan and his group wandered through a sea of art:
In the Impressionist exhibition hall, they paused before Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" and Monet's "Japanese Bridge and Water Lilies," with Zheng Jiaming marveling at the use of color and light.
Li Wenbin was more interested in the weapons and armor exhibition hall, where the medieval knight equipment made him feel as if he had traveled back to the era of cold weapons.
Lin Yan himself was also immersed in the experience. The museum has more than 30 items in its collection, especially its rich collection of French Impressionist paintings and Duchamp works. Lin Yan had also visited the museum in his previous life. The collection was even richer then, but many of the items from that period were later loaned out for touring exhibitions.
After touring the interior, they arrived at the famous steps leading to the museum. At that time, the steps hadn't yet become globally famous because of the movie *Rocky*, but their imposing grandeur was already breathtaking. On a whim, Li Wenbin ran to the top of the steps in one go, then turned and waved excitedly to the crowd below. Zheng Jiaming shook his head with a smile below, while Lin Yan felt that the youthful energy was one of the most captivating sights in the city.
The next morning, they first visited the site of Franklin's birthplace. There were no grand buildings, only a tranquil courtyard and a series of white steel frames—the "haunted house," precisely outlining the silhouette of Franklin's former residence. Because the original building was destroyed in 1812 and surviving records were insufficient, the architect chose this symbolic approach to allow people to remember history, rather than rebuilding it. Li Wenbin walked around the frames, somewhat moved: "I never imagined that the place where a great man once lived would end up as just an empty shell." Lin Yan told him, "Form is sometimes unimportant; spirit and achievement are eternal. Franklin's rich life as an inventor, diplomat, and publisher is the true treasure." At that time, they didn't know that more than a decade later, this place would be transformed into a complete memorial site, including an underground museum.
After having lunch at a nearby restaurant, they walked to the nearby U.S. Mint. In 1959, they visited the same historic building ("Ye Olde Mint") located at the intersection of Seventh Street and Archie Street; the neoclassical stone building appeared sturdy and imposing. Since its establishment in 1792, the Mint had been responsible for minting the essential coins for circulation in the United States.
The visit was an eye-opening experience for them. Through the tall observation windows, they watched as massive copper-nickel metal bars were fed into roaring machines. The stamping presses, with tremendous force, repeatedly pressed the smooth coin blanks into clearly defined coins. The finished coins, like shimmering streams, were transported along the conveyor belt to the inspection stage. The entire process was highly automated, giving Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming a direct experience of the precision and efficiency of modern industry.
Lin Yan provided some background information at the opportune moment, such as that the Mint was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Treasury Department, and that the Philadelphia Mint might be relocated to a newer and larger site in the future.
Li Wenbin listened intently, watching the intricately operating coin-making machine before him, and couldn't help but marvel, "So there's such a complex set of knowledge behind every single coin." Suddenly remembering something, he turned to Lin Yan and asked curiously, "By the way, Yan, I've noticed you seem particularly familiar with Philadelphia? From breakfast shops to routes, you know them all. Have you been here many times before?"
Lin Yan was slightly taken aback, inwardly thinking, "Of course! In my past life, I spent six years at Wharton, Penn, earning bachelor's degrees in finance and mathematics, and then a master's in economics. How could I not know this place well? If it weren't for the American academic community's emphasis on 'avoiding conflicts of interest,' and my PhD going to Yale, I probably would have stayed in Philadelphia for a few more years. But Wharton's alumni network and prestige are really enticing..."
But he absolutely couldn't tell the truth. He remained expressionless, casually touching his nose, and said in the tone typical of a spoiled rich kid—a tone that betrayed him yet still tried to maintain his dignity—"Well... I haven't been here many times. I just came from my home in New York and spent some time here. I've been to all the places I should go, so I'm fairly familiar with it."
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This explanation makes perfect sense. Li Wenbin said "Oh," immediately accepting the explanation, and his attention was drawn to the next roaring stamping machine.
But Zheng Jiaming, with his more perceptive mind, caught a hint of something unusual in Lin Yan's extremely brief pause and the small gesture of touching his nose. He keenly sensed that Lin Yan's familiarity with Philadelphia was not simply a matter of "having visited for a while"; that deep-seated familiarity suggested he had lived there for a long time. However, he knew that boundaries were necessary between friends, and since Lin Yan was unwilling to elaborate, he considerately refrained from pressing the matter, suppressing his doubts and turning his attention to the coins that were continuously being produced like a golden stream.