Chapter 525: Chapter 525: Learning from Your Excellency’s Industrious Spirit
Due to the time difference, Tang Li arrived in London in the evening of the same day.
She took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, and by the time she checked in, it was almost 10 pm local time, while it was the early morning of the next day back home.
Tang Li came to London without notifying Song Baiyan.
She only told him that she was quite busy today to prevent him from calling her.
Lying on the bed, she sent Song Baiyan a morning text message: “Visiting the UK today, have a smooth journey!”
Soon after, she received a reply—
Tang Li responded: “Learning from Your Excellency’s diligent governance, I must not develop the habit of oversleeping.”
At around 6 am, Song Baiyan was strolling on the southern lawn in the backyard of Tan Palace.
Looking at the words “Your Excellency” in the message, he couldn’t help but smile, lifted his head, and gazed at the distant Red Pine, immersed in a vista of lush greenery.
Just as Tang Li threw back the covers, Song Baiyan texted back: “No shooting or classes today, sleep in.”
“Okay.” She sent the text and lay down.
It was more than 3 am UK time before Tang Li started feeling sleepy.
When she woke up, it was already 11:30 am.
Tang Li got up, washed up, dressed in jeans and sneakers, and put on a loose sweater, grabbed a cap and her wallet, and went downstairs for lunch.
It was her first time in a foreign land, yet Tang Li did not feel unfamiliar or lost.
Perhaps, it was because Song Baiyan would also come here.
At the hotel reception, there was a middle-aged lady with a kind face. Tang Li communicated with her in English. Her spoken English was not very good, but after some talking and gesturing, the receptionist finally understood her.
On the London map provided by the hotel, the lady marked the location of the hotel and the nearby subway station for Tang Li, and also circled the addresses of Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, Clarence Palace, Kensington Palace, and Windsor Castle that Tang Li wanted to know about, although these places were not ordinary tourist spots and were not freely accessible.
Learning that Tang Li was from S country, the middle-aged lady became even more friendly.
It was a public secret that the President of S country was visiting the UK today.
After Tang Li’s inquiry, the receptionist mapped out the route the President’s motorcade would take and told Tang Li that, barring any accidents, the President of S country would arrive in London at 3 pm.
As for road closures, it would depend on the circumstances.
When Heads of State from other countries visited, while the security motorcade passed through, it was merely to maintain traffic order by the UK side and snipers were positioned at specific locations; if roads were closed, it inevitably caused inconvenience to the public.
After thanking her, Tang Li took the map and left the hotel.
She had lunch at a roadside McDonald’s, then went to the subway station. Before coming to the UK, she had already studied the itineraries of the previous Presidents of S country visiting the UK, where the Queen and the Foreign Minister of the UK welcomed the visiting foreign Heads of State at the airport, and then, the motorcade proceeded to Buckingham Palace.
During the state visit, the President of S country would also stay at Buckingham Palace.
Tang Li took the subway to the vicinity of Buckingham Palace. On the tree-lined avenue, large flags of both countries were hung up, preparing to welcome the soon to visit Song Baiyan.
Along the way, she encountered no road closures.
Around 5 pm in the evening, Tang Li finally waited for the security motorcade of the President of S country.
Every few meters along the road, traffic police maintained order. She stood outside the road barricades, and soon her eyes caught the motorcycle leading the entire motorcade, followed by a black BMW advance car.
This motorcade was exactly as she remembered.
From a distance, Tang Li saw the two presidential cars, her body pushed forward trying to get a clearer view.
However, when the motorcade really came into her view, she raised her hand to press down her cap, like a student doing something mischievous, fearful of being recognized by the “teacher.”