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Trembling in various circles
In 1995, on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the outrageous news came from the teaching building of the University of California, Los Angeles - Professor Feng Xiqiao, a genius in physics, unfortunately committed suicide by jumping off the building at the age of 35.
Shocked by the news, everyone who knew him rushed to find out the truth and try to solve the mystery of the tragedy.
Feng Xiqiao's classmate and friend Zhao Ping of the Department of Physics of Peking University recalled solemnly that just a few days ago, he received a call from Feng Xiqiao, who enthusiastically revealed that he would return to the United States in September and hoped to create more brilliance in his academic and career.
Who would have thought that just a few days later, this promising young professor would choose to die in such a desperate way.
What is embarrassing is that Feng Xiqiao's last trip before his death was to visit his French girlfriend in Paris, could it be that this emotional entanglement was the root cause of his choice to commit suicide? Zhao Ping said puzzledly that just a few days ago, Feng Xiqiao mentioned to him that he would return to the United States on September 22 and was full of expectations for the future.
However, in less than a week, this talented young man chose to commit suicide by jumping off a building, leaving everyone in deep mourning.
Professor Tsung-Dao Lee was overwhelmed with grief and delivered a eulogy, saying that "Xi Qiao, one of the outstanding physicists of his generation, has lost a shining new star in the physics community."
This is undoubtedly a deep mourning for this talented young scholar. The president of the University of California, Los Angeles also immediately announced that the whole university would lower the flag at half-mast for Feng Xiqiao to express their deep condolences to him.
The authoritative journal "Physics Today" even made an exception to publish Feng Xiqiao's posthumous photo, which has never been seen in the journal's programming conventions.
The dead are gone, and the living are like this. Feng Xiqiao was full of ambition and lofty ideals, but it came to an abrupt end at the peak of his life, which puzzled countless relatives and friends, and added infinite remembrance of his short life.
He left behind a fascinating legend and a mystery.
Feng Xiqiao's family background
Feng Xiqiao was born in the early 1960s, in a well-known family with different family members. His father, Feng Zhoupeng, was the chief engineer of the National Economic Commission and the economic counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Germany.
and her mother, Shen Wenyun, served as the director of thoracic surgery in the 304 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, and was also a well-known local medical authority.
As the eldest son in the family, Feng Xiqiao has received strict family education since he was a child. At the age of three, he began to learn traditional Chinese culture, and at the age of seven, he learned to play the violin with his grandfather.
Even so, he never felt burdened by this, but showed an extraordinary enthusiasm for learning. During his studies at Peking University, Feng Xiqiao's grades continued to break through, and finally ranked first in his major.
What makes people look at it differently is that Feng Xiqiao's younger brother Feng Yiyi is also from a famous family, but he is not as precocious as his brother. After graduating from Tsinghua University with a major in industrial automation, Feng Yiyi received an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and did not seem to be too impressive academically.
However, after the unfortunate death of his brother Feng Xiqiao, Feng Yiyi made rapid progress in his career with his own efforts and perseverance and became an executive of a well-known education group.
In 2019, he took over as the president of Minsheng Education Group and became a rising star in the industry.
Compared with Feng Xiqiao, although his younger brother Feng Yiyi's life experience is not as brilliant as his brother's, he still adheres to his brother's teachings, persevers in struggle, and finally has made great progress in his career.
Perhaps, it is precisely because of the loss of his talented eldest brother that Feng Yiyi cherishes everything in front of him even more and is determined to make his life equally brilliant.
Outstanding academics
Feng Xiqiao has been destined to become an extraordinary figure since he was born. Coming from a famous family, he was strictly required by his parents since he was a child and received strict family education.
At the age of three, he began to learn traditional Chinese ink painting and violin playing. Although Feng Xiqiao was still young at that time, he had already begun to show superhuman learning ability, and he quickly mastered these skills.
At the age of seven, Feng Xiqiao began to learn violin with his grandfather. In order to support his musical dream, his mother Shen Wenyun and his grandfather hand-copied the music scores as his teaching materials.
This kind of selfless love undoubtedly inspires Feng Xiqiao and makes him full of enthusiasm and motivation for learning.
Although Feng Xiqiao did not suffer too much study pressure during his school years because of his superior family background, he still devoted himself to his studies. He always understands what his teacher teaches quickly, and he can review and consolidate it in half the time of his peers.
This excellent learning ability enabled him to perform well all the way during his studies at Peking University, and eventually became an outstanding student ranked first in his major.
In that conservative era, China's college entrance examination was interrupted for a time and replaced by a system of recommendation by workers, peasants and soldiers. However, even in the face of such a predicament, Feng Xiqiao was still not defeated by setbacks.
He not only completed all the courses that he could have completed in his senior year ahead of schedule, but also successfully entered Peking University with excellent results, becoming one of the first batch of students sent abroad to study abroad.
The talent of this physics genius soon attracted the attention of top scholars in the industry. In 1980, the first Sino-US joint physics graduate examination led by the famous physicist Tsung-Dao Lee was organized, and Feng Xiqiao stood out with his outstanding knowledge reserves, became one of the best, and was finally admitted to Harvard University.
This undoubtedly opened the door to an even more brilliant future for him.
In Feng Xiqiao's learning process, diligence and hard work can be said to be his most significant characteristic. He began to memorize English words every morning, and even on the way home by bicycle, he did not forget to transcribe new words on the handlebars, and memorized them repeatedly as he walked.
This kind of focus and perseverance makes people sigh that it turns out that the achievements of this genius boy are not achieved overnight, but from his tireless efforts.
colorful
With his outstanding academic performance, Feng Xiqiao became one of the first students to be given the opportunity to go abroad. In 1980, the first Sino-US Joint Physics Graduate Examination, led by the famous physicist Tsung-Dao Lee, was in full swing.
In this fierce competition, Feng Xiqiao stood out with his excellent knowledge reserve and superb performance and was successfully admitted to Harvard University. This undoubtedly opened the door for him to a more brilliant future.
However, in the conservative social atmosphere at that time, many students studying in the United States were far away from their homeland with the feeling of pilgrimage. But unlike them, Feng Xiqiao has always had a patriotic heart and will never allow anyone to desecrate the dignity of his alma mater.
It is reported that in the face of the American academic giants, the teachers and students of Peking University are full of pride and vow to maintain the reputation of the university, and Qi Hui, a professor in the Department of Physics, even denounced that "Peking University is not a preparatory department for American universities."
This spirit of patriotism is very moving.
At Harvard, Feng Xiqiao not only achieved amazing academic achievements, but also had a colorful life. In addition to regularly joining the band as a violinist, he is also an avid swimmer, dancing, and other social activities.
Whether it is a concert or an art exhibition, you can see him. At the same time, he closely followed the political dynamics in the United States, often immersed in the heated debates in Congress.
In the United States, where freedom of speech is abundant, Feng Xiqiao has never concealed his views. From the very beginning, he put forward unique insights into the school's teaching methods and management system. In 1987, he joined the anti-war demonstrations, actively calling for a ban on nuclear weapons.
In 1991, he threw himself into the fight against the Gulf War and marched forward bravely.
With his outstanding academic achievements, Feng Xiqiao was also hired to work in a well-known corporate laboratory, and his salary was much higher than that of his classmates. At the same time, he was also offered the position of a dormitory counselor who was exempted from the accommodation fee, which shows how much the school appreciates him.
During his time at the University of California, he published more than a dozen high-quality papers in a row, and his achievements far surpassed those of his contemporaries.
With the blessing of such academic achievements, Feng Xiqiao's reputation has also become louder and louder. He is frequently invited to participate in various academic events and is often hired as a guest of honor in academic societies.
However, despite the take-off of his career, the talented man remains single and does not seem interested in marriage. Some speculate that it may have something to do with the many girlfriends he met while living in the United States.
Interestingly, however, despite the praise that Feng Xiqiao has received in the United States, he still seems to be full of nostalgia for his alma mater. When he learned that a professor from Peking University who was engaged in related disciplines was about to go to the University of California for academic exchanges, Feng Xiqiao would take the initiative to contact the other party and warmly invite the other party to visit his laboratory.
This deep attachment to his homeland has undoubtedly become a lingering obsession in his life.
Rose to fame in the academic world
With his outstanding academic performance and outstanding scientific research achievements, Feng Xiqiao's status in the academic world is rising day by day. In 1984, he was awarded the Harvard University Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year Award, which is undoubtedly the highest recognition of his academic achievements.
In 1995, he received his Ph.D. from Harvard with honors, and was later invited to work as an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In the same year, the physics genius took his leap to the next level, and at the age of 35, he was promoted to full professor at the University of California, making him one of the youngest professors in the university's history.
This was undoubtedly a remarkable achievement in the academic world at that time.
Feng Xiqiao has made great contributions to the field of condensed matter physics, and a paper he wrote at the age of 23 is still widely cited today, which has injected new impetus into the development of the discipline.
During his tenure as a professor, he continued to publish high-quality papers, averaging more than a dozen per year, far surpassing other physicists of his time.
With these outstanding academic performances, Feng Xiqiao has gradually attracted wide attention from the academic community. Major schools have invited him to participate in various academic activities, and often invite him to be a guest of honor in academic clubs.
This talented young professor has also made a name for himself and has a high reputation across the globe.
However, even while his career is taking off, Feng Xiqiao still maintains his attachment to his alma mater. He often receives professors from Peking University, warmly invites them to visit his laboratory, and has in-depth exchanges with them on academic issues.
This deep affection for his homeland has undoubtedly become a lingering obsession throughout his life.
Even in a foreign country, Feng Xiqiao's life is rich and colorful, not only has he made great achievements in the academic field, but also has an extremely fulfilling life. In addition to regularly attending concerts and art exhibitions, he is also an avid social event such as swimming and dancing.
Some people even rumored that during his time in the United States, this talented man had more than a dozen girlfriends, which shows that his love life is quite colorful.
Leaving his younger brother to fight alone
may be too strict with expectations for marriage, Feng Xiqiao has not been able to achieve his wish in his love life. It is rumored that he had more than a dozen girlfriends during his time in the United States, which shows the wealth of his emotional experience.
But in the end, the talent failed to find the other half of his heart.
In September 1995, Feng Xiqiao went to Paris to visit his French girlfriend. At that time, the French lady was no longer as young and beautiful as she used to be, and her age had grown to forty or fifty, and the differences in cultural backgrounds and values between the two became more and more obvious.
In the end, the French lady rationally chose to break up with Feng Xiqiao.
Even in the face of emotional setbacks, Feng Xiqiao still has difficulty letting go of his obsession with this relationship. On September 16, he visited his French girlfriend's residence again in an attempt to save the relationship.
However, it backfired, and the two were unable to reach a consensus in the end, Feng Xiqiao could not bear the blow, and finally chose to commit suicide by jumping off the building at the age of 35.
This shocking tragedy made Feng Xiqiao's relatives and friends unable to let go. Zhao Ping, a classmate of Feng's, recalled that just a few days ago, he received a confident call from Feng, who said that he would return to the United States on September 22 and was full of expectations for the future.
Who would have thought that just a few days later, this talented young man would choose to die in such a desperate way.
Professor Tsung-Dao Lee was overwhelmed with grief and delivered a eulogy, saying that "Xi Qiao, one of the outstanding physicists of his generation, has lost a shining new star in the physics community."
This is undoubtedly a deep tribute to this remarkable young man. The president of the University of California, Los Angeles also immediately announced that the whole university would lower the flag at half-mast for Feng Xiqiao to express his high respect.
The authoritative journal "Physics Today" even made an exception to publish Feng Xiqiao's posthumous photo, which has never been seen in the journal's programming conventions.
What is embarrassing is that Feng Xiqiao's younger brother Feng Yiyi, after his brother's death, gradually made great progress in his career with his own efforts and perseverance.
In 2019, he even took over as the president of Minsheng Education Group and became a rising star in the industry. This has undoubtedly become the biggest regret of Feng Xiqiao's life, he failed to witness his brother's brilliant achievements at the last moment of his life.
Regardless of the reasons that ultimately led Feng Xiqiao to choose suicide, his death undoubtedly made all those who cared about him sad. This talented young man, who has achieved enviable achievements in his career and life, finally chose to die in such a tragic way, causing irreparable trauma to his family and friends.
And now, only his younger brother Feng Yiyi is left to struggle alone, hoping to write his own wonderful life in the future.