That night, Ma Xiaoguang and two Neon officers drank until eight o'clock at night.
In the end, both of them left the tavern with confusion on their feet.
It was Lao Li who came to pick up Ma Xiaoguang.
"Drinking too much again?"
Lao Li handed over the kettle and asked quietly.
"Not really...the Japanese Daguan shochu is not very strong. It is far worse than our Lao Baigan. If I didn't want to find out the situation of the Ninth Division, I would be too lazy to drink with them."
Ma Xiaoguang took the kettle, took a big sip, and whispered to Lao Li.
"Yizhuang is almost done, we can start work when the goods arrive."
Lao Li looked around and reported in a low voice.
Ma Xiaoguang nodded to Lao Li, with a hint of hope in his eyes.
This trip to Jinling took a lot of effort, but what everyone is waiting for is the start of work?
Now we are one step closer to achieving our goal.
Back at the safe house, Fatty has also returned.
"How's it going? The leader of the Japanese division won't run away, right? Didn't he say he wants to move his defense?"
As soon as the fat man saw Chief Ma, he stepped forward and asked with concern.
"It's past New Year to move the defense. There is enough time. Let's start preparing things tomorrow..."
Ma Xiaoguang picked up the cracked porcelain bowl on the table, took a big gulp and said.
"That's right. It wouldn't be good if this one ran away early."
Hearing this, the fat man refilled Chief Ma's water and said with a smile.
A night of silence.
The next morning, Ma Xiaoguang and Lao Li came to Sanyuan Lane Yizhuang after going in a big circle.
This is for safety reasons. There are few pedestrians in Jinling City at this time, and there are Japanese soldiers everywhere. It would be very bad if we are targeted and the boat capsizes in the ditch.
Fortunately, safety first has always been Chief Ma's tenet. When they arrived at the intersection of Sanyuan Lane, the two of them saw a man lying at the intersection covered with a torn mat.
The man just raised his eyes and glanced at Commander Ma and Lao Li, then turned over and continued to rest there with his eyes closed.
This person was the mute Zhang Aqi who had helped Ma Xiaoguang and Lao Tu a few days ago. Ma Xiaoguang and Lao Li were not surprised by his appearance at this time.
In the distance, the flags of Yizhuang were fluttering in the wind - this was Lao Tu's safety signal.
"There is nothing abnormal. Zhang Ahqi is helping us guard the perimeter."
Lao Tu let the two of them into Yizhuang and reported in a low voice.
"Well, yes, it's good. In fact, this place is quite close to Hong Gong Temple. This is God's will..."
Ma Xiaoguang said jokingly to Lao Tu and Lao Li.
"The Hong Gong Temple is gone now, there is only ruins, alas!"
Lao Tu seemed a little sad, shook his head and sighed.
While they were talking, there was a knock on the door outside.
When Lao Tu went out and took a look, he saw a fat man with his head and face wrapped up and dressed in rags.
The fat man flashed into Yizhuang carrying two large glass bottles wrapped in thick camouflage.
Everything was ready, and Ma Xiaoguang quickly ordered: "Old Tu, you and Old Li are responsible for keeping watch, while Fatty and I will prepare the preparations."
The two of them took the order and hurried to the front of Yizhuang.
Ma Xiaoguang and Fatty put on specially made masks and goggles and took the raw materials to the backyard.
"To mix these two things, you must first pour concentrated nitric acid, and then slowly pour the concentrated sulfuric acid in along the glass rod. Otherwise, the face will be disfigured, and the worst may be lifeless..."
Ma Xiaoguang first opened the dark brown glass bottle of nitric acid and slowly poured the liquid inside into the earthen jar, while whispering to the fat man.
Concentrated nitric acid was poured into the earthen jar, and a choking acid mist suddenly rose from inside.
Fatty stared at the acid mist, feeling a little scared. He quietly watched Ma Xiaoguang's operation, rarely saying a word.
"The ratio of nitric acid to sulfuric acid is one to two. Make sure you don't get this ratio wrong. There is a scale on this bottle, so it shouldn't be wrong."
Seeing that the nitric acid in the tank was almost empty, Ma Xiaoguang turned to the fat man and warned him.
Then he gently capped the nitric acid bottle and carefully poured in concentrated sulfuric acid in proportion.
When the two liquids mix, the acid mist in the tank becomes even worse.
The fat man took out the camouflaged absorbent cotton inside the worn-out cotton-padded jacket, clamped it with a glass rod and slowly put it into the tank...
The two of them were busy for most of the day, walking on thin ice like this.
Now in a room in Yizhuang, a lot of prepared guncotton has been placed in wooden basins and is being left to dry.
Looking at their results, Ma Xiaoguang and Fatty breathed a long sigh of relief.
Only then did the two of them realize that even though it was already winter, their backs were already soaked with sweat!
Walked out of the house and came to the front hall of Yizhuang.
The two of them were not particular about it, so they found an empty coffin and sat down.
"Done?"
Lao Li asked with some anticipation.
Lao Tu said nothing, but his eyes were full of inquiry.
"It's almost done. Let's wait until these things are dry. In winter, the weather is cold and the danger is relatively small. Candlelight must be strictly prohibited!"
"This thing is delicate. It is afraid of fire and water. Be careful not to get wet by water. Excess sulfuric acid and nitric acid must also be kept away..."
Ma Xiaoguang took a deep breath and whispered instructions to Lao Tu.
Lao Tu said solemnly: "Understood, when I just said this, I prepared a flashlight, and the house was also inspected to make sure there is no water leakage... Brother Qi and I will keep an eye on this place 24 hours a day!"
Lao Li also quickly spoke up: "Don't worry, young master, Lao Tu and I will stay here together. There will be no mistakes. The people are there and the goods are there."
Commander Ma naturally nodded in agreement to the two captains' volunteering.
"After the collodion is completely dry, it should be packed in wooden boxes. You can't put too much in it. A box can only hold three or two heavy items..."
"This coffin is okay for the time being, but Lao Tu has to discuss with Brother Qi to find another wooden utensil. We have to find a way to transport the things to the Jaap Division Headquarters..."
At the end of the day, Ma Xiaoguang was still giving long-winded instructions to the two of them.
After all, this is an extremely explosive thing, so you can't be too careful.
After giving many instructions to Lao Li and Lao Tu, Ma Xiaoguang took the fat man and put on the uniform of a neon officer and quietly left Yizhuang.
The two of them walked south towards the Confucius Temple.
When passing by Xinjiekou, a sign that fell on the road made Ma Xiaoguang stop.
"Isn't this the signboard of 'Jiangnan Evening News'?"
The fat man came forward and whispered.
"Things are different and people are different... The dead face is Lao Shi. He is quick to see opportunities and has hid in the Shanghai stock market a long time ago. He just doesn't know what other people are like?"
Ma Xiaoguang shook his head and sighed with some emotion.
The surrounding area was empty, but he didn't worry about neon patrol soldiers walking by, so Ma Xiaoguang was able to reminisce there.
"Ma Dan, the good Jinling has become a ghost town now."
The fat man looked at the messy streets and gritted his teeth angrily.
At this moment, Ma Xiaoguang seemed to feel a flash in front of his eyes, as if a figure suddenly flashed across the distance.
