I used the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) to fight the Japanese.

After a two-day, one-night train journey, the two brothers, Mancang and his brother, finally arrived at Tianjin Railway Station. As soon as they stepped out of the station, they were surrounded by enthusiastic rickshaw drivers.

"Gentlemen, is this your first time in Tianjin? Where are you going? We'll take you there."

"Gentlemen, please ride in my car. I'm fast!"

"Ride in my car, I'll keep it steady!"

"Gentlemen, are you looking for an inn? I know this area well, I'm sure you'll be satisfied!"

The two were taken aback. Was the competition among rickshaw drivers this fierce these days? It was just like the touts at the train station in their past lives!

The two brothers took a rickshaw to Erlong Bridge, found Longya Alley (as mentioned by Zao Hua), and checked into a nearby inn. It was already dinnertime, so they went to a bustling steamed bun shop, ordered several baskets of buns, and ate while gathering information.

In this era without the internet, diners would often linger in the restaurant after their meals, chatting casually with acquaintances and strangers alike. Therefore, restaurants were often the best place to gather information.

"Have you heard? Detective Zheng from the police station is at odds with the Japanese again!"

"They're at it again? Why this time?!"

"There have been demonstrations and protests in the Japanese Concession these past few days, haven't there? I heard that one of the organizers fled to the French Concession. The Japanese wanted to come in and arrest Detective Zheng, but they wouldn't let him. They've been at odds with him right here at Bridge No. 1 for almost half a day!"

"Hey! This time, Zheng did the right thing, he's a real man!"

"Of course! The Japanese are using live people to study chemical weapons, and the French aren't happy about it either, are they? What if we let the Japanese in to arrest people and then cause trouble here? The French can't afford to be careless at this time!"

"That's right! Not only the French Concession, but the other concessions didn't dare to meddle either. This time, the Japanese have really angered everyone!"

"Serves them right! They could do something so utterly depraved!"

"I just wonder how many people will die this time..."

When the two brothers heard that news of the secret base had already reached Tianjin, they sighed with relief, glad that publishing the news in the newspaper was a wise choice!

After finishing their meal, they called the waiter to settle the bill, and Manxiang inquired about the Song family.

"Brother, I've heard there's a kind-hearted gentleman named Song living nearby. Do you know him?"

"Master Song? You've come to the right person! Master Song comes to our shop for breakfast every morning. If you want to meet him, get there early tomorrow morning!"

"That's great! I'll trouble you to introduce us when the time comes, little brother!" Manxiang said, taking out two yuan in legal tender and stuffing it into the other person's hand.

"Thank you so much! Our shop opens at seven, and Mr. Song usually arrives around seven-thirty. However, I've heard that his house has been targeted lately, with people watching the front and back of the yard. Please be careful!"

"Oh? Do you know why?" Manxiang continued to ask.

"I don't know! The old man has a wide circle of friends and might have offended someone. In any case, it's better to be careful!"

"Okay! Thanks!" Manxiang said thank you.

Even the waiter knew that the Song family was being targeted; the Japanese were being far too blatant in their actions!

The two went out and strolled into the alley. The alley was dimly lit without streetlights, and passersby could only use flashlights for illumination. Without flashlights, the two groped their way forward, and only when they reached the gates of various houses did they find some light.

Only one courtyard at the very back of the alley had its lights off. You could vaguely see two people squatting by the door, smoking. As you got closer, you could hear them speaking in broken Chinese in hushed tones. Judging from their tone, they were clearly Japanese!

"Damn it! It's been over a month, when will this end? He's just an old man, why not just kill him and be done with it? Is it really necessary to keep an eye on him like this every day?"

"Fujimoto-kun's keeping an eye on things must have a deeper meaning. Just wait! This family won't escape; they'll be our victims sooner or later! Once that professor is no longer useful, this family will have no reason to exist! And that mother and daughter will just be our playthings, won't they?"

"Wow! That pretty girl is absolutely gorgeous! In Chinese terms, she's a middle-aged woman who still has all the charm!"

"Haha, your Chinese has improved again!"

"Sure! Besides the beautiful girls, the Chinese women's cheongsams, musical instruments, antiques, and curios are all very charming. Speaking good Chinese will make it easier to collect more good things!"

"Haha, you like these too? You've made quite a bit of money these past few years, haven't you?"

"So, you know! I've learned a lot these past few years, and I've collected several sets of the Chinese arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The old man's jade chime set is particularly exquisite. I heard it was part of the emperor's collection and was once played in the palace with a set of gold chimes. The sound was beautiful! I've been envious of it for a long time! If Fujimoto-kun hadn't stopped me from taking any action, I would have snatched it long ago!"

"Yoshi! Don't worry, that stuff will be yours sooner or later! The Chinese once had a glorious culture and advanced technology, but their ancestors didn't use it for production; instead, they used it for pleasure. So their decline was inevitable!"

……

There was no need to ask; this unlit courtyard belonged to the Song family. However, the mention of the jade chime stones by the Japanese soldier had put Mancang on alert! If he wasn't mistaken, the golden chime stones the Japanese soldier spoke of were the sixteen golden chime stones cast for Emperor Qianlong's 80th birthday!

This set of gold chimes used a total of 11,439 taels of gold, weighing 13,647 taels and 2 mace (the gold composition is not pure). It broke with the traditional Chinese practice of casting chimes in bronze. The heaviest of these is the "Wushe Great Gold Bell," and the lightest is the "Beiying Bell," inscribed "Made in the 55th year of the Qianlong reign." When the bells are arranged from low to high, striking them produces beautiful music.

Normally, this set of gold bells was kept in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, only brought out to accompany jade chimes during grand ceremonies such as court assemblies, banquets, and sacrificial rites. Ancient chime bells and chime stones distinguished musical notes by size, but the gold chime bells were uniform in shape, using varying thickness to differentiate the scales. Each bell's face was cast with the name of the musical note in raised regular script. The bells all shared the same decorative motif, divided into three sections by raised patterns: the upper section featured clouds; the middle section was wider, cast with dynamic dragons, all facing left; and the lower section featured diagonal cloud patterns with eight evenly distributed flat-headed studs, the striking points. The gold chime bells possessed a dignified and luxurious design, displaying the extraordinary grandeur of a court musical instrument and ceremonial object. Cast in gold and capable of producing different timbres, they were exquisite musical instruments, rare in the world. Their craftsmanship and cultural value far exceeded the weight of the gold itself. The "Dongfanghong" (The East Is Red) melody broadcast by China's first artificial satellite was played by these gold chime bells.

In its previous life, the sixteen chime bells were displayed in two large glass cases in the Treasure Gallery of the Palace Museum in Beijing, attracting thousands of Chinese and foreign visitors every day. However, the jade chime stones that were played alongside them have long since disappeared!

Now that he learned that the matching chime stones were actually in the hands of the Song family patriarch, how could he not be excited! You must know that in this era, too many national treasures and antiques have left the country, and these little devils are the culprits!