Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

(This is my first novel about courtyard houses. For ease of reading, I've used the 1955 second set of RMB banknotes. Due to the nature of the writing, there might be slight age differences for some characters, and the plot might be set a few years earlier. Thank you.)

(Please use your brain while watching. After watching, leave a comment, urge for more updates, or send free "love-generating" gifts, and you'll randomly receive brains back.)

(The Security Section was upgraded to the Security Division because of plot requirements)

(Those with a saintly heart shouldn't read this; human nature is complex, and the protagonist is a little selfish and a little evil.)

His head throbbed as if it were about to explode, his throat burned with thirst, and his bones felt like they had been taken apart and then barely pieced back together. Liu Jianguo struggled to open his heavy eyelids, and his blurry vision gradually cleared.

What came into view was a mottled white ceiling, with patches of peeling paint revealing the grayish-yellow unfinished walls beneath. A dim, yellowish light bulb, suspended by a black-coated wire, swayed slightly in the air. A strong smell of disinfectant mixed with the odor of old cotton cloth and a faint musty odor filled his nostrils.

This is not his rented room piled high with takeout boxes.

He instinctively tried to prop himself up with his hands, but a sudden, tearing pain shot through his chest, causing him to gasp and fall helplessly back onto the hard bed. This real pain shattered his illusion that "this was just a nightmare."

Immediately afterwards, a vast and chaotic torrent of memories surged into his mind.

One memory belongs to Liu Jianguo, a disillusioned young man from the future: his girlfriend of many years leaves him, and he drowns his sorrows in alcohol, downing two bottles of cheap liquor. Through his drunken haze, he watches a TV drama about a man named "Sha Zhu" who lives a life of misery and ultimately dies a tragic death. Fueled by anger and alcohol, he accidentally knocks the bottle over onto a power strip, and a powerful electric current instantly takes him by surprise…

The other is the memory belonging to this body—a young battalion commander also named Liu Jianguo.

His parents were revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives in their early years. In 1950, he joined the army with the passion to serve his country, having just reached the age of enlistment, and then went to the battlefield of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

In the freezing cold, amidst gunfire and explosions, he ate fried noodles while the snow fell, and his comrades fell one by one beside him... He used his blood and courage to fight his way up from a lowly soldier to a battalion commander, his body covered in wounds, and he earned one first-class merit, three second-class merits, and five third-class merits.

In the final battle, American planes' shells exploded around him, and a piece of hot shrapnel embedded itself deeply in his chest...

Two completely different lives, two independent souls, collided and merged wildly within this body. The intense impact made his temples throb, and cold sweat instantly soaked his forehead. He gritted his teeth, trying to process this unbelievable reality.

I've traveled through time... and it's 1954!

With a creak, the peeling wooden door of the ward was pushed open.

A young woman wearing a faded blue Lenin suit with light-colored patches on the elbows, a white nurse's apron, and a nurse's cap, carried in an enamel tray. When she saw Liu Jianguo with his eyes open, she was startled at first, then a sincere and relieved smile spread across her face, and she quickly walked to the bedside.

"Oh dear! Battalion Commander Liu! You're finally awake!"

Her voice was clear and crisp, with a distinct northern accent, and her tone was full of the simple and caring qualities unique to this era.

She put down the plate and naturally reached out to touch Liu Jianguo's forehead. Her palms were a little rough, but her movements were very gentle.

"You've been unconscious for seven days and seven nights! We were so worried! How are you feeling now? Is your wound still very painful? Are you hungry?"

Liu Jianguo opened his mouth, but his throat was so dry that he couldn't make a clear sound; he could only let out a hoarse, hoarse sound.

"Don't rush, have some water to moisten your skin first."

The nurse quickly turned around and picked up a chipped enamel mug with the words "Dedicated to the Most Beloved People" printed in bright red from the bedside table. It contained warm water. She carefully lifted Liu Jianguo's head, brought the rim of the mug to his lips, and fed him the water little by little.

Warm water slid down his burning throat, bringing a brief moment of relief. Liu Jianguo caught his breath and asked in his still hoarse voice, "Comrade... thank you... where... where is this?"

"This is our unit's field hospital."

Seeing that he could speak, the nurse's smile deepened, and her voice became lighter. "You were seriously injured and were urgently brought back from the front lines. It's good that you're awake; it's such a wonderful thing! Please don't move around too much; you're very weak after just waking up. Lie down and rest for a while, and I'll go report the good news of your recovery to our hospital director!"

As the nurse spoke, she carefully tucked in the corners of the slightly stiff but very clean cotton quilt for him. Then, like a nimble swallow, she turned and jogged out of the ward, the sound of her hurried cloth shoes gradually fading into the corridor.

The ward fell silent again, with only Liu Jianguo's heavy breathing and the faint, indistinct singing that sounded like wounded soldiers humming from outside the window.

Time travel... 1954... combat hero... These words swirled in his mind, bringing a sense of unreal absurdity.

Liu Jianguo, oh Liu Jianguo, this is too outrageous... You can get yourself drunk and time-traveled just because you're heartbroken?

Or did I travel to the Korean War battlefield amidst gunfire and explosions?

The original owner of this body was a true combat hero, a first-class meritorious serviceman! What... what's going on with me? Am I a cuckoo in someone else's nest? But... shouldn't I be dead in that other world?

Being electrocuted is truly awful... My parents... never mind, I don't want to think about it. Since I've survived, especially in a place like this, I have to figure out how to survive first. This era is tough...

Just as he was in turmoil, feeling lost and fearful about the future, a clear, cold, and completely emotionless mechanical voice suddenly rang out from the depths of his mind:

[Ding! Host consciousness has stabilized, vital signs are trending towards stability, meeting the binding requirements. The "Life Achievements" system is officially activated... Bind?]

system?!

Liu Jianguo's heart clenched and then began to pound wildly! As a soul from the information explosion era, he knew all too well what those two words meant! This was simply a lifeline in his desperate situation, his greatest reliance for establishing himself in this unfamiliar era and even reaching the pinnacle!

Bind! It must be bound! What's there to hesitate about?! Heavens, you've finally opened your eyes! A cheat system! The standard for transmigrators!

"Bind! Bind now!" he shouted in his heart with all his might, afraid that if he delayed even a second, this tremendous opportunity would slip through his fingers.

【宿主已确认绑定请求……系统绑定中……5……4……3……2……1……】

[Ding! Binding successful! Congratulations to host Liu Jianguo for becoming the sole host of the "Life Achievements" system!]