Courtyard House: Starting in 1938, kill enemies and loot equipment.

As night deepened, the lights in the courtyard gradually went out, except for a dim oil lamp still burning in the east wing of the front yard. Zhou Ye sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Zhou Xiaocao's sleeping face, his brows slightly furrowed. The news that the Lou family's steel rolling mill had been taken over by the Japanese weighed heavily on his heart—the Japanese were becoming increasingly arrogant, and no one knew who would be next to suffer.

He needed to improve his self-defense capabilities as quickly as possible, and more importantly, provide his sister with a foolproof guarantee. The system upgrade had unlocked the beginner's shop, which might contain items that could protect his sister's life. Zhou Ye closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and the virtual interface of the system shop instantly appeared in his mind.

The shop interface is divided into three main sections: "Supplies," "Skills," and "Special Items," each labeled with the required merit points. Zhou Ye directly clicked on the "Special Items" section, quickly scanning it—it contained items such as "Invisibility Talisman (Basic)," "Extreme Escape Shoes," and "Defense Shield (One-Time Use)," with merit points ranging from tens to hundreds.

His gaze finally settled on an item called "Guardian Jade of Closest Family," with the following description: [Special item. Once bound to a close family member, when the wearer encounters mortal danger, it will automatically trigger spatial teleportation, instantly transferring them to the safe zone within the farm. Cooldown time: 24 hours. Requires 150 merit points to exchange.]

"This is it!" Zhou Ye was overjoyed; this was exactly what he wanted. 150 merit points weren't a small amount, but as long as his sister's safety was guaranteed, it was worth it no matter how high. He had accumulated 230 merit points through several night raids, enough to redeem the item.

"Exchange for the Guardian Jade of My Dearest!" Zhou Ye silently chanted in his heart.

[150 merit points deducted, successfully redeemed the Beloved Guardian Jade! The item has been stored in the system space and can be retrieved and bound at any time.]

As soon as the system notification sounded, Zhou Ye felt a cool sensation in his palm, and a warm, smooth white jade pendant appeared in his hand. The pendant was small and willow-leaf shaped, with fine patterns engraved on it, and it had a faint luster. It looked ordinary, but it contained the power to save one's life.

Zhou Ye gently picked up the pendant, walked to the bedside, and carefully placed it around Zhou Xiaocao's neck. The moment the pendant touched her skin, a barely perceptible white light flashed before disappearing, completing the binding.

[The Guardian Jade has been successfully bound to Zhou Xiaocao. Trigger condition: Encountering mortal danger. Teleportation destination: Farm Space Safe Zone.]

Looking at the white jade pendant around his sister's neck, Zhou Ye finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. With this protective jade, even if he wasn't by her side, his sister could still have a chance to survive in times of crisis.

Having resolved his sister's safety issue, Zhou Ye turned his attention to the "Skills Section" of the system shop. The current situation was becoming increasingly dire; the Japanese had already extended their reach to the nearby steel mill, and he needed to improve his survival and combat capabilities.

The skill area included skills such as "Combat Proficiency (Beginner)," "Gunslinger Mastery (Beginner)," and "Stealth (Beginner)." Zhou Ye scanned the skills and ultimately chose "Crisis Perception (Beginner)": [Passive skill, allows you to sense potential dangers within 50 meters in advance. The warning strength increases with the danger level. Requires 80 merit points to exchange.]

This skill allows him to avoid danger in advance during operations, making it extremely useful whether it's a night raid on a stronghold or dealing with unexpected situations. He currently has 80 merit points remaining, just enough to redeem it.

[80 merit points deducted; skill successfully redeemed: Crisis Perception (Beginner)! Skill automatically activated.]

The moment the exchange was completed, Zhou Ye felt his senses become exceptionally sharp. He could clearly distinguish every rustle of wind and the slightest movement around him, and even vaguely sense the presence of the puppet troops patrolling outside the courtyard wall. This ability to anticipate danger gave him more confidence.

Zhou Ye didn't care that his merit points were all used up. As long as he could protect those around him and improve his own strength, he could slowly accumulate more merit points. He exited the system shop, got up and walked to the window, gazing at the night outside the courtyard with eyes as sharp as an eagle.

The takeover of Lou's steel rolling mill by the Japanese meant that Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and others in the compound would face even greater danger. They were ordinary apprentices, unarmed and powerless against the oppression of the Japanese. Zhou Ye could not stand idly by, not only because they were neighbors, but also because he could not tolerate the Japanese's rampant atrocities in Beiping.

He had to find a way to protect everyone in the courtyard while also teaching the Japanese a lesson. Perhaps he could start with the steel mill—the Japanese had taken over the mill to rush production of military supplies; disrupting their production would not only slow down their invasion but also accumulate a lot of merit points.

As he pondered this, he heard light footsteps outside the courtyard, followed by a gentle knock on the front gate. Zhou Ye's heart skipped a beat. Who could it be at this hour? He silently approached the gate and, using his danger perception skill, sensed that there was only one person outside, and that they meant no harm.

Upon opening the courtyard gate, one could see the deaf old woman standing at the entrance, leaning on a cane and wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat. In the darkness, her eyes were unusually clear.

"Grandma, it's so late, why aren't you resting yet?" Zhou Ye quickly helped her up.

The deaf old woman walked into the courtyard and sat on the stone bench in the middle, gesturing for Zhou Ye to sit down as well. "Little boy, I know you've been doing big things," her voice was still hoarse, but carried an undeniable certainty, "the Japanese stronghold in the west of the city, you were the one who did it, weren't you? And those missing Japanese patrols in the city, you were the one who did it too."

Zhou Ye was startled, not expecting the old lady to know these things. He didn't deny it, but simply nodded: "Grandma, I just wanted to do something for the people and contribute to the country."

The deaf old woman nodded gently, a hint of approval flashing in her cloudy eyes: "Good child, you have backbone. The Japanese devils have committed many atrocities in Beiping, and someone should have dealt with them long ago. I have seen a lot of storms when I was young, and I know that in chaotic times, backbone alone is not enough; one must also have wisdom and a sense of proportion."

She paused, then continued, "I've heard about what happened at the steel mill. Yi Zhonghai and the others are all honest and law-abiding kids; they don't know how to resist. I don't object if you want to help them, but you must be careful. The Japanese are very cunning; you can't confront them head-on."

Zhou Ye felt a warmth in his heart. The old lady seemed indifferent, but in reality, she knew everything and was secretly caring for him. "Grandma, don't worry, I know what I'm doing and won't act rashly."

"That's good," the deaf old lady said, taking out a small cloth bag from her bosom and handing it to Zhou Ye. "Inside are some silver dollars and a note with several addresses written on it. They are people I saved before. They have some influence in the city and may be able to help you gather information or lend you a hand at a critical moment."

Zhou Ye took the cloth bag, deeply moved: "Thank you, ma'am."

"You're welcome," the deaf old woman stood up. "I'm old and can't be of much help, this is all I can offer. Remember, protecting yourself and the people in the nursing home is the best way to repay me."

After saying that, she leaned on her cane and slowly walked back to the main house in the backyard.

Zhou Ye clutched the cloth bag in his hand, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew that he was no longer alone. He had the support of the deaf old lady, the trust of the neighbors in the courtyard, and his younger sister to protect. He had to be more cautious and more determined to move forward.

Back in his room, Zhou Ye opened the cloth bag. Inside, as expected, were more than a dozen silver dollars and a folded piece of paper with several addresses and names written on it. He put the bag away, already having a plan in mind.

Tomorrow, he will first go to the vicinity of the steel mill to scout out the situation, learning about the Japanese deployment and production; at the same time, he will use the address given by the old lady to contact those people and establish his own intelligence network. Only by possessing sufficient information can he formulate a meticulous plan to both disrupt the Japanese military supply production and protect those around him.

Night deepened, and the courtyard was quiet, save for the soft rustling of the wind through the branches of the old locust tree. Zhou Ye lay in bed, wide awake, his mind racing, rehearsing all possible scenarios and preparing for any danger.

He knew the road ahead would be even more difficult and dangerous. But he was fearless, for he had faith, concerns, and people he had to protect. He wanted the Japanese devils to know that Beiping was not a place where they could act with impunity; with him there, there was the power of resistance, and there was the glimmer of hope!

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Zhou Ye woke Zhou Xiaocao and told her to stay obediently in the courtyard with Lü Bingxin and not to run around. Zhou Xiaocao nodded obediently, her little hand stroking the white jade pendant around her neck. Although she didn't know what it was, she knew it was a gift from her brother, meant to protect her.

After settling his younger sister in, Zhou Ye changed into a simple outfit, tucked the note and a few silver dollars given to him by the old lady into his pocket, and left the courtyard, heading towards the Lou family's steel rolling mill. His new plan was about to begin.