Courtyard House: In times of famine, my hamster became a spirit.

[Ding! Host's emotions have been severely fluctuating, and they are in a state of extreme hunger.]

[The "Stay-at-Home Check-in System" is now being activated...]

【Activation succeeded! 】

[Pet to be bound: Ether Hamster (juvenile stage).]

[Warning: This system does not directly provide finished products. Survival rewards must be obtained by feeding pet hamsters.]

Zhou Jianguo opened his eyes, bit his tongue, and forced himself to stay awake.

A semi-transparent virtual cage appeared before me, suspended in mid-air.

Inside the cage, there lay a hamster the size of a palm.

But this little thing looks a bit strange. Its silver-gray fur is dazzlingly shiny, and there's even a tuft of red hair on the tip of its ear. Its eyes are extremely human-like, and it's currently crossing its arms and looking at Zhou Jianguo with a look of disgust.

That look clearly said: This poor wretch doesn't deserve to be my poop scooper.

Zhou Jianguo's lips twitched slightly.

"System, how do I use it?" he muttered to himself.

[Please find food to feed the hamster. Depending on the type, taste, and rarity of the food, the hamster will generate corresponding bonus resources or special items.]

[Note: Hamsters are picky eaters; feeding them only one type of food for a long time will lead to decreased productivity.]

Zhou Jianguo gave a wry smile, a wave of acid rising in his stomach.

If there was still food at home, would we have gone to the Jia family's house to burn things?

Now, even mice have to leave this house with tears in their eyes.

wrong.

A mouse?

Zhou Jianguo's eyes suddenly narrowed.

In the corner, a brown cockroach the size of a fingernail was swaggering across.

These days, this thing lives a more comfortable life than people.

Without a second thought, Zhou Jianguo lunged forward and slapped him hard across the face.

It didn't kill it; it just grabbed its tentacles.

The cockroach was still kicking its legs.

"Want to eat?" Zhou Jianguo tentatively brought the still-struggling cockroach closer to the virtual cage.

The hamster in the system interface saw a cockroach.

Its beady eyes widened instantly, revealing an extremely human-like expression of nausea.

Then, it actually stretched out its pink little paws and pointed to the side with disdain, as if to say: Are you a devil?

[Note: The pet is extremely nauseous. However, due to hunger, it will reluctantly accept being fed.]

[Feeding successful: One live cockroach.]

The cockroach in Zhou Jianguo's hand turned into a white light and disappeared into the virtual cage.

The hamster reluctantly chewed twice, its facial features scrunched up, and then spat out a dazzling ball of light with a "pui" sound.

[Ding! Conversion complete.]

[Critical Hit Reward: 10 Powerful High-Pressure Bear Traps (Modified Version: Comes with a 500-volt instantaneous pulse current; instant stun upon contact, a cure for all who dare to challenge it).]

[Newbie consolation prize: 2 vials of highly concentrated glucose oral solution (for survival).]

Zhou Jianguo's hand suddenly felt heavy.

Two glass bottles and a stack of metal clips gleaming with a cold metallic sheen appeared out of thin air in my hand.

Looking at the jagged, menacing jaws and the faintly flickering blue arcs of electricity on them, Zhou Jianguo smiled.

This is not a bear trap.

In this era where even batteries are precious, this is practically a summons from the King of Hell!

He tilted his head back, bit open the glass bottle, and drank the entire vial of glucose in one gulp.

The sweet taste flowed down my throat, and my body finally felt a little warm. My previously drowsy mind cleared up a bit.

"So, the terrier stole my food to feed its dog, huh?"

"Is Jia Zhangshi throwing a tantrum?"

"You want revenge, huh?"

A chilling ruthlessness flashed in Zhou Jianguo's eyes.

He picked up a live wire trap, carefully broke it open, and placed it in the shadows under the windowsill—a common route for gnats to climb through windows, with muddy handprints left by the little brat on the window frame.

He picked up another one, placed it in front of the broken cabinet, and then casually tore off a piece of rag to cover it.

After doing all this, he retreated to the bedside, a cruel smile curving his lips.

"Tonight, we invite you into our trap."

Late at night.

The courtyard house fell silent once again.

After the daytime farce, everyone went to bed early to save on kerosene lamps, with only occasional muffled coughs piercing through the walls.

Zhou Jianguo didn't sleep.

There was no fire in the room. He sat in the darkness, clutching the solid iron bar that was originally used to unclog the stove, his knuckles white from the force.

After swallowing that concentrated glucose solution, although it didn't fill me up, it did at least restore some of my energy.

He is waiting.

The hunters have set the traps; how could they not keep watch?

The lights at the Jia family's house had long been out.

But Zhou Jianguo knew that family all too well.

That old hag Jia Zhangshi was the kind of person who couldn't stand being taken advantage of; and that ungrateful brat Banggeng was spoiled rotten. They hadn't gained any advantage during the day, but instead lost face, and they couldn't swallow this insult.

Moreover, they were certain that Zhou Jianguo was an easy target, and with the lock on his house broken, it was the perfect opportunity to strike.

As long as the Korean comedian dares to come.

He'll have to leave some parts here tonight.

Inside the Jia family's house at this moment.

Banggeng was indeed not asleep. He tossed and turned on the kang (a heated brick bed), his stomach filled with a mixture of cravings and resentment.

"Grandma, that scoundrel dared to burn our firewood! I'm going to kill him!" Bang Geng gritted his teeth and lowered his voice.

In the darkness, Jia Zhangshi rolled over and grumbled, "Go! Even if you have to smash his broken pot, that's fine! Let him know how many eyes the Horse King has! But that kid's acting a bit strange today, so be careful."

"Don't worry, Grandma, I've already scouted the place. The latch on his window is rusted and broken, so I'll just go in, pee, then steal his blanket and throw it in the latrine to freeze him to death!"

Banggeng was very familiar with the business, and he was adept at doing such despicable things.

The peanuts from Sha Zhu's family and the old hen from Xu Damao's family used to disappear like this.

Banggeng quietly climbed off the kang (a heated brick bed), picked up his tattered cloth shoes, and crouched down as he slipped out the door.

The wind outside was cold, but the thrill of revenge made him feel hot all over.

He slipped along the wall to the back window of Zhou Jianguo. It was a dark corner, where the moonlight couldn't reach and it was pitch black.

Banggeng skillfully pulled a gleaming knife from his pocket, inserted it through the window crack, and gently flicked it.

"Squeak—"

The old wooden window frame opened with a soft click.

A smug grin spread across Banggeng's face, the moonlight distorting his youthful features.

You idiot Zhou Jianguo, you deserve your bad luck!

He braced himself against the windowsill with both hands, lifted his body into the air, and stepped into the dark room with one leg.

The moment the ball of the foot lands.

He was hoping to touch the ground.

But in fact.

He stepped on a disc-shaped metal object.

The extremely sensitive trigger mechanism in the middle could explode even if a fly landed on it.

"Snap!!!"

A metallic clang rang out in the silent night.

That was the crisp sound of steel saw teeth biting into bone.

Followed by.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

Blue arcs of electricity erupted in the darkness.

"Aaaaaah—!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream pierced the night sky in an instant.

The sound didn't sound like a human at all; it was more like the desperate screams of a pig on its deathbed during the slaughter of pigs for the New Year.

A 500-volt pulse current instantly travels throughout the body.

Banggeng convulsed violently, trying to pull his leg out, but the trap was firmly in place, its barbs digging deep into his flesh. Amidst the pain and electric shock, not only did he scream, but a foul stench instantly filled the air—he lost control of his bladder and bowels.

"Bang!"

He fell heavily from the windowsill into the room, writhing in pain on the floor, but this only made the clamps tighten, pulling at his tendons and bones.

All the lights in the hospital were turned on.

"What's wrong?!"

"A pig was slaughtered? Who's slaughtering a pig in the middle of the night?"

"No! It's a person screaming! Someone's been killed!"

Yi Zhonghai, Sha Zhu, Qin Huairu, and the others rushed out, their expressions panicked. Hearing the screams coming from Zhou Jianguo's house, their faces changed drastically.

"It's Bang Geng! It's Bang Geng's voice!"

Qin Huairu's face turned deathly pale, and she rushed into Zhou Jianguo's room like a madwoman, crying, "Bang Geng! My son!"