Courtyard House: The Thief System of All Realms

Chapter 1: Traveling Through 6 Eras, Bound to the Celestial Thief System

Inside the dean's office at Peking University Medical School, the atmosphere was quiet and solemn.

The wooden desk was piled high with documents, neatly arranged at the corners. A white enamel mug with the words "Serve the People" printed on it sat on the corner of the desk, its rim stained with a faint tea stain. Everywhere, there was the simplicity and orderliness of a government office in the 1960s, with no superfluous furnishings.

"Sun Jingyuan, Peking University Third Hospital is a very good institution. Whether it's the platform, resources, or future development, it's top-notch. As the most outstanding graduate of this year, you are the perfect fit for this place." Dean Li Jingzhi sat behind his desk, lightly tapping the offer letter on the table with his fingertips. His tone was calm, and his eyes were full of expectations for the young man in front of him.

Sun Jingyuan is the most outstanding student in his class, consistently ranking among the top in his major. Being able to enter Peking University Third Hospital is not only an honor for the school but also his ideal destination.

Sun Jingyuan, sitting opposite him, sat upright with a calm demeanor, but his fingertips, hanging at his sides, were slightly clenched, while his heart was already churning with turmoil.

It was just a hangover. When he opened his eyes again, everything around him had completely changed. There were no modern city skyscrapers or traffic jams, no ubiquitous electronic devices, only retro brick and tile buildings, pedestrians in plain gray-blue clothes, and unfamiliar memories flooding his mind. A dull ache came from his temples, making him frown slightly.

He clearly realized that he had traveled from the familiar modern society to the 1960s, a time of scarcity and strict rules, and had become Sun Jingyuan, a recent college graduate.

In this world, he is twenty years old this year. He is an outstanding graduate of Beijing Medical University, with solid professional knowledge. He is a promising student that his teachers are focusing on cultivating and is also the envy of his classmates.

However, his life was exceptionally difficult. His father was originally a senior engineer in the Ministry of Machinery. He died in the line of duty in a sudden industrial accident when he was in high school and was posthumously awarded the title of martyr. His mother was a middle school art teacher who passed away from illness when he was just old enough to remember things.

Over the years, he completed his studies with his father's pension and school subsidies, living alone in the staff quarters allocated by the mechanical department. Right after graduation, he stood at a crucial crossroads in his life, facing two completely different job choices.

As a top student at a medical university, he received two formal job offers: one from Peking University Third Hospital, a nationally renowned hospital with top-notch medical standards, and the other from Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, a large local state-owned enterprise, for a factory doctor position.

If this were in later generations, these two choices would be incomparable. One is a top-tier hospital in the country, and the other is a factory clinic. The difference is so vast that it seems absurd.

In the 1960s, no job was considered high or low. All formal positions were coveted jobs, especially large state-owned factories like Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. These factories were large, had many workers, and offered excellent benefits. The factory doctor was a formal employee and a highly coveted position that no one could underestimate.

Sun Jingyuan looked up at the dean, his eyes calm and composed, his tone carrying a maturity far beyond his years: "Dean, Peking University Third Hospital brings together almost all the leading authorities in the domestic medical field. It has advanced medical equipment and top-notch diagnostic and treatment techniques. In such an environment, as long as you are hardworking and dedicated, anyone's future will be bright. It is my honor to receive this offer."

Upon hearing this, Dean Li Jingzhi immediately smiled with satisfaction, nodded repeatedly, and reached for his pen to sign the employment assignment form. He felt that this young man had finally lived up to the years of training he had received.

But the next second, Sun Jingyuan's tone suddenly changed, and he said with an extremely serious and firm expression, "So, I choose Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill to become a factory doctor."

"Huh?" Li Jingzhi's smile froze instantly. His hand holding the pen paused in mid-air, his eyes filled with disbelief, even doubting whether he had misheard. He frowned and asked again in a deep voice, "Sun Jingyuan, say it again? Do you know what you're saying?"

"I chose to become a factory doctor at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, giving up the offer from Peking University Third Hospital." Sun Jingyuan said each word clearly and without wavering. The determination in his eyes made the hospital director understand that he was not acting on impulse.

The atmosphere in the office instantly became tense after those words were spoken.

Li Jingzhi put down his pen, stood up, and walked around Sun Jingyuan for a couple of steps, his face full of regret and confusion. He immediately began to earnestly persuade him.

He talked about his personal career development and the industry's prospects, from opportunities for further medical studies to professional title evaluation, repeatedly emphasizing how rare the platform of Peking University Third Hospital is, saying that it was a waste of his talents to go to the steel rolling mill to be a factory doctor, and that it was a complete waste of his solid professional knowledge.

Seeing that gentle persuasion was useless, the dean simply turned stern and severely criticized him for being young and impulsive, acting without regard for his own future. But no matter what the dean said, Sun Jingyuan remained resolute and did not back down in the slightest.

More than half an hour later, Sun Jingyuan finally persuaded the dean, and walked out of the dean's office with a helpless look on his face, holding the signed work assignment letter.

Standing in the quiet corridor, he sighed softly, knowing in his heart how absurd his choice seemed to outsiders.

He was certainly not stupid; he understood better than anyone that Peking University Third Hospital's platform far surpassed that of Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. The problem was that he was just an outsider who had taken over the original body. He had the original body's professional memories but no real clinical experience, and his understanding of medicine was only superficial.

Once he enters a place like Peking University Third Hospital, where there are many experts and heavy workloads, he might expose his fraud in daily consultations, professional discussions, or even simple clinical procedures. The consequences would be unimaginable. At best, he would lose his hard-earned job; at worst, he would be labeled as a fraudster. In this era that values ​​status and reputation, that would be enough to ruin his entire life.

In contrast, the position of factory doctor at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill was much more secure. The daily work in the factory clinic was not complicated; it mainly involved treating minor injuries and illnesses of the workshop workers, such as bumps and scrapes caused by machine operation, heatstroke caused by the summer heat, and common colds, fevers, and gastrointestinal discomforts. No one would ask him to tackle difficult cases, and there was no high-intensity clinical treatment pressure. It was a low-key, stable job that was not likely to attract attention, which allowed him to gradually adapt to this era, keep his secret of time travel well hidden, and establish himself in this era first.

After finalizing the job offer, another trivial matter came up – moving.

The apartment he currently lives in is in the Ministry of Machinery's staff quarters. After his father died in the line of duty, the ministry made a special exception for him because of his status as the child of a martyr. According to the ministry's agreement, once he graduates from university and secures a job, the apartment will be returned to the Ministry of Machinery, and his new employer will then provide housing. Although the steel rolling mill will provide either a dormitory or a single room, packing his belongings and completing the handover procedures is a lot of complicated work right now.

Sun Jingyuan slowly walked down the corridor, sorting out his future life arrangements in his mind. As soon as he stepped out of the teaching building, a powerful yet clear electronic notification sound suddenly rang in his mind, penetrating his consciousness and exploding directly in his mind, carrying the pressure of a unique cross-dimensional power.

[The Myriad Realms Thief System is officially bound!]

[Congratulations, host Sun Jingyuan, on becoming the first cross-dimensional master thief! Binding verification 100% successful, lifetime binding in effect!]

[The ultimate rewards for beginners have been distributed to the host: a Thief Ring (exclusively bound), a Thief's exclusive space across all realms (the host can freely enter and exit, but others absolutely cannot spy on or touch it), all basic Thief core skills unlocked, and minor physical enhancements have taken effect simultaneously!]

Sun Jingyuan froze on the spot, his steps abruptly halting, almost letting out a cry of surprise.

A multiverse thief system? And a dedicated thief space? This setting, far exceeding that of ordinary systems, made him instantly realize that his greatest confidence in transmigrating was not just a simple cheat code.

He subconsciously looked down at his hands. On the ring finger of his left hand, there was a matte black silver ring that had appeared out of nowhere. The ring face was engraved with flowing void patterns. It felt slightly cool to the touch and fit his finger perfectly, as if it were naturally worn on his hand. It was understated and inconspicuous, and would never be easily noticed by others.

Teachers and students passing by cast strange glances at him, and some familiar classmates came up to greet him. Sun Jingyuan immediately concealed the shock in his eyes, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, responded simply with a calm expression, and hurried towards the mechanical department's family dormitory.

He needs an absolutely private space to properly understand the core of the Myriad Realms Thief System, especially the exclusive thief space. This is the foundation for him to establish himself in this era and even move towards a wider world.

This apartment in the family building is a simple two-bedroom, one-living room unit. The furnishings are extremely simple. In the living room, there is a wooden square table and a few chairs. In the bedroom, besides a wooden bed, there is only a large bookshelf against the wall, which is filled with medical and industrial books. In addition, there are a few empty wine bottles piled up in the corner.

In the original owner's memories, after his mother passed away, his father was immersed in longing and heavy work, often drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Eventually, he suffered a heart attack due to overwork and collapsed at his post, leaving him all alone in the world.

Sun Jingyuan stared at the black and white photos of his parents on the wall, remained silent for a moment, and did not dwell on his emotions. Then he raised his hand and gently touched the thief ring on the ring finger of his left hand.

The next second, the light in front of him suddenly softened and distorted. After a slight dizziness, he was teleported directly from the room to a private, independent space.

This is the exclusive space of the God Thief of All Realms. It is quiet and undisturbed, free from any interference from the real world. There are no extraneous noises or light and shadows in the space, the air is fresh, and it is an independent world of its own.

The space is clearly divided into three exclusive sections, each radiating unique energy fluctuations. They are distinct, have different functions, and all of them only affect the host, Sun Jingyuan.

First section: Time-Freeze Storage Area

The square area, roughly fifty square meters in size, had a faint silvery sheen on the ground, exuding a subtle aura of stagnant time and space.

The core function here is time freeze. The host can store any item here. Once the item enters, it will be completely frozen in time—it will not spoil, age, or be damaged. Whether it is food, clothing, weapons, books, or rare resources from all over the world, it can be perfectly sealed. Moreover, the space has unlimited capacity and can hold a massive number of items without any pressure.

This is an absolute treasure trove for the host to store supplies, completely solving the storage problem in times of scarcity.

The second section: Living, Farming, and Prison Protection Area

Also measuring 50 square meters, the ground is covered with warm, verdant soil, surrounded by a gentle energy barrier. The interior temperature, humidity, and lighting can be freely adjusted to suit the growth of various plants and animals and the needs of the inhabitant. This section's core functions are divided into two main modules:

Firstly, self-sufficiency in planting and raising: the host can freely plant grains, fruits, vegetables and medicinal herbs, raise poultry and livestock, rare and exotic beasts, and even cultivate special plants from all over the world and raise exotic beasts from different dimensions. The growth rate of plants and animals can be controlled autonomously, and without extra care, the host can achieve self-sufficiency in basic necessities such as clothing, food, housing and transportation.

Secondly, it serves both as a prisoner and a protector: the host can bring any other person into this space. Once the target enters, they will be permanently in a coma. The host can choose to use them as living beings/corpses to transform into high-quality natural fertilizer for planting and breeding, or bring them into this space to temporarily avoid deadly dangers in reality. The space is absolutely safe, and no external attack or exploration can penetrate the barrier to harm the contained person.

The third section: Random Plunder Zone of All Things

The core area of ​​the space, about thirty square meters in size, had a deep purplish-black light emanating from its ground, radiating a terrifying energy that connected the heavens and plundered all things.

The host only needs to stand on this platform to randomly steal anything from all the worlds through the core capabilities of the Thief System—this can be skills, techniques, and abilities from the real world, as well as various supplies for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and even elixirs, divine weapons, talents, and bloodlines from all the worlds.

Theft is completely random, with no option to select a target. Stolen items will be directly stored in the time-stop storage area, and stolen skills can be directly implanted into the host's mind for permanent mastery.

A line of clear system rules also floated in the corner of the space, the font concise and easy to understand, completely clarifying the core logic of the Thief Space and the system:

1. The host can freely enter and exit the Myriad Realms Thief Space. There is no time limit in the space, and the host can travel back and forth at any time. The time flow between reality and the space can be switched at will without any constraints.

2. The Thief Space is a private space exclusively for the host. No matter where the host is in reality, no one else can spy on, touch, or enter the space in any way. All resources and functions within the space are for the host's exclusive use.

3. Time Freeze Storage Area: Items stored there are permanently frozen in time, with no capacity limit. It can store items of any shape and attribute, and is absolutely safe and without loss.

4. Exclusive Living, Farming, and Imprisonment Zone: Environmental parameters can be freely adjusted to support planting, breeding, and living; others can be taken into the zone, and the target will be unconscious throughout the process. The host can turn them into fertilizer or use them to temporarily avoid danger; the growth rate of plants and animals can be controlled autonomously, and special life forms from all over the world can be cultivated and raised.

5. Random Plunder Zone of All Things: Standing on the plate, you can only randomly steal skills, items and abilities from the real world and all other worlds. You cannot specify a target. The success rate of stealing is related to the host's strength and the rarity of the target item. The system only provides feedback on the stealing results and does not support target retrieval.

6. The Thief Ring is a key exclusive to the space. It can activate the space entrance, temporarily store small items, and conceal one's whereabouts. Only the host can wear and use it.

7. The core function of the system is cross-dimensional master thief. By completing the multiverse tasks issued by the system, the host can unlock more spatial permissions, master thief skills and world access qualifications, and gradually grow into a true multiverse master thief.