At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

"Grandpa, you..."

Qin Hao stood in front of Su Mu, his eyes still filled with shock.

He had fought for more than ten years and had seen many fierce generals, but none of them could carry a two-thousand-pound load.

Not to mention that the person who carried 2,000 jin was a centenarian with white hair and a hunched back.

Su Mu recognized the general in front of him.

Yesterday, it was he who nodded in approval to let me into the army camp and be assigned to the cook battalion.

Although the general initially favored Zhao Tieniu and Gu Changfeng, taking him in was merely a favor he was doing for them.

But Su Mu remembered this kindness.

He bowed slightly, clasped his withered hands in a fist salute, and said humbly, "Su Mu greets the General."

Seeing this, Qin Hao quickly reached out to support Su Mu's arm, his tone much more solemn than yesterday: "Old Master, there's no need for such formalities."

He supported Su Mu, and after a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice filled with barely suppressed curiosity.

"Grandpa, is your strength... natural, or developed?"

Su Mu raised his head and replied, "General, I was quite strong when I was young."

"In addition, after years of doing hard labor, one develops strength, but it's just manual labor, which is convenient for work and not worth mentioning."

Not worth mentioning?

Qin Hao almost choked on those four words.

Two thousand pounds of strength is nothing to worry about?

What about those soldiers under my command who complain of being tired after carrying 200 pounds? Useless?

He took a deep breath, suppressing the shock that rose to his throat, and his face regained the composure befitting a general.

"Grandpa, are you really a hundred years old this year?"

Su Mu nodded, his tone calm: "Yes, I just celebrated my 100th birthday two months ago."

Qin Hao fell silent again.

He looked closely at the old man in front of him: his hair was as white as snow, his face was full of deep wrinkles, his back was bent like a shrimp, and he was so thin that he was skin and bones.

This old man, who looked like he might die at any moment, actually possessed superhuman strength that no one in the entire army could match.

He personally recruited such people into the cookhouse.

Chopping wood and carrying water!

Qin Hao felt a surge of regret and self-blame, as well as the embarrassment of having "misjudged" someone.

But then I thought, who would have thought that a centenarian would be such a strongman?

Now, his only thought is that he can no longer let the old man be buried in the kitchen.

Without hesitation, Qin Hao asked directly, "Old man, would you be willing to go to the vanguard camp?"

The surrounding soldiers all heard this.

"My God! General Qin personally invited this old man to the vanguard camp!"

"Those are the vanguard troops charging into battle, elite troops!"

"This old man is over a hundred years old, can he even go to the battlefield?"

"Why not? With his incredible strength, he could sweep away a whole swath of enemies on the battlefield carrying that long wooden pole! Who could stop him?"

"That's true... Who knows, he might actually achieve something extraordinary and become a legend!"

"Shh... Keep your voice down, listen to what the general has to say."

……

Upon hearing this, Su Mu refused without hesitation.

"I am deeply grateful for the general's kindness, but I do not wish to go to the vanguard camp at the moment."

Qin Hao was taken aback, and his brows furrowed slightly.

He thought the old man would readily agree, after all, jumping from the cookhouse to the vanguard battalion was the dream of many soldiers.

From cooking over a fire to fighting on the battlefield, from obscurity to making great achievements!

This road is the dream of many soldiers.

But the old man refused.

"Why?" Qin Hao pressed, his tone full of confusion. "With your incredible strength, you can be of the greatest use in the vanguard camp. Chopping wood and carrying water in this kitchen camp is simply a waste of your talents!"

Su Mu laughed, his face full of wrinkles that almost covered his eyes.

There was no pride or arrogance in that smile, only the serenity of a centenarian who had experienced the vicissitudes of life.

"General, I am old and, although I have the strength, I am getting on in years. My mind is not sharp and my body can't keep up. If we go to the battlefield, I'm afraid I will be a burden to the army."

He paused, then added, "Let this old man stay in the cookhouse for a few more days to familiarize himself with the rules of the military camp. When the time comes, I will go to see the general."

That's half true and half false.

He does need time.

The system task required him to clock in at the fire station for thirty days.

He will receive the reward, and gain more lifespan and greater abilities, after thirty days.

Moreover, he cannot tell the truth.

I can't exactly tell the general: "I have a system that requires me to stay in the cookhouse for thirty days, so I can't leave now."

Wouldn't that make him a monster?

Qin Hao stared at Su Mu for a long time, his eyes filled with regret and a touch of admiration.

A centenarian with such superhuman strength, yet he is neither arrogant nor impatient, neither competitive nor greedy, and is content to chop wood and carry water in the kitchen.

This composure and focus are unmatched by the impatient young men in the military.

"Since the old man is unwilling, this general will not force him." Qin Hao nodded.

He turned around, looked at the soldiers still watching the commotion, his face darkened, and his voice was extremely serious: "What are you all looking at? No more drills? Go back to your camps!"

The soldiers scattered with a roar, like the receding tide, gradually disappearing into the distance amidst their chattering voices.

Zhao Tieniu and Gu Changfeng, however, stayed behind.

The two squeezed through the crowd and walked up to Su Mu.

Zhao Tieniu was covered in sweat, his large, round eyes filled with excitement and confusion.

"Old man, why won't you agree?" he asked bluntly, his voice booming. "If you came to the vanguard battalion, the three of us could go to the battlefield together and fight the enemy! We could look out for each other! With your superhuman strength, which soldier on the battlefield could withstand a punch from you?"

He gestured, his fist clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked, his face full of anticipation.

"Hehehe... Just thinking about it is exciting!"

Gu Changfeng chimed in, his tone much more composed than Zhao Tieniu's: "Yes, old man, you spend your days in this kitchen, either carrying water or chopping wood, doing all the rough work. With your skills, it's a waste of your talents to be here."

Su Mu looked at the two young men, a hint of warmth appearing in his eyes.

Zhao Tieniu is a rugged and forthright man who has his country and his family in his heart, as well as himself.

Gu Changfeng is meticulous and speaks little, but every word he says hits the nail on the head.

These two people were among the first friends he made in the army.

"It's not the right time yet," Su Mu smiled slightly. "When the time is right, I will go to the vanguard camp to find you."

Gu Changfeng glanced at him but didn't ask any more questions.

"Alright." Gu Changfeng clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Then we'll wait for you at the vanguard camp."

Zhao Tieniu clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, grinning broadly, "Old man, don't keep me waiting too long! I'm still waiting to fight alongside you!"

After saying that, the two turned and left.

Zhao Tieniu took a few steps, then turned back and shouted to Su Mu, "Old man, if anyone in this cookhouse dares to bully you, just come find me! I'm in the third team of the vanguard battalion!"

Su Mu waved his hand and watched them walk away.

Then he turned around, picked up the ten-meter-long thick wooden pole, and walked towards the water vat.

Water was poured into the vat, making a splashing sound.

After finishing, he carried fifty more wooden buckets and continued on the second trip.

He dared not slack off.

Because after fetching water, there are still two hundred loads of firewood to chop!

Su Mu took a deep breath, shouldered the wooden pole, and walked towards the pond.

Behind him, Qin Hao stood not far away, staring at the hunched back for a long time without looking away.

The captain beside him leaned closer and whispered, "General, this old man... are you really not going to bring the vanguard?"

Qin Hao shook his head, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

"No rush..."

"He said the time wasn't right, so let's wait for his time."

"These days, you personally keep a close eye on this old man's every move."

"Report any new discoveries to me immediately."

The captain nodded solemnly: "Yes, sir!"