My Ares Son-in-Law

"Mr. Xiao... Mr. Xiao... you... what is this..." Liu Jianming felt as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping his throat, and every word seemed to be squeezed out with difficulty from between his teeth. His voice trembled so badly that he completely lost the composure and dignity he usually had as the CEO of the group.

His face was ten times worse than when he saw the news of the Black Phoenix Organization's destruction. His originally rosy complexion turned ashen white, devoid of any color. His forehead was instantly covered with fine beads of cold sweat, which rolled down his cheeks and soaked his collar.

His eyes widened as he stared at Xiao Chen in terror, his gaze filled with extreme fear and confusion, as if the person standing before him was not a human being, but a ferocious beast that could devour him at any moment.

His body trembled slightly uncontrollably, and his legs were weak, almost causing him to lose his balance. He could only barely maintain his balance by holding onto the table next to him tightly.

Xiao Chen looked at Liu Jianming's face, which turned deathly pale, and his eyes filled with horror. The corner of his lips seemed to twitch slightly. The movement was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible if one did not observe carefully. But in this extremely tense atmosphere, it seemed to carry a hint of amusement, as if he was enjoying Liu Jianming's current disheveled appearance.

He spoke slowly, his voice calm and composed: "Don't be nervous. I just overheard a friend mention it casually today, and I was just curious."

"Oh...oh! I see! You scared me to death!" Liu Jianming felt as if he had been granted a pardon, as if he had heard the most beautiful sound in the world, and he breathed a sigh of relief instantly.

He let out a long, heavy sigh, filled with lingering fear, as if exhaling all the pent-up terror he had just felt.

He felt as if all his strength had been drained from his body, and he almost collapsed to the ground, as if he had just returned from a brush with death.

He frantically pulled out a handkerchief and vigorously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead; the handkerchief was quickly soaked with sweat.

In just a few minutes, he felt as if he had ridden several thrilling roller coasters, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as if it were about to burst out of his chest, and he was almost overwhelmed.

His breathing was rapid and erratic, his chest heaving violently, and it took him a while to gradually calm down.

He steadied himself, trying to calm himself down and force himself to regain his businessman's rationality.

He knew that he had to keep a clear head and act cautiously in front of someone like Xiao Chen.

He began to carefully organize his thoughts, each word carefully considered, for fear of saying the wrong thing: "Mr. Xiao, your friend... if I'm not mistaken, should be President Zhou Keying?"

"Her identity is no secret among the upper echelons of the ancient city; she is the apple of the eye of the Zhou family, the provincial capital of the western region."

"The Zhou family is a well-known and powerful family in the western region. They have a vast influence and deep roots, and are involved in many fields. Whether in business or politics, they have a significant impact."

Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He was somewhat taken aback by Liu Jianming's intelligence network.

He hadn't expected Liu Jianming to know so much about the Zhou family. It seemed that the Zhou family's reputation in the western region was indeed like an invisible giant umbrella, covering all aspects of life, and even a businessman like Liu Jianming knew them inside and out.

He nodded slightly, said nothing, and simply looked at Liu Jianming quietly, waiting for him to continue.

Liu Jianming leaned forward slightly, his hands unconsciously clasped together, his knuckles turning white from the force. He continued, his tone filled with deep reverence, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying an unspeakable fear of the Zhou family: "The Zhou family's status in the Western Region... it's practically a colossus!" "The Zhou family's mark is deeply imprinted on every aspect of the economy, politics, and society of this vast land of the Western Region."

"To be honest, I'm not qualified to measure how deep the water is, nor do I have the courage or ability to do so."

"It's like an ordinary person who wouldn't dare to measure the depth of the ocean."

"But I do know about Xicang Group."

He paused, lowered his head slightly, and a hint of solemnity flashed in his eyes, as if he were weighing the weight of the words "Xicang Group." After a long while, he slowly raised his head and continued, "That's a true behemoth!"

"It's like a giant dragon coiled up in the western region, controlling nearly a third of the region's economic lifeline!"

"In the energy sector, from coal and oil to natural gas, from traditional thermal power generation to emerging wind and solar power generation, Xicang Group is involved in all of them, almost monopolizing most of the energy supply in the western region. If it adjusts its energy supply strategy even slightly, the production of countless enterprises will be affected. In terms of transportation, Xicang Group has a huge industrial layout in railway, highway and air transport. It controls the main artery of transportation in the western region, and the flow of goods and people cannot be separated from its network. In the financial sector, Xicang Group has its own place in banking, securities and insurance. Its capital flow is like blood, nourishing the economic system of the western region. In the real estate industry, from the high-rise buildings in bustling cities to the commercial real estate in remote rural areas, Xicang Group's projects can be seen everywhere, shaping the urban landscape of the western region."

"Its tentacles are everywhere!"

"It is no exaggeration to say that if it wanted to move a finger, the entire economic landscape of the ancient city could be completely overturned in an instant!"

"Like a sudden earthquake, it can cause the originally stable economic order to collapse instantly."

“As for the Zhou Consortium…” Liu Jianming lowered his voice even further, almost to the point that only he could hear it. His face showed a kind of caution as if he were discussing a taboo subject, and his eyes scanned the surroundings warily, as if afraid of being overheard by some mysterious force. “It is more mysterious and more terrifying than Xicang.”

"It is the true behind-the-scenes controller of the Xicang Group and the heart of the entire Zhou Empire."

"The Zhou Group is like a behemoth hidden in the dark, its decisions and actions shrouded in mystery."

"It is said that the Zhou Group has a stake in 89 of the 90 major industries officially designated by the state!"

"What an astonishing number!"

"Its industries are spread all over the world, from high-end manufacturing to emerging technology industries, from traditional agriculture to modern service industries, there is almost no field it does not involve."

"The size of its assets... is simply incalculable!"

"It's like a bottomless pit; nobody knows how much wealth is hidden inside."

"Among the top ten giants in the Fortune Global 500, the core equity of at least three is firmly held by the Zhou Consortium!" (End of Chapter)