My Ares Son-in-Law

"Don't worry, Mr. Xiao, the flight is very short and won't take up too much of your time," Zhuang Yuan quickly assured him, though his palms were slightly sweaty.

After boarding the plane and flying for about forty minutes, it landed at a secret airport hidden in the mountains. Zhuang Yuan then transferred to a military off-road vehicle, which carried Xiao Chen into the dense primeval jungle. After passing through several heavily guarded checkpoints requiring special authentication, the vehicle finally stopped in front of a base entrance covered by camouflage netting.

"Mr. Xiao, we've arrived."

As Xiao Chen stepped off the military vehicle, he was greeted by a small but imposing secret training base that exuded a sense of shrewdness and menace.

On the central parade ground of the base, about thirty young men with buzz cuts and sharp eyes were engaged in group combat. Their fighting was far from ordinary military boxing or grappling; their moves were ruthless and fierce, with powerful gusts of wind and subtle displays of internal energy emanating from every gesture!

In Xiao Chen's eyes, the individual strength of these people was nothing special, but the pure killing intent and iron will they exuded, as well as the nascent tacit cooperation between them, were enough to show that if they were formed into a special operations team, their combat power would be extremely astonishing, enough to carry out any extremely dangerous mission.

"Is this the Western Region Martial Arts Army Base?" Xiao Chen asked.

Zhuang Yuan shook his head, his expression solemn: "That's right, but it's just one of the bases. The Martial Arts Army is composed of the most outstanding martial artists selected from institutions such as the Yama Palace, the Dragon Group, and the Divine Dragon Guard. Currently, it follows an elite route. The entire Western Region Martial Arts Army only has a little over a thousand people, and the elite squads have less than a hundred people."

A knowing glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes as he said calmly, "This should be top secret. Tell me, what is your intention?"

Zhuang Yuan took a deep breath, straightened his back, and looked intently at Xiao Chen, his tone extremely solemn, even with a hint of earnestness:
"Mr. Xiao, on behalf of the Western Region Garrison, I sincerely hope that you will join us!"

"Impossible." Xiao Chen refused without hesitation, and was even ready to turn around.

He was originally the God of War of the Dragon Kingdom, but he couldn't reveal his identity casually. If he were to get involved with the Martial Arts Army now, it would be even more troublesome.

However, Zhuang Yuan seemed to have anticipated this reaction, and immediately stepped forward, his tone even more earnest, and even carrying a hint of unprecedented excitement:
"Mr. Xiao, you've misunderstood! I'm not inviting you to join the Martial Arts Army as an ordinary member!"

His gaze was intense as he spoke, each word distinct and clear:

"I hope to hire you as the commander of our martial arts army!"

"Martial Arts Army Commander? You're not kidding, are you?"

Xiao Chen paused slightly, smiled faintly, and thought Zhuang Yuan's words were a bit thoughtless.

Zhuang Yuan stared intently at his reaction, his heart pounding in his chest. He suppressed his excitement, his voice filled with barely concealed urgency: "Yes, the commander of the Martial Arts Army! Mr. Xiao, with your strength and potential, you can't find a more suitable candidate in the entire Divine Continent."

"No interest. I'm used to being alone." Xiao Chen's tone was flat, revealing no emotion. After speaking, he turned to leave.

How could Zhuang Yuan let him leave like this? He had used so many resources and withstood so much pressure for today's meeting. He quickly stepped forward and blocked Xiao Chen's path, his expression extremely solemn: "Mr. Xiao, please rest assured, the title of Commander of the Martial Arts Army is more of an honorary symbol, representing the country's high recognition and trust in you."

"I can assure you that the organization will never interfere with any of your freedom. On the contrary, the Martial Arts Army will be your strongest support! Even those you care about will receive the highest level of security protection from the Martial Arts Army!" That last sentence seemed to touch a nerve with Xiao Chen. He slowly turned around, his deep gaze falling on Zhuang Yuan's face: "Highest level? How exactly?"

Zhuang Yuan, being in a high position, naturally knew how to read people's expressions and immediately cut to the chase: "For example, we will arrange for top-notch remote surveillance teams to protect your family and friends around the clock. If they encounter any uncontrollable and substantial threats, we authorize them to open fire directly and eliminate the source of danger!"

"This is just the basics. The Martial Arts Army will also dispatch elite combat teams to be stationed near their areas of operation 24 hours a day. Any slight abnormal movement will be instantly transmitted back to the Martial Arts Army's central command, and we will respond as quickly and effectively as possible."

At this moment, Xiao Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, and star-like points of light flickered deep within his pupils.

"Public equipment for private use?"

He was unhappy, very unhappy!
The Martial Arts Army belongs to the nation, yet it's being used to protect private individuals. This blatant misuse of public resources made the War God King extremely uncomfortable.

This level of protection is almost equivalent to the security level of certain key personnel. Even if he were to be ambushed by a highly skilled martial arts master, he might not be able to completely withstand the attack, but he could definitely buy himself crucial reaction time.

This level of protection is reserved for high-ranking government officials and important scientific workers.

Zhuang Yuan keenly caught the hint of dissatisfaction in Xiao Chen's eyes. He didn't quite understand what was going on, so he didn't pay it any mind. Instead, he pressed his advantage, his tone straightforward and analytical:

Mr. Xiao, please forgive my bluntness, but you've made quite a few enemies lately. The New Martial Arts Association of the Western Region, the several powerful families entrenched in the Western Region, and the recently feuded Extreme Yin Island… these forces may not pose a immediate threat to you personally, but for those around you, they are a sword hanging over your head.”

"Once you accept the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Martial Arts Army, you will have the authority to mobilize the army's resources within certain limits! This will better protect those you want to protect, so why not give it a try?"

The air seemed to freeze, with only the faint sounds of equipment grinding and heavy breathing echoing from afar in the training field. The atmosphere was oppressive and unsettling.

Zhuang Yuan's hands, clasped slightly behind his back, tightened, fine beads of sweat forming on his palms. If even these conditions couldn't sway Xiao Chen, he couldn't think of any other bargaining chips he could offer. This was the limit of what he and the powerful figure above them could negotiate.

Time passed by second by second, and each second seemed exceptionally long.

Suddenly, Xiao Chen raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Zhuang Yuan: "You don't seem to understand what I mean. My people don't need your protection, and I have no interest in being the commander. What you want is simply for me to guide the Martial Arts Army, isn't that right?"

Zhuang Yuan's gaze immediately fell on the team members who were fiercely competing in the training field, exuding a fierce aura. His tone was resolute: "You guessed right! Of course, the core objective is to improve their combat capabilities and survival rate. The stronger they are, the safer the Dragon Kingdom will be!"

This is the maximum degree of freedom Zhuang Yuan can secure for Xiao Chen!

This was the result of his desperate efforts; otherwise, it would have been impossible to win over this terrifying figure. (End of Chapter)