My Ares Son-in-Law

Zhou Hao was the first to jump out, his face full of schadenfreude. He crossed his arms and began to mock in a sarcastic tone:
"Zhou Keying, why don't you take a good look at yourself in the mirror and know your own worth? You think you, a country girl from the west, can get a contract from Dansheng Group? I think you're just delusional about becoming the general manager!"

Zhou Hao's younger sister, Zhou Keying's cousin Zhou Xiaoyu, also covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes filled with condescending disdain, her tone sharp and sarcastic:

"As expected of a country bumpkin from a small place in the west, you've got guts, but you're not very bright. What's your identity, and what's the identity of the Dan Sheng Group?"

"If you rush off to discuss cooperation like this, and get kicked out by the security guards, it won't just be you who loses face, it will be the face of the entire Zhou family! Then how will you explain it to your aunt!"

Zhou Xiaoyu grew up in the capital and, relying on her status as a member of the main family, has always looked down on her fellow clansmen from the west.

She thought they were unsophisticated and not presentable. Even though they came from wealthy families, in her eyes they were just nouveau riche and not worthy of being compared with the Zhou family in the capital.

Immediately, a group of relatives and servants from the capital joined in, offering their own sarcastic and mocking remarks:
"Exactly! A country girl like her dares to have such wild fantasies, she really doesn't know her own limitations!"

"When that happens, the entire business community in China will know that our Zhou family has a woman who is so reckless as to go to Dansheng Group and humiliate herself. How will we be able to maintain our standing in the industry after that?"

"I think she's just trying to get attention and curry favor with your aunt. It's ridiculous!"

As Zhou Keying listened to the overwhelming barrage of cold words and sarcastic remarks, her cheeks flushed red instantly. She felt both ashamed and angry, her chest tightened, and her eyes even started to burn.

These people from the capital had always ignored their family and looked down on them from the bottom of their hearts, thinking they were country bumpkins and bumpkins.

Even though they were doing very well in the western provincial capital and had accumulated a lot of wealth, they were still looked down upon.

She never expected that even some of the servants who came with Old Madam Zhou would dare to blatantly humiliate her like this; it was simply outrageous!

The reason she mustered up the courage to stand up just now was that if she could really win this project, she could not only bring glory to her family, but also make herself and her parents proud in the entire Zhou family.

No more having to be subservient to others, no more being looked down upon?

But now, faced with this tidal wave of sarcasm and belittling, her heart began to pound wildly, and waves of regret washed over her.

Why did I listen to Xiao Chen so readily? Now I'm completely stuck, unable to back down...

If we back down now, we'll only be ridiculed even more; if we grit our teeth and go, we'll most likely embarrass ourselves and even implicate our parents and the entire Zhou family in the west.

Grandma Zhou observed everyone's reactions, but she had her own plans in mind.

She had asked the question several times, and everyone present cowered like turtles, afraid to utter a sound for fear of getting into trouble. Now that someone had finally dared to stand up for her and the family, these good-for-nothings only knew how to pour cold water on her and make sarcastic remarks. They were all talkers, but when it came to actually doing something, they all became cowards!
Although Old Mrs. Zhou had always disliked Zhou Keying's branch of the family, thinking they were a collateral branch with no background or great abilities, she often looked down on them.

But at this moment, in her eyes, Zhou Keying at least had courage and responsibility, daring to step forward and take on this task that no one else dared to take on. She was much better than those good-for-nothings who only knew how to talk and would back down at crucial moments!
In particular, Zhou Hao, whom she had once placed high hopes on and regarded as the future of the family, turned out to be so cowardly and timid at the crucial moment, not even as good as a girl from the west. This made her extremely disappointed and angry at his lack of ambition!

Thinking of this, Old Mrs. Zhou's attitude towards Zhou Keying surprisingly softened a bit.

She raised her hand and gently pressed it down, instantly silencing the clamor in the room. Her gaze swept across the room, and her words were decisive:
"Alright! Since no one else dares to take it on, and now that someone has stepped forward, stop wasting your breath and trying to dampen their enthusiasm! Let Zhou Keying handle the cooperation project with Dansheng Group!"

Zhou Keying had no choice but to bite the bullet and stand up respectfully, replying, "Don't worry, Grandma, I will do my best."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Hao let out a disdainful snort from his nose. The sound wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it clearly: "Try your best? What good is your best effort? In the end, you'll just bring shame to the Zhou family!"

At this moment, a calm yet oppressive voice slowly rang out from the corner: "Zhou Hao, what's the meaning of your rush to badmouth Zhou Keying? Do you perhaps think that the Zhou family is not qualified to cooperate with Dansheng Group at all?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Xiao Chen, who had been sitting silently to the side, who had spoken.

Zhou Hao was stunned. He never expected that this good-for-nothing who lived off his wife would dare to interrupt in such a formal family occasion and would put such a big label on him as soon as he opened his mouth!
He glanced at Old Mrs. Zhou instinctively, and seeing that her expression had indeed darkened, he panicked and hurriedly waved his hands to explain, "I... I didn't mean that! I just think it's impossible for Zhou Keying to make the deal!"

Xiao Chen's lips curled into a slightly amused smile: "What if Zhou Keying succeeds in the deal? How about we make a bet?"

Zhou Hao laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world: "Bet with you? You're a spineless gigolo, what right do you have to bet with me?"

Xiao Chen remained unperturbed, his expression still calm, but his tone carried an undeniable forcefulness:
“Let’s bet on a single kowtow. If Zhou Keying wins the contract, you kneel down and kowtow three times to Keying in front of the whole family, loudly saying ‘I was wrong.’ If she doesn’t win, I’ll kowtow to you, how about that?”

"Hahahaha!" Zhou Hao laughed loudly, tears welling up in his eyes. He pointed at Xiao Chen as if he were a madman. "You piece of trash, are you tired of living? Fine! I'll bet with you! I want to see how you'll get out of this mess!"

Xiao Chen nodded slightly, his gaze calmly sweeping across the room. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "The whole family is here today, so they can be witnesses. Anyone who goes back on their word afterward will have their father, mother, grandfather, and great-aunt die!"

He emphasized the last few words, his eyes sharp as knives.

After hearing this, Zhou Hao didn't dare to back out, even if he wanted to.

If he goes back on his word, wouldn't that be publicly cursing his great-aunt, Old Madam Zhou, to die? Given the old lady's temper, she would definitely skin him alive on the spot!
"Fine!" Zhou Hao, completely unaware that he had jumped into the trap Xiao Chen had dug, instead puffed out his chest and raised his head smugly. "My whole family is here as witnesses! I'm waiting for you to kowtow and admit your mistake!" (End of Chapter)