My Ares Son-in-Law

Between two evils, choose the lesser. Despite his immense resentment and humiliation, Zhou Hao could only grit his teeth, lower his head, and say in a hoarse voice, "Fine... I accept my defeat..."

Xiao Chen smiled contentedly, leaned back in his chair with a relaxed air, and looked at him indifferently without saying a word, yet he exuded a sense of pressure that "it's time to keep your promise."

Zhou Hao felt as if his legs were filled with a thousand pounds of lead, so heavy that he couldn't lift them. Every step he took felt like stepping on a knife's edge.

He trembled all over, his jaw clenched, his nails digging deep into his palms until they bled, but he couldn't withstand the old lady's cold gaze. Step by step, he moved with difficulty to Zhou Keying.

The Zhou family members present all held their breath, their eyes fixed on the scene before them. Some looked sympathetic, some gloated, and others secretly took out their phones, opened their cameras, wanting to record this rare "famous scene"...

If the young master of the Zhou family in the capital were to kneel and kowtow to a cousin from the west, it would be huge news!
Zhou Hao felt everyone's gaze, and a wave of humiliation overwhelmed him. He kept his head down, refusing to look anyone in the eye, his body trembling uncontrollably. Finally, under everyone's watchful eyes, his legs gave way...

With a thud, he knelt heavily on the cold floor, the sound of his knees hitting the ground particularly jarring in the silent conference room.

"I was wrong..." He lowered his head, his voice trembling, barely audible, his face burning with embarrassment, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

After saying that, he bent down and kowtowed with a "thud," his forehead hitting the floor with a dull thud.

Xiao Chen tilted his ear and feigned confusion, speaking softly but loudly enough for everyone to hear: "What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly. Speak louder so everyone can hear you. You're wrong."

Zhou Hao gritted his teeth, swallowing all the humiliation and resentment, then suddenly raised his head, raised his voice, and bowed down again, kowtowing: "I was wrong!"

"Thump..." Another dull impact sound.

Xiao Chen nodded in satisfaction, his tone teasing with a hint of amusement: "Oh... so you were wrong. Then tell me, what did you do wrong? Don't just admit your mistake; you don't even know where you went wrong. What was the point of kowtowing all this time?"

Zhou Hao was so angry he wanted to kill someone. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh, and a fierce and venomous look flashed in his eyes... Xiao Chen, you just wait. I've remembered this debt, and one day I'll make you pay for it tenfold!
But he knew that now was not the time to lash out; there was still one more step to take, and he had to endure it!
He took a deep breath and squeezed out each word through gritted teeth: "My mistake was doubting Keying's abilities, mocking her, and looking down on her..."

Before he could finish speaking, with a loud thud, the third head slammed into the ground, his forehead instantly turning red and even oozing a trace of blood.

Zhou Keying leaned back in her chair, looking at Zhou Hao kneeling in front of her, looking disheveled and miserable. She felt completely relaxed, and the grievances and resentment that had been building up in her heart for many years vanished in that moment.

I've long disliked this arrogant and domineering cousin of mine. Today, I finally got the chance to make him kneel down and kowtow in public to admit his mistakes. This feeling of triumph is so satisfying!

Xiao Chen, however, showed little reaction on his face, though a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

In his view, merely kneeling and kowtowing was really letting that bastard Zhou Hao off easy.

If he hadn't wanted to avoid disrupting Zhou Keying's position in the Zhou family over such a trivial matter, and if he hadn't wanted to expose his own identity, he would have loved to slap this kid a few times on the spot and teach him a lesson for his arrogance.

After kowtowing three times, Zhou Hao's eyes welled with tears of humiliation. His face was deathly pale, his forehead swollen and red; he looked utterly wretched. But he dared not retaliate, not even raise his head, his head bowed tightly, his shoulders trembling slightly…

He knew that the old lady was extremely dissatisfied with him now, and that saying or doing anything extra at this point would only add fuel to the fire and push him into an abyss of no return.

When Grandma Zhou saw that Zhou Hao obediently fulfilled the bet and his attitude of admitting his mistake was sincere, her expression softened a bit.

She didn't genuinely want her eldest grandson to kneel and kowtow to Zhou Keying, a "maid from a collateral branch," thus disgracing the Zhou family in the capital.

But that oath was, after all, tied her life to it. She had always believed in Buddhism and gods, and she was most averse to such oaths that cursed people's lives and deaths. If Zhou Hao broke his oath today, she was afraid she would not be able to sleep at night, always worried that retribution would fall on her head.

She glanced at Zhou Hao, her tone indifferent but with a hint of warning:

"Zhou Hao, these three heads are a lesson for you. From now on, don't be too arrogant. Don't make bets with people you're not sure about. Even if you do bet, don't swear an oath with your family's lives, and don't look down on others!"

"Grandma, I know... I'll never dare to do it again..." Zhou Hao lowered his head, his voice filled with sobs, his tone humble to the point of being pitiful.

But out of the corner of his eye, he glared viciously at Xiao Chen, his eyes brimming with venom...

You surnamed Xiao, you forced me to kneel and kowtow in public, making me lose all face. I will settle this blood feud with you sooner or later, and I will kill you sooner or later!
Grandma Zhou ignored Zhou Hao's little tricks, cleared her throat, stood up, and swept her gaze over everyone present, her tone serious and solemn:
"Today, Keying securing this multi-billion dollar contract is a great joy for our Zhou family, and marks the beginning of our Zhou family's rise!"

"From today onwards, everyone must be on high alert and cooperate fully with Keying to ensure the success of the Dansheng Group's project. We should take this opportunity to build a good relationship with the Dansheng Group and strive for more cooperation opportunities!"

"Anyone who dares to hold us back will face my wrath!"

"Yes, Madam!" The Zhou family members present all responded in unison, their tone respectful, their gazes towards Zhou Keying filled with awe... From now on, Zhou Keying would be the core of the Zhou family, someone they could not afford to offend!

"Wait!"

Xiao Chen suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the entire room.

"I think I just heard someone say that Keying is going to be expelled from the family. Did I hear that right?"

Grandma Zhou's face stiffened, and she cursed inwardly that this boy was truly vindictive and unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss.

She gritted her teeth and forced a smile, saying, "It was my fault for not reading the contract carefully, which caused Keying to feel wronged. We're all family, let's just let this little thing go?"

Zhou Keying's heart softened, and she was about to nod and say forget it, but Xiao Chen spoke first, speaking calmly:
"That won't do. If someone is wronged, they deserve an explanation; if they've made a great contribution, they deserve a corresponding position. I think... Ke Ying secured a contract worth tens of billions; she should at least be promoted to a high-level position in the Zhou Group." (End of Chapter)