My Ares Son-in-Law

Xiao Chen walked to the window, placed the wooden box on the desk by the window, and gently opened it, letting the pen holder be bathed in the light and shadow of the setting sun.

He reached out, his fingertips gently touching the pen holder, clearly sensing the spiritual energy within. He slowly closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and felt the warm spiritual energy seep into his fingertips, nourishing his meridians.

The spiritual energy in the mortal world is still scarce, and the progress of cultivation is still slow, but as long as he can find enough antiques containing spiritual energy, his cultivation will not stagnate.

The blue and white porcelain brush holder he found today is full of spiritual energy, enough for him to cultivate in peace for a few days.

Xiao Chen's mind drifted back to Zhang Ziren's Renhetang.

For him, the opening three days later was not just a party, but also a great opportunity to find some good antiques.

Zhang Ziren used to run an antique shop elsewhere, but now he has moved to a special antique street in the new cultural and museum district. However, he has been in the antique business for several years and may have more items containing spiritual energy. He may even be able to find a few more treasures suitable for cultivation.

Thinking of this, a look of determination flashed in his eyes. He had already secretly planned that he must go to Renhetang in three days to take a good look, and maybe he would have an unexpected gain.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window.

The sun was slowly setting in the west, and the sky was burned into a brilliant orange-red. The evening glow filled the sky and was particularly dazzling, dyeing the entire city in a warm hue.

As night falls, the afterglow of the setting sun slowly fades, and the city lights gradually come on.

Xiao Chen looked at the sunset outside the window, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

Tomorrow will be another new day.

……

Zhang Ziren's newly opened Renhetang Antique Shop is located on the antique street in the Wenbo City New District of the provincial capital.

The new district is still under development, and there are very few antique shops on the street, making it seem rather deserted. However, the signboard of Renhetang is already firmly hung on the door, with black background and gold lettering, antique and particularly eye-catching.

The new district is quite far from the main urban area, and is surrounded by construction sites and open spaces. When the wind blows, it carries a dusty smell, making the whole area feel empty and desolate.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Xiao Chen looked at the desolate scene outside the window and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled... Zhang Ziren chose to open his shop in this still-developing new district instead of the bustling old antique street, which was really hard to understand.

However, this doubt was quickly dispelled. Zhou Keying, who was driving, seemed to have read his mind and explained softly:
"Xiao Chen, don't think this place is remote. I heard that the new district will be introducing several large cultural enterprises next year."

Several well-known film and television companies also plan to move in, which will transform this area into a cultural industry park. This antique street will definitely become more prosperous, and the number of visitors will surge.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

It turns out that Zhang Ziren had planned ahead, seizing the opportunity before the new district rose to prominence. It must be said that this was indeed a visionary idea.

If you wait until the new district becomes prosperous before trying to open a shop here, not only will the rent double, but it's also hard to say whether you can even get a good location.

Zhang Ziren's Renhetang is located next to a brand-new six-lane road, and the store is quite large. It has three floors and is decorated in an antique style, with upturned eaves and carved window lattices. It looks grand and elegant, forming a stark contrast with the empty and deserted surrounding environment.

When Xiao Chen arrived by car with Zhou Keying and Jiang Xuanxuan, a row of various cars were already parked in front of Renhetang, indicating that many classmates had already arrived.

In the open space by the entrance, several well-dressed men were leaning against a black Audi, cigarettes between their fingers, puffing out smoke and chatting idly in an arrogant tone, looking quite smug.

Zhou Keying recognized all of these people; they were all her classmates from university. However, they weren't close during their school years, and had little contact after graduation. She never expected them all to come today.

Xiao Chen didn't recognize any of them. He just glanced at them briefly and then looked away, his expression remaining calm.

Among the group, the man in the lead was named Li Xiao, who was known for his arrogance and domineering attitude back in college.

Relying on his family's building materials business and their privileged background, he always acted arrogantly in class and harbored a deep affection for Zhou Keying, pursuing her passionately back then.

He tried everything—sending flowers, gifts, and public confessions—but Zhou Keying had no feelings for him whatsoever. She always ignored him and barely even glanced at him.

At this moment, Li Xiao leaned against the door of the black Audi, legs crossed, in a lazy yet arrogant posture, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, enjoying the adulation and compliments from several male classmates around him, his face full of smugness.

"Brother Xiao, your new car is so cool! Is that an Audi A8? Judging by its presence, it must cost at least a million! It's so unfair! We probably can't afford a luxury car like that in our lifetime!"

A boy wearing glasses circled the Audi, praising it with envy.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao waved his hand modestly, but couldn't help but smile, saying in a nonchalant tone:
"Hey, what luxury car? It's just a low-end A8, only around 900,000 yuan. It's just for commuting to and from work, nothing to brag about."

"You call a car worth over 900,000 yuan a means of transportation? Xiao Ge, you're too modest!" another boy exclaimed. "I'd be perfectly content if I could drive a car worth 300,000 yuan in my lifetime. Compared to you, I'm far behind."

“Yeah, Xiao Ge,” someone else chimed in, asking curiously, “This car must accelerate incredibly fast, right? With a 3.0T engine, can it fly off with just one press of the accelerator?”

Li Xiao flicked his cigarette ash, which fell to the ground. He then rubbed it under his leather shoe and said casually:
"It's alright. The 3.0T V6 engine is indeed quite powerful. It can easily overtake most of the ordinary cars on the street without any pressure."

"Amazing! Xiao-ge, you're a true winner in life!" Everyone echoed, showering him with compliments, which made Li Xiao even more smug, his chin practically pointing to the sky.

Just then, the sound of a car engine came from behind. Someone instinctively looked over and saw a domestically produced new energy sedan slowly driving by.

The car has simple lines and looks impressive, but it doesn't have any luxury car logos, so you can tell at a glance that it's an ordinary domestic car.

What's even more surprising is that this car is a budget-friendly model produced by the Xiao Group.

"Hey, look, another car is coming!" someone pointed at the domestically produced car, their tone tinged with mockery. "Whose beat-up domestic car is this? Is it one of our classmates too?"

"Holy crap! Isn't that Zhou Keying driving?"

Someone recognized Zhou Keying in the driver's seat and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Their gaze then fell on Xiao Chen in the passenger seat, and their tone became even more mocking. (End of Chapter)