My Ares Son-in-Law

Su Daqiang didn't speak, but just twitched the corner of his mouth, revealing a cold sneer, his disdain in his eyes deepening... Having been around this place for so many years, what kind of people hadn't he seen?
He had seen plenty of young punks like Li Xiao who relied on connections to put on airs, and he didn't take them seriously at all.

Li Xiao felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, but in order to save face, she gritted her teeth, took out her phone, quickly dialed the number she knew by heart, and deliberately put it on speakerphone so that everyone present could hear it.

The phone rang a few times before being answered quickly. A slightly indifferent voice came from the other end: "Hello, who is it?"

Li Xiao immediately switched to a fawning tone and said with a smile, "Hey, Director Zhang? It's me, Li Xiao. You've forgotten? I'm the Li Xiao who had dinner with you at the hotel last time and drank with you! Yes, yes, that's me!"

He paused, then deliberately raised his voice, speaking urgently:
"Director Zhang, there's something I'd like to ask you for a favor."

My friend opened a shop called Renhetang on the antique street. It just opened today, and a guy named Su Daqiang came over to collect management fees. He was extremely rude and even threatened to smash up the shop.

Could you perhaps ask him to do me a favor and let us go?

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, and the air instantly became somewhat awkward. Then, that indifferent voice came through again, carrying a hint of barely perceptible estrangement and helplessness in its tone:
"Young Master Li, have you heard about your father's situation?"

Li Xiao was startled, his smile instantly froze, and his eyes were full of confusion. He subconsciously asked, "My dad? What happened to my dad? He's fine, nothing's wrong!" His heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition surged into his heart.

"You didn't know your dad was fired from Dansheng Group?"

The voice on the other end of the phone remained indifferent, even somewhat dismissive.

"I just got word that this is a direct order from above, with no room for maneuver whatsoever. I don't know the specific reason either. Alright, I have an important meeting to attend, so I'll hang up now."

beep...

The busy signal rang, and the call was abruptly disconnected.

Li Xiao stood frozen, phone in hand, her mind blank, the color draining from her face, leaving it as pale as paper.

He was fired by Dansheng Group?

How did his dad get fired?
His father was the vice president of the marketing department and had worked at Dansheng Group for several years. How could he suddenly be ordered to be fired by his superiors?
He couldn't believe it, and he didn't want to believe it. His phone fell to the ground with a "thud," the screen shattering, but he seemed oblivious, standing there blankly, his eyes vacant, muttering repeatedly:

"Impossible... This is absolutely impossible..."

Looking at his dejected appearance, Su Daqiang grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, his tone full of sarcasm and mockery:
"What's wrong, kid? What did Director Zhang say? Did he not help you? I thought you had some real backing, but it turns out you're just a braggart!"

Li Xiao opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her throat seemed to be blocked, and she couldn't say a word. She could only clench her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her flesh, her heart filled with despair and panic.

He was unwilling to accept defeat; he couldn't just give up like that!
With trembling hands, he bent down to pick up the broken phone from the ground and dialed another number from memory... Director Wang, the second person in charge of the new district, was also an old acquaintance of his father and was usually quite polite to him.

The call connected quickly, and Li Xiao's voice trembled slightly with urgency: "Director Wang, it's me, Li Xiao... Do you remember me? My father is Li Chenliang!"

"Young Master Li, I already know about your father's situation." Director Wang's tone on the other end of the phone carried a hint of regret, as well as a clear sense of distance.

"You can't afford to mess with that Su Daqiang. He's one of Master Wan's men, and he has a very powerful backer. I can't control him either. Good luck to you, and don't get involved in this anymore."

Snapped.

The call was abruptly cut off again.

Li Xiao was completely stunned. It was as if all her strength had been drained away. Her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground.

Director Zhang doesn't care about him, Director Wang can't control him either, and his father has been fired. Now he's a penniless good-for-nothing with no backing!

Su Daqiang slowly walked up to him, looking down at him with contempt and ferocity in his eyes. He said in an icy tone, "Kid, what did you just say? Who are you asking you to give face? Say it again."

Li Xiao was terrified by his fierce gaze, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down. He quickly grabbed the counter next to him, his face pale, his voice trembling, and pleaded desperately:

"Brother Su, I was wrong. I was blind. I didn't know you were Master Wan's man. I shouldn't have put on airs in front of you. Please forgive me this time!"

"Snapped!"

A resounding slap landed hard on Li Xiao's face, so forcefully that he spun halfway around on the spot, blood instantly seeping from the corner of his mouth, and his cheek quickly swelling up.

Su Daqiang grabbed him by the collar, lifted him up, and rained punches on Li Xiao's face and body, roaring as he did so:
"Serves you right for being a busybody! Serves you right for being a show-off! Serves you right for pulling strings! Let's see if you dare to be arrogant in front of me again!"

The piercing screams echoed throughout the Renhe Hall, particularly jarring.

Li Xiao was beaten black and blue, his face covered in blood, blood foam dripping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes unfocused. He quickly lost the strength to resist and was finally thrown to the ground by Su Daqiang like a dead dog, motionless, only able to breathe weakly.

The onlookers were so frightened that they didn't dare to breathe, and no one dared to step forward to stop him... They had long heard of Su Daqiang's fearsome reputation. He even dared to provoke Master Wan, let alone ordinary people like them.

Trying to stop them will only backfire.

Zhang Ziren stood to the side, his face ashen, his whole body trembling slightly. Looking at Li Xiao, who was barely alive on the ground, and then at the ferocious Su Daqiang, he had only one thought in his mind... It's over, my shop is finished!
Su Daqiang is so domineering that he can't afford to offend him. He has to pay the 50,000 yuan management fee today, even if he has to sell everything he owns. But even if he pays it, he will still have to pay 20,000 yuan every month. His small shop simply can't survive!

Su Daqiang kicked Li Xiao one last time, spat, and then slowly turned around. His gaze fell on Zhang Ziren again, the ferocity in his eyes undiminished, and he said arrogantly:
"Now, let's talk about management fees."

He held up five short, stubby fingers and waved them in front of Zhang Ziren, a greedy smile curling at the corner of his mouth:

"I said 50,000 earlier, but now the price has gone up to 100,000. Who told you, my friend, to meddle and waste my time? Consider this 100,000 as compensation for my losses!" (End of Chapter)