The sudden shout left everyone in shock.


Immediately, everyone scrambled to pull out their phones to check the Emgrand Group’s official WeChat account.


Sure enough!


The officially verified account had just posted a message:


“The first partnership for the Emgrand Group’s 2-billion-yuan hotel project has been signed! Vice Chair Wang Dongxue has signed a 60-million-yuan renovation contract with Xiao Churan of Jinling’s Xiao Group!”


The moment they saw the headline, everyone went wild.


Xiao Churan had really secured the project—and at double the target amount!


And it had taken her just over half an hour!


How could it be this easy?


It defied all logic!


…


Xiao Hailong was both shocked and filled with regret.


Until today, Xiao Churan’s status and position in the family were far beneath his.


If he had accepted this task yesterday, regardless of whether he succeeded, Xiao Churan wouldn’t have had a chance to shine.


But he had refused out of fear of failure!


To make matters worse, Xiao Churan not only took the task but succeeded.


It was like a slap in the face—one he had delivered to himself!


Grandma Xiao immediately grabbed the contract, scanned it carefully, and burst into delighted laughter. “Good! Good! Wonderful! Churan, you’ve done an incredible job!”


She then asked, “How did you manage this?”


Xiao Churan replied, “Thanks to Vice Chair Wang Dongxue, who holds our Xiao family in high regard.”


In reality, Xiao Churan wanted to be truthful. But since she didn’t even know who the chairman of the Emgrand Group was, she decided it was better to keep things vague.


Hearing this explanation, Xiao Hailong felt even more miserable.


So Wang Dongxue had already held the Xiao family in high regard?


In that case, anyone could have secured the contract!


He had missed an incredible opportunity!


At this moment, Ye Chen spoke up. “Hailong, do you remember our bet?”


Xiao Hailong’s face turned ashen, as though he had swallowed something foul.


How could he forget? The loser had to kneel in front of everyone and kowtow three times.


Now that Xiao Churan had secured the contract, it was clear who the loser was.


No! I can’t kneel to this useless piece of trash!


Grinding his teeth, he said, “Ye Chen, who do you think you are? You’re just a worthless live-in son-in-law living off our family, and you want me to kneel to you?”


Ye Chen replied calmly, “I am indeed just a freeloading son-in-law, but we made a bet yesterday. Whoever reneges on their promise will curse their father, mother, grandfather, and grandmother to die!”


Ye Chen emphasized the words grandmother heavily.


Sure enough, Grandma Xiao’s face turned cold and furious.


She glared at Xiao Hailong and asked icily, “What? Are you cursing me to die?”


Xiao Hailong panicked. “Grandma, don’t fall for Ye Chen’s tricks! He’s trying to humiliate me and disgrace you!”


Ye Chen said indifferently, “Hailong, don’t try to confuse Grandma. Remember, you swore an oath. If you break it, you’ll face divine retribution. Do you really want to curse Grandma?”


Xiao Hailong was horrified and stammered, “Grandma, it was just a joke!”


Grandma Xiao’s expression darkened. “You know I’ve always respected oaths sworn to the heavens, yet you dare to break yours?”


“Grandma, I…”


Xiao Hailong was at a loss. He realized Grandma Xiao was genuinely angry.


Seeing her grandson prioritize his pride over his sacred vow, Grandma Xiao slammed the table and shouted, “Have you made up your mind to break your oath?”


“Grandma, I…” Xiao Hailong hesitated, calculating the situation.


If he honored the bet and knelt to Ye Chen, he would lose face.


But if he broke the bet and angered Grandma Xiao, he would lose everything within the family.


Left with no choice, he gritted his teeth and said, “Fine! I’ll admit defeat!”


Ye Chen smiled faintly, saying nothing, and simply waited for Xiao Hailong to kneel.


Xiao Hailong felt as if his legs were weighed down with lead as he reluctantly shuffled toward Ye Chen.


His body trembled with rage, and he clenched his teeth tightly, but in the end, his legs gave out, and he knelt.


Thud!


The sound of his knees hitting the floor was music to the room. Some onlookers even discreetly took out their phones to record the scene.


Lowering his head, Xiao Hailong said in a shaky voice, “I was wrong.”


He then bowed his head to the ground with a loud thud.


Ye Chen smirked. “What did you say? I didn’t hear you. Say it louder.”


Forcing back his humiliation, Xiao Hailong kowtowed again. “I was wrong!”


Ye Chen chuckled coldly. “Oh? And what exactly were you wrong about?”


At this point, Xiao Hailong wanted nothing more than to kill Ye Chen, but he still had one more kowtow to go.


With his fists clenched and his teeth grinding, he prepared to bow a third time.


Xiao Hailong said, “I was wrong to doubt Churan’s abilities…”


After speaking, he kowtowed again!


Ye Chen felt incredibly satisfied.


He had long been fed up with Xiao Hailong, and now, making him kneel and apologize felt truly refreshing!


Xiao Churan watched the scene in astonishment, feeling like her husband had suddenly changed.


She couldn’t quite put her finger on what was different, but thinking back to how confident he had been when betting with Xiao Hailong yesterday, it seemed like he had already known she would succeed.


But why was he so confident?