"If that's the case, then we're in trouble! We need to find Uncle Qiao and clarify the situation!" Lulu realized the seriousness of the matter, stood up, and hurriedly walked towards the door of the room.

Although Nana didn't want to disturb her father, she didn't stop Lulu and followed him out of the room, arriving at Mayor Qiao's bedroom door.

"Uncle Qiao, are you in there? Can you open the door?" Lulu knocked hard on the door of Mayor Qiao's bedroom, speaking loudly towards the inside.

There was no response from the room, as if there was no one inside.

"Dad, what's going on? Please come out and talk to us!" Nana also shouted at the door, banging on it forcefully.

The situation remained the same; there was still no sound from inside. Lulu and Nana waited outside for quite a while, but the door did not open. They looked at each other, seeing panic and unease reflected in each other's eyes.

"Uncle Qiao, are you in there? If you're not, we're coming in!" Lulu felt that they couldn't delay any longer and was about to force the door open.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Mayor Qiao's figure appeared before Lulu and Nana.

Seeing her father, Nana rushed over to grab his hand, anxiously saying, "Dad, what happened? Can you tell us?!"

Mayor Qiao looked dim and haggard. He glanced tiredly at Nana and Lulu, then spoke in a low voice, "Oh, it's you two. Nana, has your mother come back yet?"

"Mom hasn't returned yet, but she should be home soon," Nana replied.

"I see. Then you both need to prepare and pack your bags. Our whole family has to leave here tonight."

Upon hearing this, both Nana and Lulu were taken aback. Lulu said, "Does that mean the governor really intends to harm us?!"

Mayor Qiao was also surprised: "You both know about this?!"

Lulu and Nana nodded slowly. Mayor Qiao sighed and said sadly, "I was afraid you would worry, so I didn't want to tell you, but since you already know, I'll let you know. That governor wants to control our entire family. If we don't leave the concession area by tomorrow, our family will be doomed."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Nana exclaimed, "How can this be? Dad, you're the mayor; how can he treat you this way? Isn't there any law?"

Mayor Qiao shook his head: "This is the concession area, and people from the Sanctuary have the highest privileges here. Although I am the mayor, I am not from the Sanctuary. They can wipe us out at will without facing any consequences. The previous mayors are the best examples of this. Now, we only have one way left—escape."

Lulu said, "But can we really escape? The concession area is heavily guarded by the Sanctuary's military; they have complete control. If the governor finds out on the way, things will get even worse."

A glint of cunning flashed in Mayor Qiao's eyes as he said, "Actually, I anticipated this situation a long time ago and secretly purchased properties elsewhere. This time, I've also contacted others to help us; we should be fine."

Lulu said, "If that's really the case, then that would be best."

Nana said, "I hope our family can safely get through this crisis."

Then the Qiao family quickly got to work. They packed their belongings and placed their valuables into suitcases. That night, when it was deep and quiet, Mayor Qiao, his wife Madam Qiao, and Lulu and Nana quietly left their home, carrying their luggage to a secluded street.

With a whoosh, a large black van suddenly appeared out of nowhere, screeching to a halt in front of Mayor Qiao's house. A tall, burly middle-aged man, along with five strong young men, got out of the van and quickly approached the Qiao family.

Seeing these men, Mayor Qiao's expression changed immediately, for the tall, burly middle-aged man was the governor he had seen during the day.

"Mayor Qiao, it's quite late; where is your family going?" The governor wore a malicious smile, squinting his eyes and staring intently at the Qiao family.

Although Mayor Qiao was extremely anxious, he still pretended to be surprised and smiled, saying, "Ah, what a coincidence! It's you, Governor. Actually, it's my daughter's birthday today, and our family was just about to go out for dinner to celebrate."

"Heh, dinner? Out at this hour? And with so much stuff? I thought you were moving," the governor said sarcastically.

"Well, um..." Mayor Qiao's smile stiffened, and he tried to explain, "You see, after dinner, we're going to a friend's house, and all these things are gifts for him..."

"Oh, I see! You're going to a friend's house?" The governor said with a strange laugh. Suddenly, his expression darkened, and he shouted, "You old fool! Instead of doing what I told you, you want to escape? Do you think you can get away?!"

"No, I’m not trying to escape! Please don’t misunderstand, Governor!" Mayor Qiao exclaimed in panic.

The governor said menacingly, "Still not being honest? You old fool, do you think you can deceive me? I think you need to be taught a lesson!"

After saying this, the governor lifted his right foot and kicked Mayor Qiao hard in the abdomen. Pain flashed across Mayor Qiao's face, and he curled up, collapsing to the ground with a thud.

"Please, sir, spare us! I will definitely do what you asked!" Mayor Qiao pleaded as he knelt on the ground, clutching the governor's leg.

"Take this old man away!" The governor kicked Mayor Joe aside, and two strong men next to him came over and grabbed Mayor Joe's arms. Ignoring his resistance and struggles, they forcibly dragged him toward the black van parked by the roadside.