novelnext Chapter 103 A Necessary Test
Chapter 103 A Necessary Test
Chapter 103 A Necessary Test (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)
The blinds in the mayor's office were closed.
Murphy picked up the heavy bond proposal, stood up, and prepared to pick up the phone on the table.
"Wait a minute, John."
Leo suddenly reached out and grabbed Murphy's wrist.
"What's wrong?" Murphy looked at him, puzzled. "Didn't we agree that I'd call Sanders right now, tell him our whole plan, tell him we're going to issue $500 million in bonds, and tell him we need his help to shake up Wall Street?"
"No." Leo shook his head, his eyes deepening. "Now is not the time."
"What do you mean? We're running out of time; every minute is precious." Murphy was getting impatient.
"It's precisely because we're running out of time that we can't afford to make mistakes." Leo removed Murphy's hand from the phone and gestured for him to sit back on the sofa.
"John, have you considered how Sanders will react if you reveal everything now?"
"He'll support us!" Murphy replied matter-of-factly. "He's a progressive leader, and he's always wanted to make a difference in the Rust Belt. This plan perfectly aligns with his political agenda."
That's just wishful thinking on your part.
Leo returned to his desk and tapped his fingers lightly on the surface.
"Politics is not a fairy tale, John. In this vast arena of fame and fortune, nothing is taken for granted."
"If you just throw a $500 million bill in his face and tell him we need him to beg for favors, to owe us a debt, to pay for our risky venture, what do you think he'll think?"
"He'll think we're troublemakers."
"He'll feel like we're using him."
"He might even suspect that we're pushing him into a fire pit."
Murphy frowned, clearly unconvinced: "Leo, you're being too suspicious. Sanders isn't that kind of person; he's been kind to us."
"This isn't being suspicious; it's a game of strategy."
Leo leaned forward, his gaze fixed intently on Murphy.
"We need to find out what our Senator Sanders is really thinking."
"We must first ascertain his bottom line, his true attitude toward the matter of being the lieutenant governor of Philadelphia, and whether he truly considers Pittsburgh an insurmountable stronghold."
Murphy hesitated: "Going directly to test Sanders? That's too risky. He's a leader of the progressives, our backer in Washington."
"If he feels that we are plotting against him, or that we are a nuisance, he can cut off his support for us at any time."
Murphy is a traditional, even somewhat rigid, politician.
In his view, subordinates should maintain absolute loyalty and transparency to their superiors, especially to the leaders of their own faction.
This calculated probing made him instinctively uneasy.
"John, you still don't understand."
Leo looked at Murphy, his tone tinged with helplessness.
"We're not plotting against him; we're protecting ourselves."
"There are no natural allies when faced with enormous interests."
"We need to confirm whether he supports us."
"Of course he supports us!" Murphy retorted eagerly. "He even fell out with Montoya over the VAN system incident for your sake. Isn't that proof enough?"
"not enough."
Roosevelt's voice echoed in Leo's mind.
"That's for face, for the dignity of the faction."
"But this time is different. This time it involves Senate seats and the entire political landscape of Pennsylvania."
Faced with such enormous interests, there are no natural allies in politics.
Leo reiterated Roosevelt's logic.
"We need to ascertain his true stance on the matter of being the lieutenant governor of Philadelphia."
Murphy paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you mean?"
"The logic is simple." Leo stood up, walked to the whiteboard, picked up a pen, and drew two lines.
"Scenario 1, this is the worst-case scenario."
"While Sanders is a progressive, he's also a seasoned veteran of Congress, having spent decades in the political arena. Perhaps he's already made some kind of private deal with senior party officials in exchange for establishment support for a key bill."
"Perhaps he has already tacitly approved of the Philadelphia lieutenant governor taking office."
"If that's the case, then your decision to run for senator now wouldn't be a surprise to him, but a shock, or even a betrayal."
"In this situation, our current plea for help will only annoy him. He'll find a way to shut you up and stop you from causing trouble."
Leo put a big X after "Scenario 1".
"In that case, Sanders will no longer be our friend."
Murphy's face turned pale.
He clearly had never dared to think in that direction.
Leo then drew a circle below.
"Scenario two, this is the best-case scenario."
"Sanders utterly despises that Philadelphia establishment golden boy, and he's even annoyed by his inability to get involved in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania. He wants to plant his flag there, but he doesn't have the right people at his disposal."
"If that's the case, then our appearance is like a godsend for him."
"We are his chance to turn things around."
Leo put down his pen, turned around, and stared at Murphy.
"So before you stake your entire political future on those $500 million bonds, we have to figure out whether he wants you to be cannon fodder or a general."
Murphy swallowed hard. "Then—how do we confirm? Should we just ask him?"
"Of course not." Leo sneered. "Politicians never tell the truth directly, so we need to test him."
"How do you test it?"
"Report bad news, not good news."
Leo pointed to the telephone on the table.
"Now, call Sanders in front of me."
"Tell him some bad news: Pittsburgh's finances are about to explode."
Murphy was startled: "What? Leo, bringing this up now makes us look incompetent, doesn't it?"
"The point is to appear incompetent, even desperate."
Leo's eyes sharpened.
"Tell him that the previous strategy of calling on citizens to sue the government, while forcing Moretti to back down, also left huge aftereffects, and the current amount of compensation sought has exceeded 50 million US dollars."
"If this money is not secured, the city of Pittsburgh will face financial bankruptcy within three months."
"If we go bankrupt, we will not only be unable to provide any funding for next year's midterm elections, but we will also turn Pittsburgh into a huge political black hole for the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania."
"We need to describe ourselves as a bomb about to explode."
Murphy's hands trembled slightly; he didn't understand this suicidal way of communicating.
Why?
"Observe his reaction."
Leo stared into Murphy's eyes and said, word by word.
"Judging from his tone."
"If he hears the news and just sighs helplessly, or says in that tired, bureaucratic tone something like, 'This is so unfortunate,' 'You'll have to figure it out yourselves,' or 'Washington can't help you right now,' and then quickly hangs up, then there's still hope."
Murphy paused for a moment: "Doesn't this mean he's abandoned us? Isn't this the worst-case scenario?"
Leo replied, "No, John, you're wrong. That just proves that he didn't make any private deals with the establishment regarding Pennsylvania."
"This shows that Pittsburgh is not a piece he absolutely needs to protect on his chessboard, and he doesn't expect us to play a decisive role in the midterm elections. This means he doesn't need our votes to exchange for any benefits in Philadelphia."
"As long as he doesn't sell us out, that's our chance to turn things around."
"At that time, we'll tell him about the $500 million bond plan, that we can not only save ourselves, but also help him win. That contrast from disappointment to surprise will make him completely side with us."
Leo paused for a moment, his eyes instantly sharpening.
"but."
"If he gets furious."
"If he starts getting angry on the phone, yelling, cursing, swearing at the establishment, or even pointing his finger at you and calling you incompetent."
"If he yells that you've ruined the midterm elections, then you have to hold your ground."
"6
Murphy instinctively shrank back: "So that means he cares about us?"
"That means he's already betrayed us."
Roosevelt's voice and Leo's voice overlapped.
"Only when a person regards something as their private property to be traded will he feel hysterical anger when that thing is damaged."
"That means he had reached some kind of understanding with the establishment in Philadelphia and Washington. In his plan, Pittsburgh was supposed to be an obedient vote bank, a tool for transferring benefits."
"If he gets furious, it means our financial crisis has ruined his grand plan."
"That means he's no longer our protector," Leo said coldly. "We have to be prepared to hang up and completely break ties with him."
Murphy looked at Leo.
He found himself increasingly unable to understand this young man.
This feeling started during that congressional primary.
At that time, everyone thought Cortes was unstoppable, and even Murphy himself was preparing to retire.
But Leo still destroyed him.
That method was precise, ruthless, and left no room for compromise.
Now, this method is becoming more sophisticated and more terrifying.
Leo not only schemed against his opponents, but he also schemed against his own allies, and even political heavyweights like Sanders.
This kind of cunning and manipulative approach terrified Murphy.
But it also gave him a strange sense of security.
In this political swamp teeming with crocodiles, perhaps the only way to survive is to follow someone even more ruthless and cunning than the crocodiles.
"it is good."
Murphy took a deep breath and picked up the phone on the table.
He dialed Sanders' number.
Leo gestured for him to press the speakerphone button.
"Beep—Beep—"
The waiting sound seemed to drag on endlessly in the quiet office.
"Feed?"
Sanders' voice came through, sounding somewhat tired, with background noise suggesting he was on his way to a meeting.
"Senator, this is Murphy."
"John? You're in Pittsburgh? What's up? Hurry up, I only have two minutes." Sanders spoke very quickly.
Murphy glanced at Leo.
Leo nodded to him and made an "explosion" gesture.
Murphy gritted his teeth and said in an extremely somber and anxious voice, "Senator, we're in big trouble here."
.
"Pittsburgh's finances may not last until the end of the year."
The other end of the phone went silent instantly.
The background noise seemed to have disappeared, perhaps because Sanders covered the microphone.
"What are you talking about?" Sanders' voice turned low.
Following Leo's script, Murphy began to wail and complain.
"Leo's de facto notification strategy, designed to force Moretti to comply, has triggered a chain reaction. Now, lawyers across the city are suing the city government, seeking astronomical sums in damages."
"If this problem cannot be solved, Pittsburgh will have to declare bankruptcy."
"Daniel, if we go bankrupt, we're finished. Pittsburgh will be a wasteland in this year's midterm elections. We won't have a single penny to support the other candidates in the party, or even to do basic mobilization."
After Murphy finished speaking, he held his breath.
Leo also leaned forward, staring intently at the phone.
one second.
two seconds.
three seconds.
"beep"
The call was disconnected.
The busy tone coming from the receiver sounded particularly jarring in the quiet office.
Murphy's hand holding the phone froze in mid-air, his expression shifting from tension to astonishment, and then quickly to fear.
"He hung up?" Murphy muttered to himself, unable to believe his ears. "He didn't say anything, he just hung up?"
Leo's face also darkened.
This does not conform to any pre-set scenario.
If it's about giving up, there will at least be some perfunctory words; if it's about anger, then there should at least be a roar.
What does it mean to hang up immediately?
Is Sanders so angry that he doesn't want to say another word?
"It seems things are heading down the most difficult path," Leo said in a low voice, his hand unconsciously gripping the edge of the table.
"You mean—a falling out?" Murphy's voice trembled slightly.
Just then, a rapid ringing broke the silence.
Murphy's personal cell phone started vibrating wildly on the table.
The caller ID showed Sanders' number flashing prominently.
Murphy glanced at Leo, swallowed hard, and picked up his phone.
"John."
The voice on the other end of the phone wasn't loud; there was no roaring as I'd expected, and it could even be described as quite gentle.
But this gentleness sent a chill down Murphy's spine.
"Is Mayor Wallace next to you?" Sanders asked.
"Yes, Senator." Murphy glanced at Leo.
"Go to the other end of the room," Sanders said. "There are some things I don't want that young man to hear."
Murphy paused for a moment, his finger hovering over the "hands-free" button for a split second.
Leo keenly sensed something was amiss, and he nodded to Murphy, signaling him to do as he was told.
Murphy picked up the receiver, walked to the farthest floor-to-ceiling window in the office, and turned his back to Leo.
"I heard you," Murphy said in a low voice.
"Listen, John," Sanders' voice was quite cold, "Pittsburgh is in a disaster right now, not a financial disaster, but a political disaster."
"I had concerns about this before, and now it seems my concerns were justified. This Leo Wallace is far too incompetent. He only has the ability to stir up emotions, but he has absolutely no knack for governing a city."
"He squandered a winning hand, and in his attempt to spite the Speaker, he nearly bankrupted the government," Sanders sighed. "He doesn't have the qualities to be a mayor, at least not right now."
"Then—what do we do?" Murphy's throat went dry. "Give him up?"
"Not now," Sanders said pragmatically. "The midterm elections are just around the corner, and Pennsylvania is a key battleground. If the Democratic mayor of Pittsburgh were to have a major scandal, or if there were a government shutdown, the Republicans would use that as leverage to attack our candidates across the country."
"We cannot cause trouble for the Party, at least not before November."
"You stay there, John. You have to look after him like a nanny."
Sanders gave the order.
"Help him stabilize the situation, whether with tape or glue, tidy up that mess and don't let the fire spread to Washington."
"If he can still be salvaged, then let him continue to linger on for a while longer."
"If he can't handle it, or if he dares to cause any more trouble—"
Sanders' voice was cold.
"Then prepare a backup plan. As soon as the midterm elections are over, we'll replace him, whether through impeachment or by forcing him to resign."
"His political life has come to an end."
"Do you understand what I mean, John? Don't tie yourself to him too tightly; it's a sinking ship."
The phone hangs up.
Murphy held the receiver in his hand as if it were a block of ice.
He turned around and looked at Leo, who was sitting behind his desk.
Leo was looking at him, a faint smile even playing on his lips.
"He wasn't furious, was he?" Leo asked softly.
Murphy nodded stiffly.
"His tone was calm, even gentle."
"That's right."
Leo leaned back in his chair, the light in his eyes becoming somewhat frightening.
"Give him another call." Leo stared into Murphy's eyes, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Murphy was stunned: "Now? He just hung up the phone."
"Don't hesitate, John. He has accepted the status quo in Pittsburgh, and now is the best time to talk about a deal."
Murphy hesitated for a moment, but the certainty in Leo's eyes made it impossible for him to refuse.
He took a deep breath and dialed the number again.
"John? What else?" Sanders' voice on the other end of the phone was filled with impatience. "If it's about that young man's plea, then there's no need to say anything."
Murphy looked at Leo, felt a dryness in his throat, and subconsciously swallowed.
His heart was pounding violently in his chest, as if it were about to burst his ribs.
Leo nodded to him.
Murphy closed his eyes and said, "Daniel, we have a way. Not only to save Pittsburgh from its crisis and settle those damn debts."
"Moreover, it can also do the most important thing."
"What is it?" Sanders asked.
"We can make the progressive banner truly take root in Pennsylvania," Murphy's voice began to steady. "Not just in this corner of Pittsburgh, but throughout the state. We can use this crisis to turn this place into our progressive stronghold."
A disdainful snort came through the receiver.
"That Wallace who can't even handle the budget?" Sanders' tone was full of disdain. "John, are you still dreaming? He can't even manage his own city council."
"Not Leo."
Murphy gripped the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"it's me."
This time, there was complete silence on the other end of the phone.
After a long while, Sanders' voice rang out again.
"you?"
"What do you want, John?"
Murphy looked up and glanced at Leo.
Leo was standing by the window, his back to him, looking out at the brightly lit city.
"I want to run for senator," Murphy said, emphasizing each word.