novelnext Chapter 107 The New Order
Chapter 107 The New Order
Chapter 107 The New Order (Bonus Chapter for 8000 Monthly Tickets)
The heavy door to the mayor's office made a louder sound than usual when it was pushed open.
Leo strode out of his territory, clutching the budget file that Blake Finch and his men had worked on for over ten days in one hand, and carrying a huge black cylinder in the other.
He arrived at the city council building.
This time, Leo didn't have Ethan make the appointment.
He doesn't need an appointment.
When a player with five hundred million dollars in chips wants to join the game, no one dares to stop him from entering.
Outside the city council speaker's office, the secretary was touching up her makeup in front of a mirror.
Seeing Leo striding over aggressively, she instinctively stood up, attempting to fulfill her duty as a doorman.
"Mayor, the Speaker is here—"
"I know what he's doing."
Without pausing for a moment, Leo walked straight over the secretary's desk.
"He's having lunch, so I brought him some reading material to accompany his meal."
Leo pushed the door open.
In his office, Thomas Moretti sat behind his desk, still holding his signature Italian meatball sandwich.
Moretti was stunned when he saw Leo suddenly barge in, and the sandwich in his hand stopped in mid-air.
This is extremely offensive.
Thomas.
Leo called Moretti by his first name.
He walked to his desk, opened the black cylinder, and pulled out a huge map of Pittsburgh.
With a "whoosh".
The map was laid out directly on Moretti's desk, covering the half-eaten sandwich and the napkin Moretti was about to use to wipe his mouth.
Moretti frowned, his eyes darkening.
He was about to lash out when his gaze was drawn to the dense markings on the map.
This is a special map.
The entire city of Pittsburgh was divided into nine districts, each marked with a different color to represent different engineering projects.
Red for road renovation, blue for water pipe upgrades, green for park construction, and yellow for school repairs.
Next to these colored blocks, the specific amounts are marked in bold black font.
"Twenty million."
Five million.
"Twelve million."
Each number is followed by a string of zeros.
"I've used my connections in Washington to prepare to sell a Pittsburgh municipal bond." Leo leaned forward, his hands on the edge of the table, his voice deep and powerful. "Five hundred million dollars."
Moretti narrowed his eyes, swallowing back the words of reprimand he was about to utter.
He was a seasoned politician; he knew when to get angry and when to settle scores.
Five hundred million US dollars.
This number is shocking even to someone as knowledgeable as him.
But he didn't completely believe it.
"What connections do you have in Washington?"
"Murphy?" Moretti scoffed, wiping his sauce-covered fingers on the corner of the table. "That nice guy who hangs around on Capitol Hill?"
"Leo, don't think I don't know the going rate in Washington. With Murphy's pitiful political capital, he can't even get a guarantee of fifty million, let alone five hundred million. You're just bluffing."
"Murphy definitely can't win."
Leo readily admitted it.
"But Daniel Sanders can."
Moretti's eye twitched.
Leo continued, "Senator Sanders has personally taken charge of this project. He's using all his political resources on Capitol Hill, as well as his connections within the National Union Pension Fund, to personally run this bond for Pittsburgh."
"This isn't some idea still in the PowerPoint stage, Thomas. This is a strategic gamble by the entire progressive camp on the Rust Belt. Wall Street has received clear signals that this money is a done deal."
Moretti fell silent upon hearing Sanders' name.
He knew what kind of power that old man from Vermont possessed.
If Sanders himself endorses it, or even personally pulls strings, then the $500 million is real.
Moretti's gaze returned to the map.
As the speaker of the council who has served in the city for many years, he knows every street and every district in Pittsburgh like the back of his hand.
He began to examine the $500 million allocation chart more closely.
He saw the second district, Gavin Stone's district, an affluent area and business center. The map marked the "Intelligent Traffic Signal System Upgrade" and "Business District Landscape Boulevard Renovation" projects.
The fifth riding, Linda Rossi's riding, was assigned the "energy efficiency upgrade of municipal office facilities".
The 9th district, Pete Miller's district, is a conservative white community. It will receive funding for "upgrading the community policing system" and "renovating the old police station."
The entire map is covered with dollar signs and signs indicating that construction is about to begin.
Except for one place.
Moretti's gaze froze.
First constituency.
That was his stronghold, the place where he could secure re-election with a mere wave of his hand.
On the map, the first selection area is a blank space.
There was nothing there.
Only the original gray street lines lay on the paper, surrounded by the other eight constituencies that had been submerged in money.
This blank space, like a giant black hole, stands out starkly against the backdrop of a five-hundred-million-dollar feast.
Moretti abruptly raised his head and stared intently at Leo.
"What do you mean by that?"
Moretti's voice was filled with suppressed anger.
"You think you can bribe other council members to isolate me? You think you can just give Stone and Rossie's gang a few scraps and they'll betray me? You're naive, Wallace. In the city council, they won't dare utter a sound without my permission!"
"Bribery? No, no, no."
Leo straightened up, a look of surprise on his face, as if he had been greatly misunderstood.
"How can this be called bribery? This is optimal resource allocation."
Leo pointed to the blank space in the first district, his tone becoming incredibly sincere.
"Mr. Speaker, you have always been a staunch defender of financial discipline in the City Council."
"I have great respect for your position."
Leo's voice was filled with respect.
"I went back and reflected on it for a long time, and I think you are right. As mayor, I cannot force a speaker who is so principled to accept debt that he hates."
"Therefore, in order to prevent your voters from being burdened with this heavy debt, and to maintain your noble political reputation."
"I specifically instructed the Budget Office to completely exclude your first district from this $500 million bond project."
Leo moved closer to Moretti, the two of them less than ten centimeters apart.
"Not a single penny of this five hundred million US dollars will be spent on your territory."
"Your streets can continue to be dilapidated, your streetlights can continue to be out of order, and your community center can continue to leak."
"Because this is the financial security you want."
Moretti's face turned a deep purplish-red.
"But, Thomas."
Leo lowered his voice.
"Look around you."
Leo traced a circle on the map with his finger.
"This Friday, when the budget is put on the city council's table for a vote."
Leo stared into Moretti's eyes.
"Do you think you can still control them?"
"Do you really think you have more control over them than this mountain of dollars?"
Moretti clenched his fists tightly under the table.
"I—I can put it aside."
Moretti's voice trembled slightly, and he began to ramble, trying to build a last line of defense using the rules of procedure he was most familiar with.
"I have the power to set the agenda. I don't schedule hearings, I don't put this damn thing on the schedule."
I'll throw it into the very bottom of the Finance Committee's filing cabinet and let it mold and rot there! You'll never see the day of the vote!
"You can't do it, Thomas."
Leo coldly interrupted him.
"Haven't you figured it out yet? This bond plan has already been written into the 'Draft Annual Operating and Capital Budget,' and they are tied together."
Leo's fingers slammed heavily on the table.
"Under the Pittsburgh City Charter, the City Council must vote on the annual budget. This is a mandatory legal obligation, not a political game you can play around with."
"You—you madman—" Moretti stared at Leo, his lips trembling, "You've tied the entire government to your bomb."
"Of course, you have another option."
"You can exercise your power as Speaker to unite with other members of Congress. You can propose amendments at the budget hearings to force the removal of the bond issuance provisions from the budget bill, and then compel Congress to pass a budget bill without the $500 million."
Leo pointed to the colorful map on the table.
"But Lan, Tochous, look at this map and tell me honestly."
"Do you, as a true core member, think you can unite with them?"
"Do you think Gavin Stone would willingly cut her nuclear smart transportation system in the Norwegian district just to save face for you? Do you think old Billy would give up his multi-story parking garage for your nuclear political struggle?"
"What makes you think they'll listen to your dictates and spit out their flesh?"
Moretti's breathing became rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He looked around but couldn't find a way out.
"The money—the money hasn't arrived yet!" Moretti grabbed at his last straw, his voice hoarse as he roared, "All of this is based on you getting the money! You really trust Sanders that much?"
"Wall Street is no saint! I refuse to believe that Sanders can conjure up $500 million out of thin air with just a few phone calls! This is fraud! This is getting something for nothing!"
Leo looked at Moretti.
"So, this is your last desperate struggle, Lan?"
Leo leaned forward slightly, staring into Moretti's eyes.
"You mean Neil Sanders, a senior senator who's been wading through the crocodile pool of Washington for dozens of years."
"You think he can't even get 500 million US dollars?"
"Are you questioning a US senator's nuclear capabilities, or are you insulting your own nuclear intelligence?"
Moretti's mouth dropped open.
He made a few meaningless gurgling sounds in his throat, but couldn't utter a complete rebuttal.
He wanted to say it was impossible, but he didn't believe it himself.
Faced with a nuclear deficit of that level, five hundred million US dollars might be the only nuclear deal to be struck after a luncheon.
Looking into Leo's resolute eyes, the last line of defense in his heart completely collapsed.
Moretti stared at the glaring nuclear blank on the map, as if he were seeing the nuclear tombstone of his political career.
The only sound in the office was the ticking of the wall clock.
Nalan Bow Water Core Countdown.
Much later.
Moretti loosened his clenched fist.
A mature and seasoned politician doesn't need to think between "political suicide" and "bowing down."
Preservation is the first principle.
Moretti raised his head, his gloomy expression vanishing.
"Leo".
Moretti sighed.
"You devil."
"Add the first Norwegian nuclear project to the list."
Moretti pointed to the blank space on the map.
"I want the main thoroughfare core completely renovated, and I also want two new core community libraries."
"In addition, the list of underwriters for this bond issuance needs to include a local Pittsburgh nuclear bank."
He was making a last-ditch effort to salvage even the smallest bit of profit from this crushing defeat.
"Then I'll go find Director Finch now," Leo said with a smile.
"I believe he would be very happy to include all the missing nuclear projects in the final nuclear budget."
"The money will be written on paper, Thomas, this afternoon."
Leo straightened his suit.
"When the vote is held this Friday, I hope to see a unanimous vote on that big screen."
"After all, we all hope that every corner of Pittsburgh can be revitalized."
"Then we need not only financial unity, but also political unity, don't we?"
Leo turned and walked toward the door.
As he reached the doorway, he stopped and glanced back at the old man sitting in the shadows.
"Enjoy lunch, Thomas."
Men Hai is here.
Moretti slumped into his chair, staring at the map on the table.
He knew that his nuclear age was over.
That young man, with 500 million US dollars, bought up the core of this city and established a new order.