novelnext Chapter 123 Target: Pittsburgh
Chapter 123 Target: Pittsburgh
Chapter 123 Target: Pittsburgh (Bonus Chapter for 17000 Monthly Tickets)
An old-fashioned restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.
Leo sat in a corner seat with a half-eaten fried egg in front of him.
The seat opposite him was empty.
He was waiting for someone.
9:45.
A middle-aged man wearing a dark gray trench coat pushed open the door and walked in.
He looked to be around fifty years old, with gray hair and heavy eye bags, and was holding a rolled-up copy of The Washington Post.
.
He walked straight to Leo's table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"Give me a black coffee, no sugar," he said to the approaching waiter, then placed the newspaper on the table.
He is White House Chief of Staff, David Stern, one of the most powerful people in the country.
"Mayor Wallace," Stern said calmly, picking up a napkin from the table and wiping his hands. "You've got some nerve."
Leo put down his fork.
Good morning, Mr. Stern.
"Sanders called me," Stern said, his voice devoid of emotion. "He said you're going to jump ship? You're planning to announce your move to the Republican Party at a press conference for a port project?"
Stern raised his eyelids, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Young man, you haven't even learned how to walk in Washington yet, and you want to learn how to shoot a gun? It's dangerous to blackmail the White House."
""
"This is not extortion."
Leo looked calmly at the important figure.
"This is about survival."
"My city is dying, Mr. Stern. It's not dying of natural causes, it's being murdered. Pennsylvania's bureaucrats, those who take orders from Monroe, are strangling Pittsburgh by the throat with administrative review."
"I had no choice."
Leo leaned back in his chair.
"I have leverage."
"Sixty percent of blue-collar workers in the Allegheny County area of western Pennsylvania support this."
"If I hold a press conference next Monday and announce that the Democratic Party has betrayed the working class and that Harrisburg's bureaucracy is destroying jobs."
"Then, I will give exclusive interviews to the news and denounce your hypocrisy on talk shows every night."
"What will happen then?"
"Mr. Stern, you should know better than I that once this fire is ignited, it won't just burn in Pennsylvania."
"Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin—the entire Rust Belt is watching."
"If the mayor of Pittsburgh, a deep blue stronghold, is forced to rebel by the Democrats because he wants to find food for workers, what will the Republicans do? They will print my face on every campaign flyer and plaster it on the gates of every factory in the Midwest!"
'
"At that time, you will lose far more than just the Pennsylvania Senate seat."
"You will lose the trust of the entire blue-collar class; you will face an avalanche."
"Are you really willing to pay the price of losing your Senate majority and even the election two years from now, just to prevent me from getting this paltry $500 million?"
Stern fell silent.
The waiter brought the coffee. He picked up the cup, took a sip, and frowned slightly.
He is assessing the risks.
Leo is right, the current election situation is too fragile.
With inflation soaring and public discontent boiling over, the Democratic Party's support in the Rust Belt has plummeted to a historic low.
If a popular mayor from Pittsburgh, a young man regarded as a "workers' hero," were to turn against him at this critical juncture, it would be a public relations disaster.
Republicans will extol him to the skies and use him as a living example of the Democrats' failures.
The White House cannot afford to lose.
Stern put down his coffee cup.
"All right."
He took a notebook out of his pocket, opened a page, and picked up a pen.
"We can't let you jump ship."
"That damn administrative review will be withdrawn in Harrisburg within five days, and your bonds can be issued."
1
Stern crossed out a line in his notebook.
Leo felt his heart skip a beat, but he remained calm on the surface.
"Thanks."
"Don't thank me yet."
Stern looked up, his eyes fixed on Leo.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch in Washington, Mr. Mayor. You've made a price to the White House, and we have to make one too."
"If you want us to let you go, you have to help us solve a problem."
"What's the trouble?" Leo asked.
"John Murphy."
Stern uttered the name.
Leo's pupils contracted slightly.
"We've already decided on our Senate nominee for Pennsylvania," Stern said coldly. "It's Aston Monroe. He's a key figure in the party's development and the best person to win the Republican Party statewide."
"But that Congressman Murphy has been stirring things up."
"He used to be a law-abiding senator, but he changed after hanging out with you. He wants to ride on your momentum in Pittsburgh and the wave of those $500 million in bonds to run for senator."
"This seriously disrupted the Party's strategic plans."
Stern closed his notebook.
"We want Murphy to drop out of the race."
"Complete withdrawal."
"He can continue to be a congressman; the party will guarantee his seat in the House of Representatives, and may even give him a position as chairman of a subcommittee to retire in."
"But he can't touch the Senate."
"Absolutely not."
"That's the spot reserved for Monroe."
Leo's fingers clenched into a fist under the table.
“Murphy is my ally,” Leo said. “He’s the one who helped me pull strings in Washington, he’s the one who got me in touch with Sanders.”
"I know," Stern said unmoved. "So, only you can make him stop."
"Sanders, that old stubborn man, supports Murphy because he wants to expand the progressive camp's territory. But Sanders can't control Murphy, because Murphy's confidence comes from you, from that $500 million in achievements in Pittsburgh."
"If you don't support him, if he doesn't reap the benefits of Pittsburgh's infrastructure boom, he's nothing."
Stern looked at Leo.
"That's what a deal is, young man."
"In exchange for Murphy's ambition, you'll get five hundred million dollars."
"You can take your bonds, go back and build your city, and be your hero mayor."
"But Murphy has to be out."
"You can call him right now and tell him that due to certain unavoidable political reasons," he cannot use the inland port project as a campaign springboard.
"As soon as he announces his withdrawal from the election, the Harrisburg approval will be sent to your email immediately."
The restaurant was noisy, with the sounds of cutlery clattering and people talking.
But in Leo's ears, the world was deathly silent.
This is a multiple-choice question.
Murphy trusted him.
Murphy was willing to risk his political future in front of Sanders in order to help him.
Now, the White House wants Leo to personally remove the ladder.
"What? Is it hard to choose?"
Stern glanced at his watch.
"I only have ten minutes, Mr. Mayor, I have a meeting to attend."
"Do you want to be a good person, or a successful politician?"
Leo remembered that rainy night.
I remembered what Frank had said to him by the river.
I remembered the line he wrote in his diary: "I'll bear this infamy."
He has already betrayed his principles once, with Morganfield.
Now, it's just another betrayal.
For that five hundred million dollars.
For the sake of those thousands of workers' jobs.
For those elderly people with broken legs who are still waiting for compensation.
Faced with the immense public interest, personal morality, personal relationships, and even personal conscience seem so insignificant.
Or rather, they all must be sacrificed.
This is the price of politics.
"I need to make a phone call."
"Please go ahead."
Stern took a sip of coffee.
"Remember, you only have ten minutes."
Leo, holding his phone, walked to the end of the restaurant corridor.
He dialed Sanders' number.
"How's it going?" Sanders' voice came through. "Did you see Stern?"
"I saw him."
Leo looked at his reflection in the glass window; the reflection looked tired and even somewhat unfamiliar.
"He set his terms."
Leo's voice was deep.
"The White House can overturn the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's administrative review, and get that $500 million in bonds approved. They even promised to get all the paperwork done in five days."
"And the price?" Sanders asked.
"Murphy."
Leo uttered the name.
"Stern demanded that Murphy withdraw from the Senate race immediately, saying that the Pennsylvania seat was reserved for the Philadelphia lieutenant governor and that Murphy was causing trouble."
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
"Senator, I was the one who encouraged Murphy to run. I was the one who told him we could win. I was the one who pushed him to the edge of a cliff. Now, the White House is asking me to push him off the cliff myself."
"I can't do it."
There was a hint of struggle in Leo's voice.
"If I did that, what would I become? A Judas who betrayed his friends for five hundred million dollars?"
The silence lasted for a full ten seconds.
Then, Sanders' voice rang out.
"Leo, you just accused me of being weak in the office."
Sanders’ tone was icy.
"Now, do you want me to teach you what true toughness really is?"
"Don't think of this as betrayal; it's about cutting your losses. It's a necessary sacrifice for the greater good."
"John Murphy is a good man, an obedient congressman, but he is a mediocre politician."
"He's been in Washington for twenty years and knows nothing but voting. Do you really think he can win the statewide election? He has no chance against Republican Warren or Philadelphia's Monroe."
Sanders' words were quite ruthless.
"But you're different, Leo, Pittsburgh is different."
"The model home you built in Pittsburgh is the hope of us progressives in this country. It's evidence that our ideas can be implemented, governed, and bring prosperity."
"If Pittsburgh goes bankrupt, our ideals go bankrupt. To preserve this hope, to preserve the greater good, some sacrifices are necessary."
"Persistence is never a quality of a politician."
"Promise Stern."
Sanders gave the order.
"Let Murphy withdraw from the race and leave him a seat in the House of Representatives to retire in; that's the greatest mercy we can show him."
Leo felt a chill creep up his spine.
"Is that fair?" Leo asked. "He trusts us."
"There is no fairness in politics, only choices."
Sanders did not hesitate at all.
"Didn't you say you were responsible for the 300,000 citizens of Pittsburgh? Didn't you say you would make sure the workers got their wages?"
"Then sacrifice Murphy to save your citizens."
"This is the price of leadership."
The phone hangs up.
As Leo listened to the busy tone on the receiver, he felt a churning in his stomach.
He remembered Murphy's ever-smiling face, the gleam in his eyes when he heard the word "senator" in the office, and Karen Miller and her team working tirelessly day and night in Pittsburgh.
They bet everything on Leo.
Now, Leo is going to personally sweep their chips into the trash heap.
"Sign it, Leo."
Roosevelt's voice echoed in my mind.
"When Caesar crossed the Rubicon, he didn't take all his friends with him. Some roads are destined to be walked alone."
"Murphy is a relic of an old era; he can't keep up with you anymore. Leaving him here is a relief for him too."
"After all, all of this happened because of this election. If it weren't for this election, you wouldn't have encountered these problems."
"Take that five hundred million dollars and go back to Pittsburgh. That's where your battlefield is."
Leo put down his phone.
He stood in the corridor, looking at the White House Chief of Staff who was drinking coffee in the distance.
He sat there, composed, as if he had already foreseen the outcome.
He was certain that Leo would compromise.
Because this is a rational choice.
Leo straightened his collar.
He started walking and went back to the restaurant.
Stern looked up, put down his coffee cup, and glanced at his watch.
"Six minutes," Stern said with a smile. "Faster than I expected."
Stern picked up a napkin, wiped his mouth, and leaned back.
"So, is the matter resolved?"
"Murphy will find a health or family reason in the next couple of days to gracefully withdraw from the primaries, right?"
Stern took a document out of his briefcase.
Leo looked at the cover, which read "Pennsylvania Integrated Freight Flow Plan".
"Those guys in Harrisburg are suing you because your inland port project lacks statewide coordination, saying you're running a separatist kingdom, right?"
Stern tapped his finger on the document cover.
"This document will shut them up immediately."
"According to the Department of Transportation's records, the Port of Pittsburgh Inland Port has always been a key node in the Northeast Corridor logistics network. This document explains how your port complements, rather than competes with, Philadelphia's access to the sea."
Stern looked at Leo.
"The reason Harrisburg is still reviewing it is simply because the federal government just forgot to send the amendment to them."
"As long as you nod, as long as Murphy withdraws from the race."
"This thing is yours."
Stern pushed the documents to the middle of the table.
Leo looked at the document.
That's five hundred million dollars.
That was Pittsburgh's lifeline.
All his suffering will end with a simple nod. He will return to Pittsburgh with the money and become a hero.
Murphy will be disappointed and angry, but he is still a congressman, and life can go on.
This is the most perfect ending, and also the most rational choice.
Leo reached out and placed his hand on the document.
Stern's smile widened.
"A smart child."
"No."
Leo spoke.
Stern's smile froze on his face.
"What did you say?"
Leo pressed his finger on the document and pushed it back.
It was pushed back in front of Stern.
I said, no.
Leo's voice was calm and hard, like a cold stone.
"Murphy will not withdraw from the race."
Stern narrowed his eyes.
"You're playing with fire, Mayor Wallace. Do you know what that means? It means you'll go back to Pittsburgh empty-handed, it means your city will go bankrupt, it means you'll have nothing."
"No, Mr. Stern."
Leo leaned forward.
You've got one thing wrong.
"I am not here to seek kindness."
"I'm here to inform you."
Leo stared into Stern's eyes, his gaze burning with madness.
"Not only will Murphy not withdraw from the race, he will continue to run."
"And you."
Leo pointed a finger at the table in front of Stern.
"Not only can you not stop us, you should also help us."
"You must approve this $500 million bond immediately."
Stern was so angry that he laughed.
"On what grounds? Just because of your threat to leave the Democratic Party? Young man, you overestimate yourself. If you really do that, we'll use all the media to destroy you; you'll become a pariah."
"Mr. Stern."
Leo shifted his weight forward and placed his hands crossed on the table.
"Let's not talk about my business now."
"You just said that for the sake of the bigger picture, Murphy must be sacrificed. Although you didn't say it explicitly, I know what you and the people in the National Committee are thinking."
"You think Murphy is a spoiler. You worry that he will siphon Monroe's votes in the primaries, that this infighting will split the Democratic base in Pennsylvania, and that it will ultimately benefit Republican Senator Warren."
Stern didn't deny it; he simply retorted coldly, "Isn't that right? Votes don't lie. A vote for Murphy means one less vote for Monroe. Once Murphy loses the primary, those votes might not go to Monroe. Internal strife is always a major taboo in elections."
"This is your misjudgment."
Leo retorted.
"You are still looking at this election with traditional addition and subtraction. You assume that the voter pool is fixed, and that is the root of the problem."
"Murphy and Monroe, they're not even fishing in the same pond."
Leo extended a finger and drew an invisible line on the table.
"Aston Monroe, the Lieutenant Governor of Philadelphia, a golden boy of the establishment. Where is his base? In the Philadelphia metropolitan area, in College Town, in those highly educated middle-class communities. That's the deep blue zone, the Democratic stronghold."
"And what about John Murphy?"
"His base is in Pittsburgh, in the industrial decline areas around Allegheny County, and in the small towns scattered throughout the state's countryside."
"Whom did the people in those places vote for before?"
Leo didn't wait for Stern's reply and gave his answer directly.
"They voted for Republicans, they voted for Warren."
"Those white blue-collar workers, those unemployed miners, they hated the Philadelphia elite, they hated the bureaucrats in Washington."
They are the group that has lost the most members of our Democratic Party over the past decade.
"The kind of elite like Monroe, who wears a bespoke suit and talks about environmentalism and diversity all the time, wouldn't be able to get a single ticket even if they ran themselves ragged in those places. When they see Monroe, they just see him as another condescending preacher."
"But Murphy is different."
Leo's eyes sharpened.
"Right now, Murphy has a $500 million infrastructure project in his hands, shouting 'Bring jobs back!' He doesn't look like a politician, more like a foreman."
"He can walk into bars that Monroe can't, and he can shake hands with dirty hands that Monroe can't."
"Murphy won the votes not by stealing them from Monroe's plate."
"He was ripped out of Warren's plate, from the Republican base."
Stern's fingers stopped tapping.
He frowned slightly and began to re-examine the young man's logic.
Leo seized the opportunity and continued to increase his bets.
"This is the difference in our paths."
"If Murphy withdraws from the race, the blue-collar workers he mobilized will not switch their support to Monroe; they will either return to the Republican Party or simply stay home and not vote."
"In that case, what are Monroe's chances of winning against Warren?"
Stern took a sip of his coffee: "Our internal polls show Monroe leading Warren by three percentage points."
"Three percentage points?" Leo chuckled. "That's the current polling. Once the Republican machine kicks in during the final stretch of the election, that three-point advantage will be wiped out instantly."
"You can't afford to lose."
"But what if Murphy continues to run?"
Leo depicted that scene.
"Murphy will engage in a fierce contest with Warren during the primaries. He will attack Warren's weaknesses and expose the Republican Party's betrayal of the workers."
"This is a war of attrition."
"Murphy will relentlessly pursue Warren, draining his funds, his energy, and his reputation in the Red Zone."
Even if Murphy loses the primary in the end.
Leo spread his hands.
"By then, Warren would have been skinned alive."
"And Monroe? He can conserve his energy and maintain his perfect image."
"Once the primaries are over, Murphy will take the political legacy he built in the Rust Belt and the blue-collar votes he converted, and hand it over to Monroe in its entirety."
"This is a win-win situation."
"I have saved my allies and do not need to bear the stigma of betrayal."
"The Democratic Party gained a weakened opponent and an expanded voter base."
"Monroe will still be a candidate, and a candidate whose chances of winning have greatly increased."
Stern remained silent for a long time.
This plan is very tempting.
It could even be said that this was far more sophisticated than simply forcing Murphy to retreat.
It not only resolved the current contradictions, but also provided an additional insurance for the election.
Just as Stern was weighing the pros and cons, his phone rang.
Stern frowned, glanced at the caller ID on the screen, and answered the call.
"it's me."
"Let them wait."
"I'm in a very important meeting right now, I'll call back later."
After saying that, he hung up the phone and placed it face down on the table.
Upon hearing this and seeing Stern's actions, Leo's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.
The scales of victory have begun to tip in his favor.
"You're good at calculating, Mayor Wallace."
Stern finally spoke.
"Your logic is perfect, provided that you and Murphy are really willing to cooperate and hand over the reins after losing the primary."
“We have no choice,” Leo replied. “If Warren is re-elected, Pittsburgh will get nothing. Only if the Democrats win will our port plan receive long-term federal support. For our own benefit, we want Monroe to win more than anyone else.”
Stern nodded.
This is a commitment based on shared interests, more reliable than any moral oath.
"it is good."
Stern made the decision.
"He can continue to run for office, but this is his own war, and the National Committee will not give him a single penny."
"No problem," Leo nodded. "We'll handle the money ourselves."
"As for the administrative review of those $500 million bonds—"
Stern picked up the document from the table.
"This afternoon, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development will receive a joint guidance letter from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Department of Transportation."
"We will make it clear that the Pittsburgh Inland Port project aligns with the federal long-term infrastructure development strategy and recommend that the state government approve it."
"With this endorsement, we will urge Pennsylvania to expedite the process, and Harrisburg will lift the suspension order and approve your issuance application within five days."
Leo breathed a sigh of relief.
at last.
The huge weight that had been pressing on my heart has finally been lifted.
He reached out, ready to take the signed document from Stern's side.
Those were his spoils of war, proof that he would return to Pittsburgh to explain himself.
"What are you going to do?"
Stern's hand remained on the document, not letting go.
Leo paused for a moment, then said, "Isn't this the approval document?"
"this?"
Stern picked up the paper and waved it in front of Leo.
Leo then discovered that, apart from the cover with the words "Pennsylvania Integrated Freight Flow Plan" printed in large letters, the inside was all blank paper.
"This is a cover that I just printed out at the front desk when you went to make the call, and I just stuffed a few napkins in it to make it thicker."
19
Stern looked at Leo's astonished expression and revealed a hint of mockery.
"Young man, you're still too green."
Stern casually tossed the stack of scrap paper into the nearby trash can.
"In Washington, real power is never written on paper."
"I don't need to give you any documents."
"I only need to make one phone call, and Harrisburg will know that the wind has changed."
"That's politics."
Leo looked at the trash can.
He realized something.
At this level, legal documents are merely procedures completed after the fact; what truly determines life and death is a single thought of a powerful figure.
"Go back." Stern stood up, buttoned his trench coat, and said, "Tomorrow morning, you will see the result you want."
T
Stern is gone.
Leo sat alone in the restaurant.
"Mr. President," Leo asked in his mind, "is this what you meant by the taste of power?"
"Yes."
Roosevelt's voice rang out.
"Arrogant, casual, yet absolutely effective."
"However, Leo—"
Roosevelt's voice suddenly became hesitant, as if he were pondering some extremely important question.
"What's wrong?"
"I feel like something's not right."
"What's wrong? Stern has already agreed; the crisis is over."
"No, there's a logical flaw."
Roosevelt, within Leo's consciousness space, replayed the conversation they had just had.
"Think about it, what solution did Stern just mention?"
Leo recalled, "He said he would have the federal government send a letter recommending that the state government approve it."
"That's right, that's the problem."
Roosevelt's voice became shrill.
"Who filed that administrative review request?"
"It's the Pennsylvania Logistics Fairness Alliance," Leo replied.
"Yes." Roosevelt pressed on, "If this alliance is really a front man set up by Monroe or the Democratic establishment, that is, their own people."
"So, when Stern decides to let you off the hook, what's the simplest and quickest solution?"
Leo thought for a moment: "Have that alliance withdraw its application."
"That's right!"
"As long as the plaintiff withdraws the lawsuit, the administrative review will naturally terminate, and everything will end quietly. This is the approach that best aligns with the bureaucratic principle of 'it's better to do less than more.'"
"But Stern didn't do that."
"He chose a more troublesome path. He wanted to use federal agencies to send letters to the state government, to provide administrative guidance, and to forcefully subdue the state Department of Community and Economic Development."
Why would he go to such lengths, even if it's not immediately available?
Leo suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
"Unless—" Leo muttered to himself.
"Unless he can't control that alliance."
Roosevelt picked up where Leo left off.
"Unless that Pennsylvania Logistics Fairness Coalition isn't a Democrat at all."
"Unless that organization is not backed by Monroe, nor by the Philadelphia establishment."
"It's the Republican Party."
Leo suddenly stood up, his movement so forceful that he knocked over the coffee cup on the table.
Brown liquid spilled all over the table, but he didn't bother to wipe it up.
A name exploded in his mind.
Russell Warren.
That Republican senator.
"We've been wrong all along."
Leo felt his hands and feet were cold.
"We thought it was Monroe who was behind it, we thought it was an internal party struggle."
"But in reality, Monroe was just going with the flow."
"The one who really launched the attack against us was Warren."
"He's trying to strangle us."
"Why?" Leo asked.
"Because he's more astute than Monroe," Roosevelt analyzed. "He saw through your and Murphy's plan. He saw the political ambitions hidden behind that $500 million bond."
"He knew that if the money was put into action, and if Murphy actually achieved political success, that new policy, which had a huge following in the Rust Belt, would directly threaten his base of support in western Pennsylvania."
Leo recalled the crazy idea he had with Roosevelt on the plane.
They also considered collaborating with Warren at the time.
They also want to use Warren to attack Monroe.
Looking back now, it was like a fat sheep willingly handing itself over to the butcher's chopping block.
"Thank goodness—" Leo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "thank goodness I didn't go looking for him."
"If I actually went to Warren's office, I'd throw out my 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' theory."
"He would listen to me with a smile, and then sell me off until there was nothing left but bones."
"Then I'd really be dead."
"6
A wave of fear washed over me.
But after the initial fear subsided, Leo quickly regained his composure.
Now that we know who the real enemy is, the situation has become clearer.
"However, this also illustrates one thing."
Leo sat down again and used a napkin to wipe the coffee stains on the table.
"Since it wasn't Monroe who attacked us, it means that Monroe has indeed ignored us."
"In his eyes, Murphy was still that invisible man who posed no threat."
"That's good."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Leo's mouth.
"Arrogance is the best cover."
"Monroe did not launch an attack, which means he underestimated us during the primaries."
"He will focus all his energy on preparing for the general election showdown with Warren and will not take this party primary seriously at all."
"This gave Murphy the perfect opportunity."
"An opportunity to gather strength in the shadows and then strike a fatal blow."
Leo looked out the window.
The rain stopped.
A crack appeared in the clouds, and a ray of sunlight shone onto the damp streets of Washington.
"Mr. President."
"I thought to myself."
"We got the money, we survived."
"Now, it's our turn to fight back."
"Let's go back to Pittsburgh."
"A grand speech awaits us there."
Leo got into the taxi and took one last look at the center of power through the window.
"Aston Monroe thought he could crush us with an administrative review, Russell Warren thought he could reap the benefits by hiding behind the scenes, and the White House thought it could get our obedience with a promise."
"They thought Pittsburgh was just a pawn that could be manipulated at will."
"But they forgot that steel is forged in fire."
"When that $500 million was injected into the dried-up riverbed, when the forgotten working class roared again."
"The whole of Pennsylvania, and even the whole of Washington, will feel the earth tremble."
The engine roared and the wheels turned.
Target: Pittsburgh.
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