novelnext Chapter 20 The First Negotiation
Chapter 20 The First Negotiation
The location for the second round of negotiations was chosen by Leo to be a dilapidated meeting room in the community center.
Wechsler arrived as promised.
He came alone, without an assistant.
The walls of the conference room were covered with black and white photographs. The steelworkers in those photos were gazing at this uninvited guest with their weathered eyes.
The home advantage began to exert invisible psychological pressure on Wechsler from the very first second.
Leo and Sarah sat at one end of the long table, while Margaret and Frank sat beside them.
Wechsler sat down opposite them, still smiling, but he was clearly uncomfortable with the environment.
"Alright, Mr. Wallace," Wexler began, "you say you have a solution that benefits both sides, and I'd like to hear it."
Contrary to his usual behavior, Leo first expressed his understanding of Wechsler's predicament.
"Mr. Wechsler, I know you must have had a tough week," Leo said. "This matter has escalated from a simple business case into a political crisis for the mayor. And you, unfortunately, are caught in the middle."
These words caused a subtle change in Wechsler's expression.
"On the one hand, your client, Summit Development Group, just wants to complete this deal as soon as possible. On the other hand, Mayor Cartwright hopes you can quell this media storm quickly so as not to affect his re-election."
"And we..." Leo shrugged, a hint of helplessness on his face, "We're just a bunch of stubborn old men who don't know how to compromise."
Then, Leo mentioned the situation outside.
"Frank and his union brothers outside are very emotional, and they are already planning their next protest action. I heard that they even intend to hold a peaceful rally outside the private residences of Mayor Cartwright and the CEO of Summit Group."
Upon hearing this, Wechsler frowned.
This was the thing he feared most.
Once the situation escalates to the point of harassing private residences, it ceases to be a simple protest and becomes a serious scandal.
"I'm doing my best to dissuade them," Leo said, his expression sincere, "but I don't know how much longer I can keep them in check."
Then, Leo took out the "Community Center Future Development Plan" that he and Sarah had prepared.
He presented the proposal to Wechsler.
"Mr. Wechsler, to prove to you that we are not just a bunch of troublemakers, we have also made a detailed plan for the future of the community."
Wechsler opened the plan with some skepticism.
He saw the grand plans inside: renovating the basketball court, buying new computers, adding a small library, and even building a rooftop garden and a virtual reality experience room.
And finally, the budget totaling four million dollars.
He immediately saw through Leo's intentions.
He sneered and threw the proposal on the table.
"Mr. Wallace, are you kidding me? Four million dollars? Do you think my clients are charities?"
Just then, Leo took out a stack of files from his folder.
While he was going through the documents, one of the photocopies "inadvertently" slipped out of the folder and fell onto the table.
The paper landed face up in front of Wechsler.
Wechsler's gaze swept over the paper, and he clearly saw the title on it.
"Meeting minutes regarding the informal lunch meeting between the Mayor and the CEO of Summit Development Group".
Leo seemed to have realized his "mistake".
He immediately picked up the paper and then slowly put it back into the folder.
He didn't say a word throughout the entire process.
But everything is left unsaid.
Leo looked up, met Wechsler's eyes, and smiled.
"Of course, Mr. Wechsler, all these wonderful development plans we have put forward are built on an important foundation."
"That means that everyone in our community will no longer have to waste their precious energy going to the district attorney's office or an FBI agent to explain the specific details of certain informal lunches."
Wechsler's expression finally changed.
He tried to regain his composure.
"Mr. Wallace, your accusations are very serious. Moreover, the plan you have submitted is far beyond my personal decision-making scope. I need to report this situation to my client and the mayor's office; we need time to discuss it."
He wanted to delay and regain the initiative.
Leo replied directly, "Mr. Wexler, please don't do that."
"My investigation wasn't just about municipal regulations; I also spent time investigating you and your clients."
"I am well aware that the board of directors of Summit Development Group has authorized you to handle all matters related to the community center. The maximum amount authorized is enough to pay for this proposal several times over. So the person sitting here today is not a lawyer from Summit Group, but its sole decision-maker."
Leo continued, "So, our choice is actually quite simple. Either we reach an agreement that's acceptable to both of us right here in this room today."
"Or, the moment I walk out of this door, the full contents of the meeting minutes, along with more interesting details about that luncheon, will immediately appear in the inboxes of every journalist in Pittsburgh."
Leo's threat is direct, and Wechsler is weighing the pros and cons.
While the meeting minutes might not be enough to send the mayor to jail, they were enough to stir up a storm in the media that could completely destroy Cartwright's political career.
He remained silent for a full minute.
He raised his head again and looked at Leo.
He knew he had lost today, but his pride compelled him to win something back at the poker table.
He picked up the four-million-dollar development plan again.
"Alright, Mr. Wallace," he said, "now that we've reached the most important consensus, let's now discuss the budgets for these specific projects."
"A rooftop garden? That's completely unnecessary. A virtual reality experience room? That's too extravagant. Renovating the building's exterior? I think keeping it as it is gives it a more historical feel."
He began a heated negotiation with Leo over the four million dollar budget.
This was his final act of dignity and performance.
Leo then engaged in a "tough negotiation" with him that lasted for an hour.
"Mr. Wechsler, the rooftop garden can be cancelled, but the virtual reality experience room must be retained for the sake of the children's education."
"Okay, the budget for the experience room can be cut in half, but the money for renovating the basketball court cannot be reduced by a single penny."
"One million two hundred thousand dollars, that's our bottom line. We've already made huge concessions."
Ultimately, both sides reluctantly reached an agreement.
The final agreement was written down in black and white.
First, Summit Development Group has officially withdrawn its acquisition plan for the Steelworkers Community Centre site.
Second, Summit Development Group will pay all outstanding property taxes for the community center in a lump sum and provide a development fund of US$1.2 million to the community center in the name of charitable donation.
Third, Mayor Cartwright must personally hold a press conference within three days to publicly announce that the city government will permanently preserve the Steelworkers Community Center and designate it as a Pittsburgh historic building.
An agreement has been reached.
Wechsler signed his name on the document.
He stood up and shook hands with Leo.
"Mr. Wallace, you are a born politician."
Leo laughed and said, "Then I'll take it as a compliment."
Wechsler replied, "Without a doubt."
……
Three days later, the press conference was held as scheduled in the press conference hall of the city hall.
Mayor Martin Cartwright and the CEO of Summit Development Group stood side by side at the podium, both wearing enthusiastic smiles.
They looked very happy, as if it were all their own choice.
Mayor Cartwright spoke first.
He highly praised Summit Development Group's sense of social responsibility, calling them a model of corporate citizenship in Pittsburgh.
He also highly praised the historical contributions of the Steelworkers Community Center, calling it a valuable legacy of the Pittsburgh working-class spirit.
Finally, he was honored to announce that, through the joint efforts of the municipal government and Summit Development Group, the community center will not only be permanently preserved, but will also receive a substantial development fund for future upgrades and renovations.
The CEO of Summit Development Group also gave a brief speech.
He stated that his company has always been committed to community building in Pittsburgh, and it is an honor for them to be able to contribute to the preservation of the community center.
The entire press conference was filled with a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere.
They were so sincere and generous that some reporters from other places, unaware of the facts, thought they were witnessing a touching story of cooperation between government officials and businesses to serve the community.
This is what politicians and businessmen are like.
You can never read any real emotions from their faces.
At the same time as the press conference.
The lobby of the steelworkers' community center was packed with community residents.
Sarah used a projector to display the live broadcast of the press conference on the wall.
When Mayor Cartwright uttered the words "permanently preserve the community center," the entire hall erupted in deafening cheers.
People hugged each other, cheered, jumped, and some elderly people even shed tears of emotion.
The battle, which lasted for several weeks, finally ended in their victory.
When Leo returned to the community center, he was surrounded by people like a triumphant hero.
People tossed him high into the air.
Leo saw those familiar faces in the air.
Margaret, Sarah, Rosa, Mike...
Their faces were filled with genuine joy.
The celebrations and revelry continued late into the night.
After the commotion subsided, Leo walked home alone.
The evening breeze dispelled the smell of alcohol from his body, and also the joy of victory in his heart.
He won.
But he won so narrowly, so by sheer luck.
He knew very well that this victory was not solely due to the unity of the community residents and the support of public opinion.
More importantly, there was the minor procedural flaw in the opponent's own work, and the meeting minutes that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, almost like divine revelation.
What if the Cartwright city government's public disclosure process was flawless?
What if the anonymous helper hadn't delivered the meeting minutes to him?
What will the result be?
He dared not think about it.
He realized that he had only temporarily removed a harmless tumor.
But the body that caused this disease—the city's power structure—remains terminally ill.
As long as Cartwright and his financial backers maintain a firm grip on power in the city.
So today's story will be replayed in another corner of the city tomorrow, in another form.
Roosevelt's voice echoed in his mind, with approval and guidance.
"You've learned how to win a battle, son."
"Using the methods I taught you, you forced them to surrender with dignity and made them willingly hand over war reparations to you."
"But do you understand that as long as they remain safely seated in their command posts, this war will never truly end?"
Leo stopped in his tracks.
He looked up at the brightly lit building in the distance, bathed in the night light.
Pittsburgh City Hall.
That was the enemy's command post.
His gaze gradually hardened.
He knew that the battle at the steelworkers' community center was over.
But the war for Pittsburgh had only just begun.