novelnext Chapter 59 Counterattack
Chapter 59 Counterattack
Inside the prefabricated office.
Karen Miller sat in front of her computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard.
Ethan Hawke stood behind her, holding a cup of coffee, his eyes calm.
Frank and Sarah stood a little further away, watching the two professionals from Washington operate something they couldn't understand at all.
Ten minutes later, Karen stopped banging.
She leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh.
"How is it?" Leo asked as he stepped forward.
Karen turned her head, her expression very complicated.
It was an expression that mixed shock, confusion, and a professional excitement.
"Leo, this is incredible." Karen pointed to the data charts on the screen. "I've been campaigning for fifteen years and used all sorts of databases, but I've never seen anything like this."
"This database is indeed less detailed than the official VAN system in terms of data on traditional Democratic voters who are over 60 years old, own their own homes, and regularly attend church services. Much of the data in it is from five or six years ago and is very inaccurate."
“But,” she emphasized, pulling up another chart, “the data on young voters aged eighteen to thirty-five, on blue-collar service industry workers who are not unionized, on swing voters registered as ‘independents,’ and on low-income groups living in basements and shared apartments…”
"The level of detail in this system is simply terrifying."
Karen moved the mouse and randomly clicked on a coordinate point located in the University of Auckland city area.
A detailed user profile popped up on the screen.
"Look at this," Karen read aloud. "Name: James Lightling. Occupation: Part-time barista at Starbucks/Junior sociology student at the University of Pittsburgh. Student loan debt: $45,000. Housing situation: Shared apartment, and it even marked that he was forced to move last month because his landlord raised the rent."
Political leanings: Extremely averse to the establishment, concerned about climate change. Active platforms: Reddit, TikTok. Note: Participated in BLM protests.
Karen looked up at Leo.
"In the official VAN system, this person only has one line of 'no voting record,' and may even be marked as an 'invalid address' because of his frequent moves."
"But in Sanders' system, he is a living, breathing person, a person full of anger, eager for change, and extremely proactive."
"This database contains a total of 50,000 people like James Lightling."
Ethan added, "This is what the progressives have been doing for the past few years. We've been collecting data bit by bit through millions of volunteers at every rally, every door-to-door event, and every online petition."
"This database was built by walking on the ground."
With this data, Leo decided to stop waiting passively.
"Karen," Leo gave the order, "I want you to immediately draft the strongest possible legal letter and send it directly to the chairman of the local Democratic Party committee, as well as to the public email address of every committee member."
"Tell them that their actions in blocking the VAN system have seriously violated the Federal Election Commission's core provisions on the fairness of party primaries."
"If our access is not restored within 24 hours, we will file a lawsuit in federal court against them for illegal interference in the election, and we will apply for a federal judge's intervention order to preserve all of their internal communications records."
Karen replied, "No problem."
"Sarah." Leo turned his head to Sarah again.
"Help me rewrite a statement."
"Keep your wording calm and professional."
"We are not attacking Cartwright directly; we are only expressing confusion and concern about the actions of our local party branch."
"Why would our Pittsburgh Democratic Committee make such a basic and blatant technical error that violates the principles of intra-party democracy and fairness in such a crucial mayoral primary?"
"Has the professional competence and independence of our local party branch been subjected to undue pressure and political interference from certain higher levels or certain special interest groups?"
"Let's kick the ball back to Washington."
"I've already thought of a title," Leo said.
"Let's call it 'Save the Pittsburgh Democratic Party: An Urgent Appeal from the Leo Wallace Campaign's Team'."
After half an hour.
At the campaign headquarters, Karen Miller stood at the long table, holding a pen.
"It's all here, Leo," Karen said. "The temporary injunction application against the local Democratic Party committee, and the complaint letter to the Federal Election Commission—once you sign them, these documents will be sent to court within ten minutes."
Sarah sat on the other side, a formatted press release displayed on her computer screen.
"The media is ready too," Sarah added. "Once you sign it, this press release will be sent to all the media outlets in the state."
The atmosphere in the room was tense, everyone waiting for Leo's counterattack.
Leo took the pen from Karen.
With the pen tip hovering above the signature bar, a war of public opinion can begin the moment it falls.
"Stop! Leo, don't sign."
Roosevelt's voice suddenly echoed in my mind.
Leo's fingers froze.
"What's going on?" he asked in his mind. "Isn't this Cartwright's revenge? We must fight back."
"Pick up that lockdown notice and read it again," Roosevelt ordered.
Leo put down his pen and picked up the printed screenshot of the red warning.
"Look at the cited clause."
Leo's gaze fell on the lower half of the notification letter.
The reason stated: "In accordance with the 14th amendment to the Democratic National Committee’s Data Compliance Charter, which stipulates the requirements for security assessment of third-party data interfaces."
"The 14th Amendment." Roosevelt's voice deepened. "This is a new regulation that was only passed in Washington three months ago, and even many state party chairmen haven't figured out the specific implementation details yet. Cartwright, whose mind only knows how to fix fountains and hold ribbon-cutting ceremonies, couldn't have come up with such a highly professional bureaucratic excuse."
"More importantly, Leo, use your brain."
"Cartwright is the mayor, but this is the Allegheny County Democratic Committee."
"What makes Cartwright so powerful that a single phone call would persuade the county party headquarters to risk violating election laws by invoking such a national provision to block a legitimate primary candidate?"
"This is completely contrary to the logic of how power operates."
"There is only one explanation: this order did not come from the city hall at all, nor even from Pennsylvania; the county party branch was merely a terminal for carrying out the order."
"This is not a local retaliation, Leo," Roosevelt concluded. "This is a premeditated, top-down compliance purge, and you are the one being purged."
"Someone is using Cartwright's case to launch an attack."
"Although I don't know why yet, someone is using a cannon to kill a mosquito. If you sue the local council now, you'll fall into a trap."
"Because the person who gave the order isn't even in Pennsylvania."
A chill ran down Leo's spine, and he understood everything almost instantly.
Cartwright may have been involved, but he couldn't have done this alone.
This must have been at Washington's behest.
He needs to know what Washington means.
Currently, only one person in their team has access to high-level officials in Washington.
He put down the document in his hand and threw the pen back into the pen holder.
"Karen, Sarah, you two go out for a bit," Leo suddenly said.
Karen paused for a moment: "Leo? Now is a race against time."
"Get out," Leo said. "I need to speak with Ethan alone."
Karen and Sarah exchanged a glance and saw the seriousness in Leo's eyes. They packed up their things, led the others from the office, and left the room, closing the door behind them.
Only Leo and Ethan remained in the prefab house.
Ethan was holding a cup of coffee and looking at Leo.
"Ethan, look me in the eyes."
Leo stared sharply at the elite advisor from Washington.
Ethan asked calmly, "What's wrong, Leo?"
"Blocking the VAN system wasn't Cartwright's idea, was it?" Leo approached step by step. "It was the higher-ups who wanted to target me."
Ethan's hand trembled, and a few drops of coffee splashed onto the back of his hand.
He didn't bother wiping himself, and looked at Leo in surprise.
The keen insight this man, whom he had always regarded as a talented but inexperienced outsider in high-level politics, displayed at this moment startled him.
"Did...Senator Sanders tell you?" Ethan asked instinctively. "No, that's impossible. He would never say something like that over the phone."
“He doesn’t need to say it.” Leo was bluffing him, but his tone was certain. “I studied history, Ethan. I’ve studied countless political purges. I know what it feels like—using compliance to cover up intentions, using procedures to eliminate dissidents. This is Washington’s doing.”
Leo walked up to Ethan, the two of them less than half a meter apart.
"Tell me the truth. If we're going to be in this trench together, sharing bullets, you can't hide the enemy's location from me."