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Chapter 80 Choosing Courage
Chapter 80 Choosing Courage (Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader "Xiaobing Will Always Support You")
The debate has lasted for ninety minutes.
For ninety minutes, the two sides went back and forth, neither willing to give an inch.
Sweat soaked through the back of Leo's shirt, and Cartwright across from him had a fine sheen of oil on his forehead. Even with thick foundation, the pallor from exhaustion was still evident.
The host glanced at his cue cards, then looked up at the camera and at the five hundred audience members who were holding their breath in the audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the debate is drawing to a close. Now, let's move on to the final statements."
"Based on the results of the draw, we would like to first invite the current mayor, Mr. Martin Cartwright, to speak."
"Time: Three minutes."
The lights dimmed, leaving only a spotlight shining on Cartwright.
This veteran, who had stood firm in Pittsburgh politics for two decades, took a deep breath.
He first braced himself on both sides of the podium with his hands, leaned forward slightly, and kept his line of sight at the same level as the camera lens.
This is a gesture full of sincerity.
"Citizens of Pittsburgh."
Cartwright's voice was deep, a voice that had soothed the city's anxieties countless times over the past eight years.
"Tonight, you heard many voices. There were angry accusations, impassioned slogans, and promises that sounded so good they seemed unbelievable."
He turned his head slightly, glanced at Leo standing not far away, and showed a hint of tolerance in his eyes.
"In this uncertain era, I also hope that those promises are true. I also hope that we can just wave our magic wands and the roads will be repaired, wages will double, and all the poor will be able to live in big houses."
"However, my experience, the lessons I've learned from sitting in this position for eight years, tells me that the real world is not a fairy tale."
Cartwright looked away, staring back at the camera with an extremely serious expression.
"Radical change is often accompanied by huge, even devastating, costs."
"My adversary, Mr. Wallace, is very passionate. But he has never managed anything. He tells you he wants to tear down the foundation of this city and rebuild a tower."
"But I urge you to look at your own lives before you vote."
"Look at the house you just paid off, look at your pension that arrives on time every month, look at the school your children are attending, and look at your family savings, which have been growing slowly but steadily over the past few years."
"All of this has not come easily."
"This is a delicate and fragile system. If a novice were to wield a sledgehammer and start smashing it, the system could collapse in an instant."
"Are you willing to gamble with the value of your property? Are you willing to risk your retirement? Are you willing to entrust the safety of this city to a young man who only shouts slogans as an experiment?"
Cartwright's voice grew louder and louder.
"I admit, I am not a perfect mayor. I have flaws, I make mistakes, and I may not be fashionable or exciting enough."
"But I am a safe mayor."
"I know how to keep this city running, I know how to deal with Washington, and I know how to keep the heating system running through the winter."
"In this stormy world, Pittsburgh doesn't need a speedboat recklessly rushing into the eye of the storm; Pittsburgh needs a sturdy giant ship."
"Please don't smash your own rice bowl for a pipe dream."
Cartwright gave his final summary, extending his hand, palm up, as if supporting the fate of the city.
"Choose me, choose safety."
"Thanks."
A round of applause erupted in the studio.
The applause wasn't enthusiastic, but it was deep and resonant.
That was the voice of the middle class, of citizens who own property, have jobs, and have savings.
Cartwright's statement precisely struck at their deepest vulnerability: the fear of loss.
This is the most prudent move a seasoned politician has played.
Backstage, Karen Miller's palms were sweaty.
"That old fox—" Karen bit her lip. "He has grasped the psychology of most people. This is the ultimate form of counter-attack. He is exploiting fear."
Ethan Hawke also looked grave: "If Leo can't break this narrative of fear, we've lost."
The host then turned to Leo.
"Now, please welcome Mr. Leo Wallace to make his final remarks. You have three minutes."
The spotlight shifted.
A beam of light enveloped Leo.
He stood there, young and upright, but in the heavy atmosphere of the moment, he seemed somewhat frail.
He closed his eyes, for only a second.
"He's selling fear, boy," Roosevelt said calmly. "It's the oldest trick of conservatives: they tell you that if you don't listen to them, the sky will fall."
"But you must remember what I said."
Roosevelt's voice became deep and powerful, the same voice that had inspired an entire generation of Americans on the radio.
"Tell them."
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
"That inexplicable, irrational, and unfounded fear can turn a person into a slave."
"Go, Leo, pierce his shield with your spear."
Leo opened his eyes.
His eyes were clear and resolute, burning with a flame capable of melting steel.
He looked directly at the camera lens in front of him, as if he were looking through the screen and watching every Pittsburgh resident sitting in front of their television.
"The mayor was just selling something."
Leo spoke.
That thing is called fear.
"He tells you that if you don't maintain the status quo, the sky will fall. He tells you that if you don't elect him, you will lose your homes, your jobs, and your security."
"He wants to scare you."
"Because when people are afraid, they will curl up in a corner, even if that corner is dark and damp, even if that corner is full of dust and mold, as long as they don't move, it seems safe."
Leo took a step forward, gripping the edge of the podium with both hands, his knuckles slightly bulging from the force.
"But, friends, I want to ask you a question."
Is that really the case?
"Is this so-called security really what we want?"
"It is because of this fear that we have watched our factories close one after another over the past two decades without daring to speak out."
"It is because of this fear that we watch our paychecks stagnate for decades without daring to ask for more."
"It is because of this fear that we watch our children leave their homes to find work elsewhere, because Pittsburgh cannot offer them a future, and we can only sigh silently in the dead of night."
"We endured twenty years of mediocrity out of fear."
"We live like prisoners because of fear."
Leo turned his head and pointed at Cartwright.
He said he was safe.
"But is the current situation safe for the steelworkers in the South who have been unemployed for three years and can't even afford dinner?"
"Is the current situation safe for mothers living in hilly areas whose children have to attend schools with excessive lead levels?"
Is the current situation safe for young people earning minimum wage who can't afford food after paying rent?
Leo's voice suddenly rose in pitch.
"No! The current situation is far from safe!"
"The current situation is cruel! The current situation is heartless! The current situation is slowly devouring our lives!"
"This so-called safety is safety in the grave! It's safety while waiting for death!"
The scene was deathly silent.
The audience, who had been nodding repeatedly at Cartwright's words, were now frozen in place.
Leo looked at the camera again, his gaze softening, but his strength growing even more profound.
"I will not stand here and lie to you."
"I cannot assure you that there will be no thorns on the road to change. I cannot assure you that we will build Rome tomorrow."
"But I can assure you of one thing."
"If we are to fall, we will fall on the path of the charge, not slowly rot in silence."
"If we are to fail, it will be because we tried to touch the stars, not because we buried our heads in the dirt."
"Pittsburgh is a city forged from steel."
"Our fathers and grandfathers sweated in front of high-temperature steel furnaces, walked on the skeletons of buildings hundreds of meters high, and shed blood on battlefields in Europe."
"Our blood flows with molten iron, not soft ink!"
"The people of our city are never afraid of risks, never afraid of challenges."
"We only fear one thing—that there is no hope."
"We are only afraid to watch our city die little by little in mediocrity."
Finally, Leo gave his summary.
He released his grip on the podium, straightened his body, and opened his heart.
"So, on this night, before you make your decision."
"Please do not choose the person who makes you feel safe."
"Please choose the person who makes you feel brave."
"Please choose the friend who dares to break free from their shackles and challenge giants for your future."
"I am Leo Wallace."
"I am asking for your votes not to make me mayor."
"It's so that you yourselves can once again become the masters of this city."
"Thanks."
Leo finished speaking.
This time, there was no immediate applause.
A five-second silence fell over the studio.
then.
Someone stood up.
He was a young student sitting in the back row.
Next came a middle-aged man in work clothes.
Then came an elegantly dressed old woman.
One after another, piece after piece.
All 500 audience members stood up and applauded.
The applause was like a torrential downpour, like a tsunami, echoing in the enclosed space, even drowning out the closing music coming from the speakers.
Leo stood on the stage, looking at the excited faces below.
He turned his head and looked at Cartwright, who was standing on the other side.
Their eyes met again.
This time, Cartwright did not display the arrogant sneer he had shown before the opening, nor did he exhibit that condescending composure.
The old mayor looked tired.
That is the powerlessness of an old jackal, and the terror of a hunter discovering that his prey has grown into a behemoth.
His gaze wavered.
He lost those three minutes.
He lost more than just a debate; he lost control of the city's emotions.
Leo looked at him, his eyes burning with a fierce fire.
That was an unwavering belief in victory.
Roosevelt's voice echoed in Leo's mind, filled with relief.
"Well said, child."
"You did it."
"Nothing can stop you now."
"Whether it's votes, money, conspiracy, or fate."
Go and greet your dawn.
Leo turned around, faced the cheering crowd, and raised his right hand high.
At that moment, he was no longer a candidate.
He is the new king of Pittsburgh.
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