sbdcsierra Chapter 117 Fear is the Scent of the Prey
Chapter 117 Fear is the Scent of the Prey
Chapter 117 Fear is the Scent of the Prey
In the early morning in Pittsburgh, the fog had not yet completely dissipated.
In the mayor's office on the third floor of the city hall, Leo Wallace sat behind his desk, reviewing documents.
Everything seems normal.
Outside the window, traffic flowed along Grant Avenue as workers headed to the construction site in the South Side. In this physical world, Pittsburgh was advancing rapidly along the track set by Leo.
But in another dimension, within a vast network woven from fiber optics, signal towers, and servers, a storm is quietly brewing against Leo.
University of Pittsburgh, male dormitory.
Josh, a junior in college, had just woken up and, as usual, picked up his phone and opened the "Pittsburgh Local" subreddit on Reddit.
A red "Explosive" sign was pasted after the pinned post.
The headline is shocking: "Wallace's Betrayal: The Dirty Deal Behind Port Privatization".
Josh frowned.
In fact, he had come across this article two days earlier.
At that time, it was just a new post at the bottom of the news feed that no one paid attention to, with zero likes and zero comments.
He glanced at the headline and scrolled past it, instinctively categorizing it as yet another pointless smear campaign by right-wing media.
As a supporter of Rio's iron bars, he even handed out leaflets at the city hall entrance, always scoffing at such "noise."
But now, the situation is different.
This article, which was once ignored, is now at the very top of the page, with comments growing at an astonishing rate, and its popularity even surpassing the news of the school's football team winning the game.
This unusual level of interest made him uneasy, and it drove him to click on the link again.
The article provides a detailed analysis of the newly passed "Strategic Logistics Unified Management Act".
"—Please note the terms on page 214 regarding the granting of a single franchise. This means that Pittsburgh's logistics lifeline for the next fifty years will be completely monopolized by this single document."
"—Looking at the description on page 218, there's a strict requirement that bidders must own 500 acres of existing railroad land. In the entire western Pennsylvania, only one company meets this condition—Morganfield Industries."
The last paragraph of the article, in bold, reads: "Leo Wallace, the mayor who claims to stand on the side of the workers, the rebel who rose to power by denouncing oligarchs, is actually selling Pittsburgh's most valuable assets to the city's biggest capitalists at rock-bottom prices."
""
"He is not Robin Hood, he is Judas in a hoodie."
Josh finished reading and opened the comments section.
It's already caused an uproar there.
"I knew it! I knew all crows are black!"
"We've been fooled, brothers! He's building roads just to cover up his land sales!"
"That's why those old fogies in the city council passed the budget; they'd already divided up the spoils!"
"Leo Wallace, you owe us an explanation!"
Josh's fingers trembled as he typed a few words on the keyboard, then deleted them.
Finally, he clicked "share" and added the comment: "Tell me this isn't true."
The same scenes unfolded in Carnegie Mellon University labs, in the steelworkers' internal chat groups, and in every small circle of left-wing radicals who paid attention to Pittsburgh politics.
City Hall, Mayor's Office.
The door was suddenly pushed open.
Sarah Jenkins burst in, holding a tablet computer, her face extremely grim.
"Leo, something's happened."
Sarah placed the tablet on the desk.
"Look at this."
Leo put down his pen and looked at the screen.
The article was long, but he only glanced at it a few times before grasping the key points.
The author is very professional.
He not only deciphered the obscure and difficult-to-understand bill, but also accurately grasped the core of the Rio-Morganfield deal—
One approach is to achieve targeted delivery by overcoming technological barriers.
"Where is this article being circulated now?" Leo asked calmly.
"That's the part that's most wrong."
Sarah swiped her finger across the screen, bringing up the background data analysis charts.
"Mainstream media, newspapers, and television stations didn't report on this at all, and it didn't even get much attention on social media platforms like Facebook."
Sarah pointed to the steeply rising red curve.
"It only went viral in specific circles: university forums, left-wing labor union groups, and radical politics sections of Reddit."
"Its propagation curve is too perfect."
Sarah's voice sounded a little strained.
"This is not natural fermentation. Natural fermentation has peaks and troughs, and there will be noise. But this is a straight upward process."
Someone bought algorithm-based recommendations, specifically the kind that's precisely targeted and pushed to users based on their profiles.
"They only want your supporters to see it."
"They want to detonate us from within."
Ethan Hawke, who had been in the office the whole time, picked up the tablet and began reading the article carefully.
His brows furrowed deeper and deeper. He put down the tablet and turned his gaze eastward.
"Harrisburg," Ethan uttered a place name.
"Aston Monroe".
"Only he has the motive and the ability," Ethan said confidently. "Murphy's momentum is too strong right now, Monroe's team definitely can't sit still."
"Monroe sees it very clearly: the core of Murphy's entire campaign right now is Pittsburgh. His Rust Belt New Deal, his $500 million in bonds, all his political capital is bet on this city, bet on you."
"Once you're discredited, once you're preoccupied with dealing with internal doubts and divisions in your own backyard, you won't have the energy to help Murphy influence the election across the state."
"As soon as Pittsburgh descends into chaos, Murphy's campaign will become a tree without roots, collapsing on its own."
Ethan pointed to the sentence in the article, "Judas wearing a hoodie."
"Look at this wording, it's a complete psychological attack on young, radical voters."
Leo listened to Ethan's analysis.
All of this makes perfect sense.
With the party primary just around the corner, Monroe, as the frontrunner, will inevitably try to suppress the challengers.
Weakening Murphy by attacking Leo is undoubtedly a smart move.
"It seems our lieutenant governor is getting anxious."
Leo leaned back in his chair, his eyes turning cold.
"What do we do?" Sarah asked anxiously. "The comments section is out of control. Many students are organizing protests and saying they're going to block the entrance to the construction site. Do we need to respond? Do we need to explain?"
"How do you explain that?"
Leo countered with a question.
"Am I supposed to tell them, yes, I did make a deal with Morganfield, but I got five hundred million dollars in return?"
"In the eyes of those idealists, the transaction itself is original sin; whatever you get in return is dirty."
Leo stood up and walked to the window.
"No response," Leo decided.
"But----"
"Sarah, this is a trap," Leo interrupted her. "If we jump out to defend ourselves now, this topic will spread beyond our small circle and become big news throughout the city. Then, the mainstream media will have no choice but to follow up with reports, and we'll really be in a passive position."
"Since this is a targeted push notification, let's isolate it within that circle."
Leo turned around and looked at Ethan.
"Ethan, contact Murphy's side and tell them to prepare. Since Monroe has made his move, it means he's afraid of us."
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"Tell Murphy to ignore these noises."
"The speech will proceed as scheduled. We will use those $500 million checks, those cranes and containers, and tangible achievements to give Monroe a good slap in the face."
"Once the project starts and everyone has food to eat, these ideological accusations will naturally disappear."
Leo paused, then continued, "Also, Ethan, you know Murphy's personality. He's used to a steady, moderate approach, and he's prone to emotional outbursts and wavering when faced with problems."
"You need to give him a boost of confidence and tell him that this little storm won't capsize the ship, and everything is under our control. Let him relax and focus on preparing his speech, and not let things that haven't happened yet scare him."
Ethan nodded.
"Understood, I'll keep him calm."
A press conference is underway in the banquet hall of a hotel across from the state capitol building in Harrisburg.
Sitting on the stage were a group of experts and scholars dressed in suits and wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
The backdrop behind them bore the name of an organization they had never heard of: the Pennsylvania Logistics Fairness Coalition.
The spokesperson was a man named Julian Thorne, a chief researcher at a top Philadelphia think tank and a former advisor to the state transportation commission.
Thorne spoke calmly into a dozen microphones.
"We love not only Philadelphia, we love Pittsburgh too."
Thorne opened the report in his hand.
"However, as responsible citizens and professionals, we must express our deep concern about the recent $500 million inland port expansion plan proposed by the City of Pittsburgh."
"Based on our research, this plan lacks the most basic statewide coordination."
"The city of Pittsburgh is attempting to use its massive public debt and federal subsidies to create a closed system independent of the statewide logistics network. This will not only lead to redundant construction but also vicious intra-provincial competition."
Thorne pointed to a map behind him.
On the map, the Port of Philadelphia on the Delaware River and the Port of Pittsburgh on the Ohio River are connected by a red line.
"This is using Pennsylvania taxpayers' money to steal Pennsylvania taxpayers' business."
"This is internal economic friction."
"Therefore, this coalition has formally filed an administrative review application with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development."
Thorne faced the flashing lights and made his demands.
"We are requesting that the State Department of Community and Economic Development immediately fulfill its oversight responsibilities and suspend the approval for the issuance of $500 million in municipal bonds by the City of Pittsburgh."
"Until the state Department of Transportation completes a twelve-month statewide intermodal long-term planning synergy assessment and confirms that the project will not cause irreversible damage to the existing logistics system."
Pittsburgh City Hall.
The fax machine ejected the last sheet of paper and emitted a long "beep".
Ethan Hawke stood beside the machine, holding a copy of the administrative review application that had just arrived from Harrisburg.
His hands were steady, but his face was extremely pale.
"They took action; this is an administrative review."
"They went directly to the state Department of Community and Economic Development, which is responsible for approving bonds."
Leo picked up the file.
This document cites provisions from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Coordination Act, which states that any large infrastructure project must align with the state government’s long-term plans.
Pittsburgh’s inland port plan was clearly not coordinated by the state Department of Transportation.
Leo flipped to the last page and looked at the list of members of the "Pennsylvania Logistics Fairness Coalition".
At the top of the list are several industry associations under the Port Authority of Philadelphia.
This is not surprising; that's Aston Monroe's base, the vested interests in Philadelphia.
But the names listed later made Leo's pupils contract slightly.
Pittsburgh Allegheny River Dockworkers Union.
Western Pennsylvania Freight Drivers Association.
That was the person Frank had been trying to win over, the blue-collar worker Leo had tried to protect.
Now, these people are standing with the capitalists of Philadelphia.
"That was a ruthless move."
Ethan took a deep breath and pointed to the word on the document.
Do you know how long it takes for a state government to conduct a statewide logistics assessment of this level?
Ethan held up one finger.
"At least one year."
"It could take even longer; they need to organize expert groups, conduct on-site investigations, hold hearings, and write reports of several thousand pages."
"During this period, the State Department of Community and Economic Development has a full legal basis to freeze our bond issuance permit."
"This is a legal administrative freeze."
"By the time the assessment results show that we are fine a year later, it will be too late."
Leo stood up and walked to the window.
Outside the window, construction is in full swing at the South District's revitalization project site.
Bulldozers are roaring, and workers are busy at work.
The city's fiscal budget is being rapidly depleted.
The $500 million originally planned to be used to continue funding the project and launch larger-scale construction is now blocked at Harrisburg's gates by a single piece of paper.
Once the funding chain breaks down.
It's not just that the port can't be built.
The ongoing revitalization plan will also fall through.
Those workers who have just received their wages will lose their jobs again.
Those citizens who had just seen a glimmer of hope will once again fall into despair.
Leo Wallace, the young mayor who was elevated to a pedestal, will instantly turn into a con man who only knows how to make empty promises.
"Aston Monroe".
Leo read the name aloud while looking at his reflection in the glass.
That counterattack was incredibly precise.
He went directly out of the framework of partisan struggle, taking advantage of the administrative functions of the state government, the geopolitical tensions between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the workers' fears.
A perfect administrative trap has been created.
"Ethan."
Leo turned around, his eyes as cold as ice.
"What did the State Department of Community and Economic Development say?"
"I just called the Secretary's office," Ethan replied. "Their response was very official: they have received the appeal, and given that it involves a major economic operation across the state, it is a serious matter that requires careful consideration. They will personally deliver the results to Pittsburgh."
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development is ridiculously efficient.
The morning after the "Coalition for Fair Logistics" held a press conference, a black sedan with state license plates pulled up in front of Pittsburgh City Hall.
A state government commissioner wearing a dark trench coat stepped down.
He walked through the lobby, ignoring the receptionist's inquiries, went straight to the third floor, and knocked on the mayor's office door.
He simply opened his briefcase, took out a document that was only three pages long, and placed it on Leo's desk.
"Mayor Wallace, this is the official approval from the State Department of Community and Economic Development for the City of Pittsburgh's application to issue Bond No. 185."
-
The commissioner's voice was indifferent and businesslike.
Please sign for it.
Leo picked up the pen and signed his name.
The clerk took back the receipt, turned around and left; the whole process took less than two minutes.
Only Leo and Ethan remained in the room.
Ethan Hawke walked over with two freshly brewed cups of coffee and glanced at the documents on the table.
The document cover bears a striking bright red stamp.
Initially, it was not approved.
Leo picked up the document and opened it.
The main text is extremely brief.
"In light of the serious objections received from major stakeholders regarding the statewide synergy of the project, this department has decided to initiate administrative review proceedings in accordance with the provisions of the Pennsylvania Administrative Procedure Act and the Local Government Unit Debt Act."
"During this period, the issuance permit for the bonds is suspended. The suspension period is effective from today until the conclusion of the review proceedings."
Leo tossed the file back onto the table, his expression remaining calm.
"Ethan, this is only a preliminary rejection. We still have a chance to remedy the situation; the process isn't over yet."
But Ethan seemed not to hear Leo at all.
"Leo, you still don't understand what this means. It means we're bankrupt."
"Think about the budget Finch prepared! We listed that $500 million as projected revenue and included it directly in the annual operating budget!"
"Every penny we've spent has been an advance based on this estimated income."
"The rental fees for those dozens of bulldozers on the construction site in the South District are burning through money every day."
"The payments to the building material suppliers who have already signed contracts are due next week."
"That fast-track claims center! We've already issued checks to hundreds of citizens who broke their legs—in cash! That money was advanced from the city's emergency reserve fund, and we're hoping to recoup it after the bond issuance!"
"And the retraining fee we promised—the first payment is due to be made to the training institution the day after tomorrow!"
Ethan felt dizzy as he imagined the numbers that needed to be paid.
"Now, this projected revenue has vanished."
"A massive black hole of five hundred million dollars suddenly appeared on our books."
"The workers are not receiving their wages."
"The supplier will cut off the supply of asphalt and cement."
"Those lawyers with blank checks will storm into City Hall."
"We're fucked."
Ethan slumped into the chair, his hands covering his head.
"This is a breach of government agreement, and we will become the shortest-lived government in Pennsylvania's history."
Leo frowned, looking at his chief of staff who was now in a state of panic, a hint of displeasure rising in his heart.
"Ethan, calm down." Leo's voice grew louder. "We faced worse situations during our campaigns, when we had nothing, and we still made it through, didn't we? Now we hold City Hall, we hold power, so why are you panicking?"
Ethan looked up, his eyes vacant, his voice filled with despair.
"Leo, this time is different."
"There are indeed remedial measures in the process, and we can apply for an administrative hearing."
"But do you know how long that will take?"
"According to the law, we must submit a written request for a hearing to Harrisburg within fifteen days of receiving the notification."
"Then, the Ministry of Community and Economic Development will schedule a hearing within thirty days of receiving the application."
"The hearing itself can last from several days to several weeks, and the hearing officer will write a recommended ruling within sixty days after the hearing ends."
"If the Minister of Community and Economic Development adopts the recommendations, it will take another fifteen days to make a final administrative decision."
Ethan spread his hands in despair.
"Let's calculate the time, Leo."
"Even if everything goes smoothly, that will still be three months from now."
"By then, the midterm election primaries were long over, and Senator Murphy was already out of the running. Pittsburgh's finances had also declared bankruptcy."
"Aston Monroe doesn't need to win this case; he just needs to stall us. Even if it's just for two months, our cash flow will dry up, and we'll self-destruct in the chaos."
This is a murder of time.
Leo stood up and walked to the map in the office.
His gaze shifted back and forth between Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia.
He had no cards left.
Sanders can handle the source of the money, but he can't handle the administrative approvals in Pennsylvania, which is Aston Monroe's territory.
Roosevelt's voice rang out.
"This isn't just your election. Call Murphy and his team to work together to solve this problem."
Before Leo could call Murphy, Murphy called first.
Leo took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air, and then slowly exhaled, trying to enter a state of absolute calm.
The call was connected.
"Leo!"
John Murphy's roar exploded in Leo's eardrums.
"Did you see that? Damn it! Did you see that document?!"
"The Department of Community and Economic Development's suspension order! Oh my god, we're completely finished!"
"Where did that damn Logistics Fairness Alliance come from? And what's with that article that's been circulating all over the world? Didn't you tell me you'd already got Morganfield under control? Didn't you say everything was in your grasp?"
Murphy, like a headless fly, incoherently expressed his fear.
His voice trembled with an instinctive fear of the impending end of his political future.
He gambled away his entire fortune, only to discover that the casino not only wants to confiscate his chips but also kick him out of the casino.
Leo did not interrupt him.
He simply held the receiver quietly, letting the words filled with accusations, panic, and despair pour into his ears like garbage.
A minute passed.
The voice on the other end of the phone gradually faded, leaving only heavy breathing.
"Are you done talking?"
Leo spoke.
His voice was soft and cold.
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
"What?" Murphy seemed not to have reacted.
"I said, John, take a deep breath."
There wasn't a trace of panic in Leo's voice.
"If you've already broken down, if you can't even withstand this little bit of trouble."
"Then I suggest you hang up the phone now and go write your withdrawal statement."
"Go back to Washington, be your coward, and continue being that invisible man nobody pays attention to in the House of Representatives."
Leo gripped the receiver, his tone cold.
Deep in his mind, Roosevelt's voice even carried a hint of disappointment and frustration.
"Listen to his voice, Leo, he's trembling."
"You have to understand, there's a reason why John Murphy was a nobody in Washington for eight years. People called him a nice guy, and on Capitol Hill, a nice guy is usually a synonym for a spineless coward."
"He was used to following, used to listening to the whip, used to living a comfortable life in the safe zone. You used the bait of a senator to drag him into this arena, you forced a sword into his hand."
"But deep down he's still that congressman who doesn't want to cause trouble. Now that the first shot has been fired, his first reaction isn't to fight back, but to find a hole to crawl into."
"You can't comfort him; comforting him will only allow his weakness to fester."
"You must be his backbone, even if it means being whipped, to make him stand up straight."
Leo's eyes sharpened.
"Congressman Murphy, please remember this."
"You're not a senator yet."
"You want to wear that crown, you want to sit in that chair that can only hold a hundred people."
"Then you have to learn to stand firm on the edge of a knife first, instead of yelling and screaming like a child who has lost a toy every time something happens."
"Fear solves nothing; it only makes your enemies laugh more."
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"If you really want to be in that position, if you want to represent Pennsylvania in Washington, then don't scream here like a child who's lost his candy."
Murphy was stunned by these words.
He never expected that the young man who once needed his help, the man who had sought his assistance just a year ago, would dare to speak to him in such a condescending tone.
Murphy's heavy breathing came from the other end of the phone; it was a mixture of shame, anger, and a kind of awakening after being cornered.
"—You're right, Leo."
After a long while, Murphy's voice came through again.
I lost my composure.
Murphy admitted, "But Leo, you have to face reality. That article about you is going viral. In the union's eyes, you're now a traitor who sold out the port for money."
"My campaign is built on the concept of the Rust Belt New Deal. If my core ally is a capitalist lackey who is universally condemned, my credibility will go bankrupt along with him. Your current public image is too bad, which will directly drag down my election campaign."
Leo listened to Murphy's complaints without showing the slightest emotion on his face.
"Don't worry about the article," Leo interrupted him, regaining control of the conversation. "That's just a smokescreen for the public, a tactic Monroe uses to disgust us. Once we win, once the machine is running, those rumors will fall apart on their own."
"The core issue now is not the online arguments, but that piece of paper from the State Department of Community and Economic Development."
Leo looked at the gloomy sky outside.
"John, I need you to do something."
"What is it?"
"You and your entire campaign team, fly to Pittsburgh immediately."
"Move your campaign headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh City Hall."
"All of them?" Murphy hesitated. "But I have several important fundraising dinners and committee hearings in Washington—"
"Cancel it."
Leo's voice was beyond question.
"If Pittsburgh goes bankrupt, if the bonds can't be issued, no matter how eloquently you speak in Washington, no one will believe a word you say. Your investors will withdraw their funding, and your allies will turn their backs on you."
"Your roots are here, John. If the roots are severed, even the most beautiful crown will wither and die."
"Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."
"I want to see you, and all of you, in my conference room."
Don't be late.
After saying that, Leo hung up the phone.
Ethan Hawke stood by, staring in disbelief at the whole thing.
He has met many politicians.
I've seen subordinates who are obsequious to their superiors, and I've also seen big shots who strategize behind the scenes.
But he had never seen a mayor dare to give such orders to a senior member of Congress.
This is not merely a matter of strong tone, but a complete subversion of the power structure.
The core of power is never determined by the empty lines of superiors and subordinates in an organizational chart.
Rather, it is determined by who can take control of the situation in times of crisis, who can point the way in despair, and who holds the button that can decide life and death.
Leo turned around and looked at Ethan.
"Stop daydreaming, Ethan."
"Prepare the meeting room."
"Tomorrow, we are going to fight a tough battle."