’But don’t forget who you are.’

Roosevelt unfolded a massive map in Leo’s mind.

It was a political map of the United States.

Red states, blue states, and the wavering purple states.

’You’re not just one of the Progressives; you’re the Mayor of Pittsburgh.’

’Look at the calendar, Leo.’

’When is it right now?’

’The eve of the midterm elections.’

’And what’s happening in two years?’

’The presidential election.’

’Pennsylvania has 19 electoral votes. It’s one of the most critical swing states that decides who gets into the White House.’

’Without Pennsylvania, it’s hard for the Democratic Party to hold the White House. If they lose Pennsylvania, the Republican Party sees a chance to turn the tables.’

’And Pittsburgh is the crucial weight that tips the scales in Pennsylvania.’

’What you hold in your hands isn’t just the administrative power of a city.’

’You hold hundreds of thousands of wavering blue-collar votes.’

’To the people in Washington who truly pull the strings in the United States—from the occupant of the White House to the shot-callers at the Democratic National Committee—you are only one of two things.’

’Either you’re their asset.’

’Or you’re their threat.’

’Whichever one it is, the moment you show up in Washington and lay that on the table...’

’...they’ll have to play nice.’

’You don’t need to beg them. You need to demonstrate your capacity for disruption.’

’Your value right now lies in your ability to throw Pennsylvania into chaos at any moment.’

Leo’s breathing grew ragged.

He understood.

This wasn’t a legal problem. It was a geopolitical one.

This was also political blackmail of the highest order.

If Pittsburgh went bankrupt because of the State Government’s obstruction, if Leo Wallace fell, who would the angry voters of Pittsburgh blame?

This would cause the Democratic Party’s approval ratings in Pennsylvania to collapse.

This was a price the bigwigs in Washington absolutely could not afford to pay.

Leo shot to his feet.

The chair scraped against the floor, making a harsh sound.

The arguing in the conference room came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone looked at Leo, at the young Mayor.

His face was still pale, but the confusion and anxiety in his eyes were gone, replaced by a chilling resolve.

"Enough."

Leo’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to instantly silence the noisy arguments in the conference room.

Everyone looked at him, waiting for the young Mayor’s final verdict.

Leo walked to the blackboard and tapped his finger heavily on the densely packed legal statutes.

"Keep looking."

Leo said to the stunned lawyers.

"Keep digging through this pile of paper, and don’t stop. Even if you find a single punctuation error, write it into the appeal."

"I want you to put on a show of fighting this to the bitter end. I want Harrisburg to think we’re pinning all our hopes on the legal process."

The lawyer with the gold-rimmed glasses breathed a sigh of relief and pushed up his glasses. "Mr. Mayor, that’s a wise move. The odds of winning aren’t great, but at least it can delay..."

"No, you don’t understand what I mean."

Leo cut him off.

"This is just a cover."

"The law can’t save Pittsburgh, and I’m not counting on you to win this case."

"Your job is to make noise, to draw their fire."

After saying that, Leo ignored the lawyers, who were staring at each other in bewilderment.

Leo looked at Murphy.

"John, help me pack my things."

Murphy looked lost. "Where are we going? Back to the office?"

"No."

Leo shook his head.

"To the airport."

"I’m going to Washington."

"Washington?" Murphy was even more confused. "To see Sanders? I told you, he can’t get involved in state-level administrative matters like this..."

"We’re not going to see Sanders."

Leo’s gaze passed through the window, toward the eastern sky.

"We’re going higher up."

"We’re going to find the people who truly decide the rules of this game."

"We’re going to see the chairman of the Democratic National Committee."

"We’re going to see the White House Chief of Staff."

The conference room fell deathly silent.

Everyone thought Leo had gone mad.

A newly inaugurated mayor wants to go straight to the White House over a stalled infrastructure project blocked by the State Government?

That was simply preposterous.

"Leo, that’s impossible," Ethan couldn’t help but say. "They won’t see you. You don’t have the rank. It’s not how things are done."

"Rules?"

Leo sneered.

"Ethan, you still haven’t grasped the situation."

"If Pittsburgh goes bankrupt, if we create a huge financial disaster on the eve of the midterm elections..."

"Who’s the most scared?"

"Is it me? Is it Murphy?"

"No."

"The ones who are most scared are the people sitting in Washington, counting on Pennsylvania’s votes to hold onto their power."

Leo walked up to Ethan and straightened his chief of staff’s tie.

"Remember one thing, Ethan."

"If you owe the bank a hundred dollars, that’s your problem."

"If you owe the bank a hundred million dollars, that’s the bank’s problem."

"Right now, Pittsburgh is the client that owes a hundred million dollars."

"What we’re holding isn’t just debt. It’s a pack of dynamite that could blow up their entire electoral map."

"The moment I appear in Washington, the moment I stand before them..."

"...they will have to see me."

"Because I am the fuse to that bomb."

Leo turned, took the overcoat hanging on the rack, and draped it over his shoulders.

"Book the tickets."

Leo gave the order.