"This?"

Stern picked up the paper and waved it in front of Leo.

Only then did Leo realize that aside from the cover page printed with the title "Pennsylvania Comprehensive Freight Mobility Plan," the pages inside were completely blank.

"This is just a cover I printed at the front desk while you were making your call. I stuffed a few napkins inside to give it some thickness."

Stern looked at Leo’s stunned expression and gave a sneer.

"Young man, you’re still too green."

Stern casually tossed the stack of wastepaper into a nearby trash can.

"In Washington, real power is never written on paper."

"I don’t need to give you any documents."

"I just need to make one phone call, and they’ll know in Harrisburg that the wind has changed."

"That’s politics."

Leo stared at the trash can.

He understood something.

At this level, legal documents were merely paperwork to be filed after the fact. What truly decided life and death was the whim of a powerful man.

"Go on back." Stern stood up and buttoned his trench coat. "By tomorrow morning, you’ll see the result you want."

Stern left.

Leo sat alone in the restaurant.

’Mr. President,’ Leo asked in his mind, ’is this what you meant by... the taste of power?’

"Yes."

Roosevelt’s voice rang out.

"Arrogant, casual, yet absolutely effective."

"However, Leo..."

Roosevelt’s voice suddenly grew hesitant, as if he were pondering an extremely important question.

"What is it?"

"I feel like something’s not right."

"What’s not right? Stern agreed. The crisis is over."

"No, there’s a logical flaw."

In the space of Leo’s consciousness, Roosevelt replayed their recent conversation.

"Think about it. What was the solution Stern just mentioned?"

Leo recalled, "He said he’d have a Federal department send a letter recommending the State Government approve it."

"Exactly. That’s the problem."

Roosevelt’s voice grew sharp.

"Who filed for that administrative review?"

"The Pennsylvania Logistics Fairness Alliance," Leo replied.

"Right." Roosevelt pressed on. "If this alliance is really a front for Monroe or the Democratic Party’s Establishment Faction—one of their own, so to speak..."

"Then, when Stern decided to let you off the hook, what would have been the simplest, fastest solution?"

Leo thought for a moment. "Have the alliance withdraw its petition."

"Exactly!"

"As soon as the plaintiff withdraws, the administrative review is automatically terminated. Everything ends quietly. That would be the approach most in line with the bureaucratic principle of avoiding unnecessary trouble."

"But that’s not what Stern did."

"He chose a more complicated path. He’s going to use a Federal department to send a letter to the State Government, issue administrative guidance, and strong-arm the State Community and Economic Development Department."

"Why would he take the long way around?"

A sudden chill ran down Leo’s spine.

"Unless..." Leo muttered to himself.

"Unless he can’t control that alliance."

Roosevelt picked up on Leo’s train of thought.

"Unless the Pennsylvania Logistics Fairness Alliance isn’t run by Democrats at all."

"Unless the organization isn’t backed by Monroe or the Philadelphia Establishment Faction."

"It’s the Republican Party."

Leo shot to his feet, the abrupt movement knocking over the coffee cup on the table.

The brown liquid spilled across the tabletop, but he paid it no mind.

A name exploded in his mind.

Russell Warren.

The Republican Senator.

’We’ve had it wrong the whole time.’

Leo’s hands and feet felt icy cold.

’We thought Monroe was behind this, that it was an internal party struggle.’

’But in reality, Monroe was just riding the wave.’

’The one who’s actually attacking us is Warren.’

’He’s the one trying to strangle us.’

"Why?" Leo asked.

"Because he’s more perceptive than Monroe," Roosevelt analyzed. "He saw through your and Murphy’s plan. He saw the political ambition hidden behind that five-hundred-million-US-Dollar bond."

"He knows that if this money comes through, if Murphy actually manages to build a track record of achievements, that ’New Deal’ with its huge appeal in the Rust Belt will directly threaten his base in Western Pennsylvania."

Leo remembered the crazy idea he and Roosevelt had discussed on the plane.

They had even considered approaching Warren for a partnership.

They had wanted to use Warren to strike at Monroe.

Looking back now, it was like a fattened sheep willingly placing itself on the butcher’s block.

"Thank god..." Leo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Thank god I didn’t go to him."

"If I had actually gone to Warren’s office and spouted my ’the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ theory..."

"He would have listened with a smile and then sold me out completely."

"I would’ve been well and truly finished."

A wave of lingering fear washed over him.

But after the fear, Leo quickly calmed down.

Now that he knew who the real enemy was, the situation had actually become clearer.

"However, this also proves one thing."

Leo sat back down and began wiping up the coffee stains on the table with a napkin.

"Since Monroe isn’t the one attacking us, it means he has indeed underestimated us."

"In his eyes, Murphy is still that non-threatening, invisible person."

"That’s good."

A cold smile touched the corner of Leo’s lips. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Arrogance is the best cover."

"Monroe hasn’t attacked, which means he’ll be careless with us during the primary."

"He’ll focus all his energy on preparing for a showdown with Warren in the general election and won’t take this internal party primary seriously at all."

"This gives Murphy the perfect opportunity."

"A chance to gather strength in the shadows and then deliver a fatal blow."

Leo looked out the window.

The rain had stopped.

The clouds had parted, and a beam of sunlight fell upon the damp streets of Washington.

’Mr. President.’

Leo said in his mind.

’We got the money. We survived.’

’Now, it’s our turn to strike back.’

’Let’s go. Back to Pittsburgh.’

’A grand speech is waiting for us there.’

Leo got into a taxi, taking one last look at the center of power through the window.

’Aston Monroe thought he could crush us with an administrative review. Russell Warren thought he could hide in the shadows and reap the rewards. The White House thought a single promise could buy our compliance.’

’They thought Pittsburgh was just a pawn to be moved around at will.’

’But they forgot that steel is forged in fire.’

’When those five hundred million US Dollars are injected into the dry riverbed, when the forgotten working class roars once more...’

’All of Pennsylvania, and even all of Washington, will feel the earth tremble.’

The engine roared, and the wheels turned.

Destination: Pittsburgh.