novelnext Chapter 291 - 146: Dictator
Chapter 291 - 146: Dictator
"No."
Leo refused.
"We’re not going back to city hall."
"We’ll talk right here."
Leo turned and took a stack of brand-new white hard hats from a nearby box.
He walked up to Smith and handed him a hard hat.
"Put this on, Mayor Smith."
Smith frowned and didn’t take it.
"It’s the rule," Leo said, staring into his eyes. "On my construction site, you wear one of these if you don’t want your head split open. It doesn’t matter if you’re a mayor or a laborer."
The two men stared at each other for a few seconds.
Smith snorted, snatched the hard hat, and slapped it on his head.
Leo then distributed the hats to the others.
Only after the group of suit-clad mayors had all put on their hard hats, looking slightly more in place, did Leo speak again.
"Mayor Smith, you just asked me if I was trying to show off."
Leo pointed to the massive steel beam that had just been installed.
"Please, take a good look at that beam."
Smith followed his finger with his gaze.
It was a standard H-beam for heavy industry, coated in anti-rust paint, its surface gleaming coldly in the sun.
"The factory serial number and the manufacturer’s logo are stamped on it."
Leo said.
"Erie United Steel Company, Rolling Mill No. 3, batch number 995365."
Smith gave a slight nod.
Of course, he knew of the company.
It was one of the last major manufacturing enterprises left in Erie. Just last month, due to a shortage of orders, the factory had been on the verge of announcing unpaid leave for a third of its workers.
He had been tearing his hair out over it at city hall, completely powerless to help.
"And over there."
Leo turned and pointed to the stacks of cement bags piled on the riverbank.
"High-grade cement from Scranton. That’s Mayor Byers’s territory."
Leo continued pointing out the materials on the construction site.
"Those glass curtain wall components are from a specialty glass factory in Johnston."
"The crushed stone for the foundation is from a quarry deep in the Allegheny Mountains."
"The ventilation ducts being installed are from a metal processing center in Newcastle."
Leo lowered his hand.
He watched the mayors, their expressions gradually changing.
"I didn’t bring you all here to show off how much money I have."
"I wanted you to see with your own eyes what the future could look like if our cities stop going it alone, if we connect our resources."
Leo’s voice became steady and powerful.
"I bought your products."
"Because I bought steel from Erie, that rolling mill in Erie didn’t have to lay anyone off this month. Those workers can collect their full paychecks. They can go spend money at the supermarket on the weekend and pay their rent."
"Because I bought cement from Scranton, the cement plant there has to work overtime, and truck drivers have jobs."
"This is what it’s all about."
Leo took a step forward, closing in on Smith.
"Mayor Smith, do you think this is me showing off?"
"This is survival."
"These five hundred million US Dollars are, indeed, Pittsburgh’s debt. But once this money is spent, it no longer belongs to Pittsburgh alone."
"It flows into your cities, into your factories, and into the pockets of your citizens."
"On this construction site, every roar of machinery means a family in Erie gets to keep their livelihood, that a child in Scranton can pay their tuition."
Silence fell over the site.
Only the rhythmic sound of a distant pile driver could be heard—THUD, THUD, THUD—like the beating of a giant heart.
Ron Smith stared at the steel beam.
He knew what those few thousand tons of steel meant for Erie.
It meant a lifeline.
"You..." Smith’s voice was a little hoarse. "Why would you buy from us? You could buy from overseas, or even from Morganfield’s warehouses. It would be cheaper."
"Because we’re the same kind of people."
Leo replied.
"We are the forgotten ones."
"The elites in Philadelphia look down on us. The bureaucrats in Washington see us as a burden."
"If we don’t help each other out, then no one will care if we live or die."
Leo looked at every person present.
"I have a plan."
"A plan not just for Pittsburgh, but for all of us."
"I want to establish a Pennsylvania Industrial Revival Alliance."
"We will connect our supply chains and integrate our markets."
"From now on, Pittsburgh’s projects will only use steel from Erie, and Erie’s infrastructure will only use cement from Scranton. We’ll create an internal cycle. We’ll give each other blood transfusions."
"We are going to build an economic barrier for the Rust Belt itself."
"Anyone who wants to come in and do business will have to play by our rules."
Joe Byers rubbed his hands together excitedly. "This... Is this in line with state regulations? Wouldn’t this be considered local protectionism? Will Harrisburg approve?"
"To hell with Harrisburg."
Leo said coldly.
"When our factories were closing, where was Harrisburg? When our workers were losing their jobs, where was the State Government?"
"Now that we’ve found our own lifeline, are we supposed to go beg for their approval?"
"Besides, we’re leveraging the Federation’s Opportunity Zone policies. We’re answering Washington’s call for supply chain security."
Leo glanced at Ethan.
Ethan immediately added, "Legally, it’s completely compliant. According to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, local governments have the authority to sign mutual aid agreements and jointly exercise purchasing and economic development powers without the approval of the State Assembly."