Top floor of the Morganfield Industrial Group, the chairman’s office.

It was quiet here, with only the SNIP, SNIP of pruning shears.

Douglas Morganfield stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, intently trimming a priceless Japanese Black Pine.

Gavin Stone stood behind him, head bowed, faithfully recounting everything that had happened at the Mayor’s Office.

When he got to Leo’s line, "Infrastructure without the people’s livelihood as its foundation is just a castle in the sky," the pruning shears paused.

SNIP.

A seemingly healthy branch was cut, falling to the floor with a soft thud.

Morganfield set down the shears, picked up a white towel, and slowly wiped his hands.

"A young man of principle."

His tone was flat, making it impossible to tell if he was praising or mocking him.

"Unfortunately, in politics, principles are the most expensive and fragile of luxuries."

He turned to face Stone.

"Since he’s unwilling to bring the port project to the forefront, we’ll do it for him."

Stone paused for a moment. "Boss, what do you mean?"

"Add some fuel to the fire." Morganfield tossed the towel onto the table. "Make him understand that on this stage, if he doesn’t dance to my tune, he’ll be trampled to death."

Morganfield walked over to his desk and picked up the phone.

"He promised me he could handle the trouble with the longshoremen’s union."

"Well now, let him prove it to me."

He dialed a number.

"Issue a press release."

"Say that the Morganfield Group has reached a preliminary agreement with the Pittsburgh City Government."

"In the upcoming Inland Port expansion project, we will be fully implementing the world’s most advanced, fully unmanned automated logistics system."

"Emphasize the two words ’fully unmanned.’"

"Tell the media this will make Pittsburgh Port the most technologically advanced and efficient port on the entire East Coast—a port of the future that requires zero manual labor."

"Send this news to all media outlets, especially the newspapers and websites the unions read regularly."

He hung up the phone.

Gavin Stone stood to the side, his brow slightly furrowed.

Although he was used to his boss’s methods, this move—pulling something out of thin air—still felt risky.

"Boss, isn’t this too risky?" Stone couldn’t help but ask. "We’re fabricating the government’s intentions. What if the media goes to City Hall for confirmation?"

"Wallace will deny it immediately. As soon as he does and the media follows up, our press release will become fake news, and its impact will be severely diminished."

Morganfield looked at Stone, a knowing smile in his eyes.

"Confirmation from City Hall? Who are they going to ask for confirmation?"

"This is where your way with words comes into play, Gavin."

"City Hall isn’t just filled with Wallace’s people."

"Those old-timers who have been sitting in their department chairs for over a decade, those directors in the planning bureau, those heads of the port authority—they’re not all dead yet."

"You should know how to teach those people in City Hall how to talk."

"All it takes is one tiny crack in the official narrative, one official who shows an ambiguous attitude."

"And the fear in the workers’ hearts will instantly become a monster that devours Wallace."

"I understand, Boss." Stone nodded. "I’ll make sure our old friends learn how to give a proper interview."

Morganfield turned back, picked up the shears, and with a SNIP, cut off a superfluous branch.

"When that mob of workers storms City Hall ready to tear him to pieces, he’ll naturally understand who really calls the shots in Pittsburgh."

He didn’t need to use his own thugs or threaten council members.

He just needed to send a signal.

A signal potent enough to send thousands of families into a panic.

...

「The next morning.」

The freight terminal on the Ohio Riverfront.

Giant container cranes stood like steel beasts in the morning mist as workers in orange reflective vests gathered in twos and threes by the dispatch office door, waiting for the morning shift roll call.

A newspaper delivery truck drove up and threw a bundle of the Pittsburgh Chronicle, still fragrant with ink, onto the ground.

A young longshoreman casually picked one up, planning to check last night’s game scores.

His eyes swept over the front page.

A massive black headline instantly caught his eye.

"Exclusive Exposé: City Hall and Tech Giant Reach Secret Agreement, An ’Unmanned’ Era for the Port Is Coming."

The subtitle was even more shocking:

"A Modernization Blueprint That Will Cost 40% of Workers Their Jobs."

The young worker froze.

He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must have misread it.

"Hey! Jack! You guys gotta come see this!"

He shouted, his voice filled with panic.

Soon, dozens of workers had gathered around.

They passed the newspaper around, staring at the accompanying "leaked internal document screenshots."

Anger spread through the crowd like wildfire.

"What does this mean? We’re going to be replaced by machines?"

"Forty percent? That means half of us here are getting the boot!"

"That Wallace! We elected him! We stood in line for three hours to vote for him!"

"Didn’t Frank say he was on our side? He said Leo would protect our jobs!"

"Bullshit! These politicians are all the same! Before they get elected, they call us brothers. After, they sell us out to the capitalists for cash!"

A burly, heavily bearded man pushed his way out from the crowd.