But Morganfield clearly didn’t care.

He didn’t want stability at the port. He wanted Leo’s submission.

Or his destruction.

’Mr. President,’ Leo asked in his mind, ’is this the fire you were talking about?’

Roosevelt’s voice sounded.

’Yes, my boy.’

’This is the cruelest side of class politics.’

’Your base is the workers. This is both your strength and your weakness.’

’Because within this group, trust is the most precious and also the most fragile thing.’

’They’re used to being betrayed, used to being sold out by politicians.’

’So when that lie appeared, they instinctively chose to believe the worst-case scenario.’

’This move of Morganfield’s is what’s known as killing with a borrowed knife.’

’He borrowed the knife of your most loyal supporters to slit your throat.’

...

「On the third floor of City Hall, in the Mayor’s Office.」

The windows were shut tight and the heavy curtains drawn, but they still couldn’t block out the cacophony surging up from below like a tidal wave.

It was the unified roar of hundreds of grown men.

"Wallace, get out here!"

"Liar!"

"We want jobs, not robots!"

Ethan Hawke paced back and forth in the room.

He never put down the phone. Every few seconds, he’d shout into the receiver, trying to coordinate security forces that were completely out of position.

"Damn it! I knew this would happen!" Ethan hung up, his face pale as he rushed over to Leo.

"Leo, the situation is out of control! The police chief just messaged me. They don’t have enough men, and the line is about to break. These dockworkers aren’t like those community residents from before. They’re stronger, more organized, and they actually brought Molotov cocktails!"

Ethan pointed out the window.

"If one of those Molotovs gets thrown in here, this whole building is done for."

"We have to evacuate." Ethan grabbed his overcoat from the rack. "The security team has already arranged an escape route through the back. The car is waiting in the alley. Let’s get out of here first, and then we can issue a written statement."

"What would the statement say?"

Leo sat in his chair, fiddling with a pen.

"We’ll say... we’ll say it’s a misunderstanding. Promise to halt the port project and form an investigative committee," Ethan said rapidly. "Just calm them down for now! Let’s save our own necks first!"

"Halt?"

Leo looked up, his gaze locking onto Ethan’s face, which had gone white with anxiety.

This elite aide from Washington could write impeccable policy white papers and navigate the most complex legal statutes.

A few months ago, in the prefabricated rooms of the campaign headquarters, he had been remarkably cold-blooded when Leo plotted to use public opinion to attack Carter Wright.

Back then, public opinion was just green numbers jumping on a screen to him—fuel for his path to victory.

But now, with that ignited fury aimed directly at him, the elite aide was in a full-blown panic.

"Ethan, you’re a brilliant policy advisor." Leo’s voice was calm, but his words cut straight to the point. "But you still lack experience in handling real-world situations like this."

"In an office, they’re just votes, polling data, an abstract group you can placate with a carefully worded memo."

Leo stood up, walked over to a mirror, and adjusted his tie.

"But out here, on the streets, they’re living, breathing people. They don’t read memos. They read the look in your eyes."

"Issuing a statement now to ’halt’ the project would be tantamount to admitting the news story was true in the eyes of those workers."

"It would mean I have a guilty conscience. It would mean I’m scared."

"The moment I take a single step out that back door today, I’ll never be able to walk back in through the front."

"My political career will end the instant I get into that getaway car."

Leo turned and looked at the door leading to the hallway.

"I’m not leaving through the back."

"I’m going out there."

"I’m going to face them."

Ethan’s eyes widened, as if he were looking at a madman.

"Are you insane? They’re a pack of wild animals that have lost all reason! They have iron bars and gasoline! You have no protection. The second you walk out there, even a single rock could kill you!"

"They won’t kill me." Leo’s voice was firm. "Not as long as I’m still the Mayor, and not as long as I’m the only one who can decide whether they have a job."

Just then, Roosevelt’s voice sounded in Leo’s mind.

’He’s right, Leo. They are indeed a pack of wild animals.’

’But you have to know how to tame wild animals.’

There wasn’t a trace of panic in Roosevelt’s tone.

’When facing a mob, the most important thing is your presence.’

’A crowd is blind, but it is also perceptive. They can smell every scent you give off.’

’If you show even the slightest hint of fear, if you express a shred of apology, or if you try to placate them with ingratiating words...’

’...they will immediately pounce and tear you to pieces.’

’Because in the psychology of a crowd, weakness is the original sin.’

’You have to act more furious than they are.’

’Or, calmer than they are.’

Roosevelt began to analyze the situation.

’This is the no-win situation Morganfield has set up for you.’

’That rumor about full automation is a perfect logical trap.’

’If you go out and deny it, telling them, "No, I’m not going to fully automate," the workers’ next step will be to demand: "Then when will work start? When are our wages going up?"’

’Then you’d have to immediately launch the port expansion project to prove your sincerity.’

’Your funds would be drained, the second phase of your revival plan would go bankrupt, and your promises to other communities would become worthless scraps of paper.’

’If you admit to it, or if you’re vague, they’ll believe you’ve betrayed the working class and beat you to death as a corporate lackey.’

’It’s a multiple-choice question with no right answer.’

’So, Leo...’

Roosevelt gave his final guidance.

’Don’t try to answer the question.’

’You have to change the question.’

’Don’t defend yourself, don’t explain, don’t try to reason with them.’

’Go drag out the person who’s hiding in the shadows handing out knives, and throw him in front of this pack of animals.’

Leo took a deep breath.

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but his mind had never been clearer.

The resolve returned to his eyes.

"I’m going down."

"Are you serious?" Ethan frowned.

"I’m the Mayor."

Leo walked toward the door.

"If I don’t even have the courage to face my own constituents, then I don’t deserve to be in this office."

"Besides."

Leo stopped and looked back.

"I know who’s watching all of this from behind the scenes."

"And I also know that only by facing this storm head-on can I prove how ridiculous that lie is."

"Let’s go."

Leo pushed open the door. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Time to go see our brothers."