In the Mayor’s Office on the third floor of Pittsburgh City Hall, the central air was blasting heat at full power.

Hot air roared from the vents, trying to fill every corner of the spacious room.

It was warm enough to wear just a thin shirt.

But Leo Wallace was bundled in a heavy wool coat, sunk deep into a large leather chair.

He was holding a mug with the words "Pittsburgh Renaissance" printed on it, steam curling gently from its rim.

Even so, his body still trembled uncontrollably.

Late last night, after the talk filled with deals and betrayals at the Allegany Mountain Summit Club, he had refused Ethan’s company and the comfortable Lincoln sedan.

He had walked down the mountain alone.

A five-kilometer mountain road. A biting, cold wind.

He needed that bone-chilling cold.

He needed that physical pain to numb the phantom ache left where a piece of his conscience had been carved out.

He walked back to the city, back to his apartment, and spent the rest of the night in a feverish delirium.

"Cough... cough, cough."

Leo set down his mug and grabbed a tissue from the desk to cover his mouth and nose.

The office door was pushed open.

Ethan Hawke strode in.

He carried a briefcase in his hand, walking with a brisk, confident air.

The moment he entered, he felt the suffocating wave of heat in the room and subconsciously loosened his tie.

"My God, Leo, this place is a sauna."

Ethan walked to the desk and got a clear look at Leo’s pale, almost ashen face and his bloodshot eyes.

His previously excited expression immediately subsided.

"You look terrible." Ethan pulled a small bottle of pills from his pocket and placed it on the desk. "Cold medicine. Extra strength. I knew you’d get sick. In that weather last night, even a bear would get pneumonia after being out for two hours."

Leo didn’t speak. He just reached out a trembling hand, picked up the bottle, shook out two red capsules, and swallowed them with the hot water in his mug.

The hot water flowing down his throat brought a moment of relief.

"Let’s get to business," Leo said, his voice hoarse. "What’s the situation in Harrisburg?"

At the mention of business, Ethan’s eyes lit up again.

He opened his briefcase, pulled out a receipt consisting of just a few thin pages, and placed it on the desk in front of Leo.

"It’s done."

"At noon today, I finalized everything with the Morganfield Group’s legal team. As soon as the guarantee agreement was signed, we immediately submitted the complete bond issuance application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development."

Ethan pointed to the blue electronic seal on the receipt.

"Just forty minutes ago, the system updated the status to ’processing’."

"For the next twenty days, the people in Harrisburg will review our debt-service capacity, the validity of the guarantee, and our fiscal health. It’s going to be a tough fight. If even one number doesn’t add up, they’ll reject it and we’ll have to refile."

"And that’s just the first hurdle."

Ethan held up two fingers.

"According to Pennsylvania law, we also have to face a twenty-day statutory public comment period."

"This is the window the law gives taxpayers and stakeholders to file objections. During these twenty days, any group that feels its interests are harmed has the right to file a complaint with the State Community and Economic Development Department and challenge the legality of this debt."

Ethan walked to the window, his voice low as he looked out at the gloomy sky.

"So, we’ve just gotten a ticket to stand in line. The next twenty days are the real countdown to death."

"But the funding itself is no longer an issue." Ethan turned around, a confident look on his face. "We’ve heard from Senator Sanders. His mobilization efforts in Washington have been very successful."

"The foundations of the Progressives, the pension fund managers for the major Unions—they’re all ready. They’re just waiting for our bond code to be generated."

Ethan made a gesture with his hand. "Five hundred million US dollars is a significant sum for Pittsburgh, but in Washington’s capital markets, with an endorsement from Sanders, it won’t even make a splash. The moment they’re issued, they’ll be snapped up."

"The only obstacle now is time."

Ethan’s expression turned serious again.

"As long as there are no major legal objections, no state-level administrative intervention, and no sudden scandals in these twenty days, we can issue the bonds."

"Once those twenty days are up, that five hundred million US dollars is ours."

Leo leaned back in his chair, feeling the drowsiness from the medicine as it began to take effect.

Twenty days.

It sounded so short.

But any little spark could ignite a new inferno during those twenty days.

"I understand." Leo rubbed his temples. "I’ll have my people on standby. I need to know about the slightest disturbance immediately."

The report was over.

Ethan gathered his documents and glanced at Leo.

"Leo, are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?" Ethan asked, concerned. "You look as pale as a ghost. There’s a hearing this afternoon about the community heating renovations. I can go in your place."

"No."

Leo refused.

"I’ll go myself."

"A little cold won’t kill me."

Ethan opened his mouth, as if to say something more, but ultimately held his tongue.

He picked up his briefcase, turned, and walked out of the office.

The door closed.

The only sound left in the room was the WHOOSH of the air vent.

Leo closed his eyes, his body alternating between chills and feverish heat.

They were the symptoms of a fever.

His head throbbed as if someone were hammering away inside it.

He longed to fall asleep right there in his chair, even for just ten minutes.

’Lift your head.’

A cold voice echoed from the depths of his mind. It was Roosevelt.

’In this position, getting sick is the greatest luxury, and also the most dangerous display of weakness.’

’When your enemies see you sniffling, coughing, and shivering in your coat...’

’...they’ll get as excited as sharks that have smelled blood in the water.’

’They’ll think: Look, the kid can’t take it anymore. His body is collapsing, and his will is next. This is the perfect chance to attack him.’

There wasn’t a trace of pity in Roosevelt’s voice.

’A leader cannot have any cracks, Leo, neither physical nor mental.’

’I was President for twelve years.’

’For those twelve years, the lower half of my body was completely paralyzed. I endured neurological pain that most people can’t even imagine, my blood pressure was terrifyingly high, and my heart could have stopped at any moment.’

’But I never let a single outsider see my suffering.’

’In front of the public, in front of Congress, in front of the opponents who wanted to see me fail...’

’...I was always the Roosevelt with the cigarette holder, chin up, full of confidence and strength.’

’Because I knew I was the backbone of this country.’

’If I bent, the country would collapse.’

’And you are the Mayor of this city.’

’You just sold this city’s future to a Demon, and you’re about to take on five hundred million US dollars in debt.’

’Hundreds of thousands of people are counting on you now, and dozens of pairs of eyes are watching you from the shadows.’

’You don’t have the right to be sick.’

’Get up. Take off your coat. Go to the restroom, wash your face, and fix your tie.’

’This is just a physical cold, Leo.’

’You were out in the wind on the mountain last night, but what’s a little cold wind?’

’If you want to master the dragons that represent greedy capital, if you want to stand before the old foxes entrenched in the halls of power without showing fear, if you want to truly control this city...’

’...your heart must be colder and harder than the stones at the bottom of the Allegheny River.’

Leo opened his eyes.

’Yes.’

’He chose this path, so he had to endure its hardships.’

’Who was he showing this weakness to?’

’To Morganfield? He would just think he made a bad deal.’

’To the citizens? They would just think they elected the wrong person.’

Leo picked up the mug and drank all the hot water in one go.

The scalding liquid ran down his esophagus, shocking him into a cold sweat.

He stood up, took off the heavy wool coat, and hung it back on the rack.

He was wearing only his thin suit.

He walked into the restroom and looked at his own pale reflection in the mirror.

He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his cheeks.

He recombed his hair and adjusted his tie.

When he walked out of the restroom again, the weak patient had vanished.

His back was ramrod straight, his gaze sharp.

Even though his body was still feverish, even though every joint ached.

But he looked invincible.

Leo pressed the intercom button on his desk.

"Sarah, get the car ready."

Leo’s voice was steady and strong.

"I’m going to the hearing."

"Also, send word down. Starting today, the legal and public relations teams are to go on high alert."

"The next twenty days are the make-or-break period for whether this five hundred million US dollars actually materializes. I won’t tolerate any mistakes."

"Have them watch every single development related to the bond issuance like a hawk. Whether it’s an objection notice posted at the courthouse, negative press on social media about a debt crisis, or even street gossip about this issuance."

"If it has anything to do with this money, even if it looks like a meaningless scrap of paper, I want it under intense scrutiny and reported immediately."

The twenty-day countdown had begun.

This was the final darkness before the dawn.

It was also the last vacuum period before the five hundred million US dollars landed.

Leo knew that beneath the calm surface, an undercurrent was surging.

But he was ready.

Ready to face every impact with a body of steel.