Chapter 742: An Unexpected Green Light

But he hadn’t expected that Cres couldn’t even be bothered to keep up appearances.

He directly, and with a sense of righteousness, even, made excuses for the treacherous actions of multinational corporations.

In Cres’s eyes, the nation’s industrial future and the livelihoods of Rust Belt workers were less important than a few checks in Sterling’s pocket.

‘What even is the nation in the eyes of these high-level officials?’

However, Cres’s words also revealed his attitude: he was starting to relax.

This proved that Leo’s performance had achieved its goal.

“So what?” Leo shot back stiffly. “We’re just supposed to stand by and watch them drain Pennsylvania of its resources and bring my Computing Power Special Zone to a halt?”

Cres exhaled a puff of blue-gray smoke, watching Leo through the haze.

“Leo, you didn’t come rushing over here today just to complain to me about the moral failings of these capitalists, did you?”

“Out with it. What do you want?” Cres rested his cigar on the edge of an ashtray. “The Democratic Party needs you right now. As long as it’s not too outrageous, we can talk.”

“Since the Republican Party is stonewalling me in Congress, playing for time, I’m done playing their game.”

Leo spoke, each word deliberate.

“I’m going back to Pennsylvania to do it myself.”

“I’m going to use the state government’s executive authority to bypass the usual, lengthy federal approval process and fast-track the nuclear power project. I’ll find the funding myself, and I’ll build it myself.”

Leo stared into Cres’s eyes.

“I need the Democratic National Committee to provide us with political cover.”

“When I’m pushing this project through in Pennsylvania, I don’t want bureaucrats from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency or the Department of Energy coming to make trouble for me. I need you to have a word with the White House. Tell them to close their eyes, plug their ears, and treat Pennsylvania like a Special Zone.”

Cres’s movements froze.

He looked at Leo, the relaxed expression gone from his face.

“Using state government authority? Ramming through a nuclear power project?” Cres frowned. “Leo, you’re challenging the Federation’s administrative jurisdiction. If there’s an accident, or if this sparks massive environmental protests, the White House will be in a very difficult position.”

“That will be my problem,” Leo said, not giving an inch. “If you want Pennsylvania’s electoral votes, you have to give me the room to operate. I guarantee the blowback won’t reach Washington.”

Cres fell silent.

Granting a regional power broker that much autonomy was risky.

But if he refused, knowing Leo’s personality, he might just flip the whole table and cause the Democratic Party’s entire election strategy for Pennsylvania to collapse.

Cres mentally calculated the risks of this insane proposal.

‘Legally, this is incredibly risky. It could even spark a constitutional crisis.’

‘Nuclear energy regulation has always been the exclusive domain of the federal government. For a local mayor to even think about meddling in affairs at this level… it’s practically suicidal.’

‘But for the Democratic Party, it’s a no-lose proposition.’

‘If he actually pulls it off,’ Cres thought, picking up his cigar, ‘it’ll be a massive political victory for us—a symbol of industrial revitalization in the Rust Belt we can boast about during the election.’

‘If he fails, or even ends up in prison for procedural violations, that’s even better. We’d have the perfect excuse to purge this uncontrollable thorn in our side.’

‘Either way, all the risk is on him. All we have to do is stand by and watch.’

Cres let out a long, slow smoke ring, as if he could already picture a dejected Leo slumping in an FBI interrogation room.

“Just political cover? You don’t need any financial support from the Federation?” Cres asked, testing the waters.

“None,” Leo answered curtly.

After a moment’s consideration, Cres adopted the magnanimous air of a seasoned elder.

“Leo, your methods are too radical.”

“However… it is an election year, after all. We need you to keep Pennsylvania stable.”

“I can give you my word,” Cres said, looking Leo in the eye with an air of sincerity. “As long as you don’t publicly break ranks and you deliver the votes like you’re supposed to, we’ll support you as much as possible with the White House and the federal agencies.”

“I’ll have a word with the White House Chief of Staff. The people at the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy will be very busy—too busy to go inspect things in Pennsylvania.”

“But remember your promise. Don’t let things get so out of hand that they can’t be cleaned up.”

Leo stood up.

He had gotten the promise he wanted.

“Don’t worry, Marcus. I’ll handle it.”

Leo obviously heard the insincerity behind the words “as much as possible.”

But Leo could only feign satisfaction. He nodded. “Your word is enough.”

With a CLICK of the office door, Cres let out a cold snort.

‘Still just an impatient young man.’

‘Thinks he can build a nuclear reactor on nothing but a fit of rage and a little local support.’

‘Let him go run his head into a brick wall. Once he’s bloody and broken, he’ll finally learn just how deep the waters in Washington run.’

Leo walked out of the Democratic National Committee building.

The sunlight outside was a bit dazzling. He squinted as he walked down the steps.

The moment his foot landed on the last step, the youthful impatience, the anger from being betrayed, all of it vanished from his face.

The mask was taken off.

This was the strategy that Leo and Roosevelt had rehearsed countless times in the hotel room.

‘Leo, your performance up until now has been too perfect.’

Roosevelt’s voice echoed in his mind.

‘In this swamp of schemes and calculations, a flawless Saint cannot survive.’

‘Every step you’ve taken in Washington has been too aggressive, too forceful. It’s instilled fear in those who hold the levers of power.’

‘If you are a political machine that can’t be predicted or controlled, their only option is to destroy you.’

‘So you need a weakness.’

Roosevelt had given his conclusion.

‘Or rather, you need a character flaw that they find understandable.’

After some discussion, they had settled on one thing: patriotism.

Leo would display extreme anger toward the Republican Party and the energy giants for selling out the nation’s interests.

He would act like a wounded idealist, flying into a rage to defend some vague, ethereal concept of honor.

This emotional vulnerability, this display of being easily swayed by his feelings, was exactly what a man like Cres wanted to see.

A mayor in his thirties, even one holding dozens of electoral votes, was still someone they could reason with, so long as he remained a mere mortal whose judgment could be clouded by emotion.

Now, it seemed, the effect was perfect.

There was less suspicion in Cres’s eyes and more condescending tolerance.

‘Leo, you need to make as many friends as you can. Your strategy has to change. You can’t keep making enemies on all sides like you have been.’

‘But I only make friends with people I choose.’

Leo answered silently in his heart.

He got into the black sedan waiting at the curb, took out his phone, and dialed Ethan’s number.

“Tell Evelyn and Sarah we’re having a meeting at City Hall tonight.”

Leo looked at the Washington streetscape rapidly receding outside the car window.

‘The air here is too thin, the promises too hollow.’

He needed to return to that place filled with coal dust and rust.

In the soil of Pennsylvania, he would ignite the spark that could burn the entire old order to the ground.

Leo put away his phone.

「A plane streaked across the sky.」

He left Washington behind him.