stjorthotic Chapter 143 The Blocked Transportation Line
Chapter 143 The Blocked Transportation Line
Chapter 143 The Disrupted Transportation Line (Bonus Chapter for 31000 Monthly Tickets)
Three days later, in Erie.
This port city on the shores of Lake Erie was once an industrial jewel of northern Pennsylvania, but now appears desolate and dilapidated.
General Electric's locomotive plant has already laid off most of its workers, and the huge factory buildings are now empty.
The city hall's conference room was filled with smoke.
Mayor Erie, a Republican in his sixties, was frowning as he looked at John Murphy sitting across from him.
"Congressman Murphy, although I respect you, you are a Democrat."
The mayor banged on the table.
"And you're running for senator, challenging Warren from our party. I can't publicly endorse you; the state party headquarters would kill me."
Murphy smiled.
He took a document out of his briefcase and pushed it in front of the mayor.
"Mayor, this is a letter of intent for procurement that the Pittsburgh city government has just signed."
"Pittsburgh is expanding its inland port, and we need a lot of heavy port machinery parts, as well as special steel."
"We originally planned to import from Germany or buy from local oligarchs."
"However, I heard that although Yili's old factories have no orders, the technology is still there and the production lines are ready."
Murphy looked into the mayor's eyes.
"The total value of this contract is approximately thirty million US dollars."
"If Yili can take on this order, I think it could bring at least a thousand laid-off workers back to the factory floor."
The mayor's gaze fell on that number, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
Thirty million.
For Yili right now, this is like a life-saving blood plasma.
"What—what do you want?" The mayor's voice was hoarse. "To make me betray Warren?"
No, no, no.
Murphy waved his hand.
How could I possibly put you in a difficult position?
"I don't need you to publicly betray anyone."
"All I need is for you to say a few fair words at the next union meeting."
"For example, this procurement proves that only true pragmatists know how to take care of old industrial cities like ours."
"Or, regardless of party affiliation, anyone who can bring jobs to Erie is our friend."
That's enough.
Murphy stood up and straightened his suit.
"Of course, if you find it difficult, I have to go to Cleveland this afternoon. I heard that the factories there are also eager for this order."
"etc!"
Without much hesitation, the mayor stood up abruptly and pressed down on the document.
"Congressman Murphy."
The mayor extended his hand.
"I feel we have a lot in common."
"Regarding industrial revival and the future of rust belts, I think we share the same view."
"I will arrange for someone from the union."
"This contract must remain with Yili."
Murphy grasped that hand.
He could feel the sweat on the other person's palms, and he could also sense the transfer of power.
His success at Erie was just the first domino to fall.
For the next two weeks, Murphy was like a tireless salesman, traversing the folds of the Appalachian Mountains.
He went to Scranton and slammed the site selection agreement for the Pittsburgh Inland Port distribution center onto the table of the local transport union president.
He went to Johnstown and used a large cement purchase contract for Pittsburgh municipal engineering projects to get in touch with the conservative mayor there.
And Bethlehem, Altunas, Newcastle —
Murphy waved the checkbook Leo had given him, stitching together one by one the industrial cities forgotten by Philadelphia and ignored by Washington into the map of the "Pennsylvania Industrial Revitalization Alliance".
He used the needle and thread of profit to sew the broken rusted band back together.
Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, Leo was also carrying out a purge of the old guard.
On the day the franchise agreement expired, the blue cranes and construction vehicles bearing the Morganfield logo withdrew from the South site like the receding tide.
The oligarch was trying to use this "scorched earth policy" to demonstrate against Leo, hoping to make Leo despair at the sight of the empty construction site.
But new blood quickly filled the vacuum.
A steel components company from Erie has arrived, as has an engineering team from Scranton.
Leo kept his promise and broke up the project, distributing it among his allies who were eager for opportunities.
In just a few days, scaffolding was erected again on the construction site in the south area, and flags from different companies fluttered in the river wind.
Everything is ready, and the construction will officially begin once the first batch of core building materials arrive.
But as time went by, an unsettling silence began to permeate the construction site.
Hundreds of workers wearing hard hats gathered in twos and threes beside the unfinished foundation. Some were smoking, and some were kicking stones under their feet.
They looked up at the construction site entrance from time to time, their eyes filled with anxiety.
According to the plan, the first batch of special steel components from Erie should have arrived at the site at 10:00 a.m. today.
At 2 p.m., the high-grade cement truck from Scranton should also arrive to unload.
It's 3 PM now.
The entrance was deserted; there wasn't even a delivery tricycle in sight.
Leo stood at the window of the temporary command post at the port, looking at the stalled construction site.
Every minute of downtime is burning through funds.
The door was kicked open.
Ethan burst in, clutching several sheets of fax paper, his hair a mess from the wind.
"Leo, something's happened." Ethan slammed the paper on the table, his breathing rapid. "We've run out of supplies."
"It's broken?" Leo turned around. "Didn't Erie say the shipment had already been sent? The mayor of Scranton called me yesterday to say the convoy had already set off."
"They did ship it," Ethan said through gritted teeth, "but it hasn't arrived."
Ethan pointed to the first fax.
"This is an urgent notification from Pennsylvania Western Railway, sent ten minutes ago."
Leo picked up the paper.
"Dear customers, in light of the recent risk of roadbed subsidence on the Allegheny River railway section, to ensure transportation safety, our company has decided to conduct a complete closure of this section for emergency maintenance, effective immediately. During the maintenance period, all freight trains passing through this section will be suspended indefinitely or rerouted. The resumption time will be announced separately."
Leo stared at the words "indefinite".
This railway is a vital artery connecting Erie and Pittsburgh, and Erie's steel must travel along this line.
"Change course?" Leo asked.
"The detour will take us through Ohio, tripling the cost and adding a week to the journey," Ethan shook his head. "And they said that there's a shortage of available capacity, so even with the detour, we'll still have to wait until next month."
Leo put down the railway company's notice and picked up the second sheet of paper.
That was an "industry guidance document" issued by the Pennsylvania Freight Trucking Association to several logistics companies in Scranton.
"—Given the complex road conditions and potential safety hazards surrounding the Pittsburgh South site construction site, the association advises its member companies to exercise caution when accepting heavy freight orders to this area in the near future. To ensure driver safety, the association will suspend insurance coverage for transportation routes to this area."
Without insurance support, no legitimate logistics company would dare to put a cement truck weighing several tons on the road.
Leo threw the two papers back onto the table.
This is neither roadbed settlement nor a safety hazard.
This is war.
Although Morganfield lost the port concession, he remained a major shareholder of the Pennsylvania Western Railway.
He was the one who controlled the rails, sleepers, and signal lights.
He is also the largest sponsor of the Freight Truck Association.
He lost the case, but he still has other cards to play.
He severed Pittsburgh's lifeline.
"He's strangling us," Ethan said, sitting in his chair. "If supplies don't get in, our Revival Alliance is a joke."
"Murphy is still touring the state giving speeches, using our orders to exchange for votes. If he can't fulfill those orders, his campaign is over."
Leo looked out the window at the stationary crane.
Morganfield's move hit him right where it hurt.
This is a typical noose around capital.
Since I cannot own the port, I will turn your port into ruins.
"Mr. President," Leo called out in his mind, "he's pushing me."
"Yes, he's pressuring you."
Roosevelt's voice rang out.
"He severed your main artery."
"Railways are the lifeblood of the industrial age; whoever controls the railroads controls the city's breathing. That's what Vanderbilt did back then. He didn't even need to fire a shot; he could make New York kneel down simply by locking the railroad bridges."
"Morganfield is using the same old methods against you that were a hundred years ago."
"But he forgot one thing, Leo."
"This is no longer the 19th century."
"Blood vessels are not just large arteries."
"If the aorta is blocked, the blood will seek out the capillaries."
"If the train doesn't move, we'll use a car."
"If the big companies won't ship it, we'll turn to the people."
Leo's eyes flickered.
"people?"
"There are millions of truck drivers in America," Roosevelt's voice rose. "Many of them are not affiliated with any big corporation, nor do they take orders from that damned association. They are self-employed, freelancers, lone wolves making a living on the highway in their Optimus Primes."
"They only recognize one thing: cash."
"Morganfield can order the railroad to shut down, but he can't order these millions of free souls scattered across the highways."
"Go and find them."
"Since the regular army's route is blocked, let's launch a guerrilla attack."
"Use the method of ants moving house to transport that pile of steel back."
Leo suddenly turned around.
He grabbed the phone on the table and dialed Frank's number.
"Frank, where are you?"
"I'm at the construction site gate, stopping a few foremen who're trying to cause trouble," Frank said, his voice thick with rage. "Those bastards are saying they don't have materials to work on and they want compensation for lost wages."
"Ignore them," Leo said quickly. "Come to my office right now."
Five minutes later.
Frank stormed into the office.
"What happened?"
Leo handed him the two notices.
Frank glanced at it and swore out a very foul language.
"That old bastard, he's trying to starve us to death."
"Frank, I need a car." Leo stared into the old union leader's eyes. "I need drivers who own their own cars. Those who usually wait for fares at the docks, those who do private hires in the middle of the night, those independent drivers who would brave even hell for money."
"Can you find them?"
Frank paused for a moment, then grinned.
That smile had a touch of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) about it.
"Leo, are you insulting me?"
Frank patted his chest.
"I've been around Pittsburgh for decades, who don't I know?"
"These guys are usually squeezed out of work by big companies, and they hate that damn association to death."
"As long as you pay, they'll take on any job, from transporting steel to the White House to hauling manure."
Money is not a problem.
"Leo said."
"Cash payment, shipping fee is 50% higher than the market price. If the goods can be delivered tonight, I'll pay double."
O
"Tell them this is to teach that old bastard Morganfield a lesson."
Frank's eyes lit up.
"I'll take this job."
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