The morning mist had yet to fully dissipate over Pittsburgh.
In the Mayor's Office on the third floor of City Hall, Leo Wallace sat behind his desk, reviewing documents.
Everything seemed normal.
Outside the window, traffic flowed steadily down Grant Street as workers headed for construction sites in the South District.
In the physical world, Pittsburgh was barreling forward along the track Leo had set for it.
But in a world of another dimension—a vast web woven from fiber optics, signal towers, and servers—a storm was quietly gathering against Leo.
「University of Pittsburgh, men's dormitory.」
Josh, a college junior, had just woken up. He habitually picked up his phone and opened the r/Pittsburgh subreddit.
A red "Hot" tag was plastered next to the pinned post.
The title was startling: "Wallace's Betrayal: The Dirty Deal Behind the Port's Privatization."
Josh frowned.
He had actually scrolled past this article two days ago.
