Pittsburgh City Hall, Conference Room One.
The conference room had been expanded. Its original twelve-person oval table had been replaced with a massive circular one, large enough to seat thirty.
Because the Industrial Revival Alliance was expanding.
In addition to founding members like Ron Smith of Erie and Joe Byers of Scranton, several new faces were present today.
There was a mayor from the suburbs of Harrisburg, independent representatives from Philadelphia's outer industrial belt, and even a few observers from small towns on the Ohio border.
They represented the forgotten islands of the Rust Belt, now bound together by interest and fear, all seated around this table.
An eerie silence filled the air.
Everyone was either looking down at their phones or pretending to sort through documents, their gazes shifting as they occasionally exchanged uneasy glances.
Just a week ago, Leo had met with them in private.
