Three days after their victory at the hearing, Leo received an unexpected phone call.
The call was from Allen Wexler's assistant.
Wexler wanted to invite Leo to a private meeting.
'A negotiation,' Roosevelt said in Leo's mind. 'They've been hit where it hurts. Public pressure is forcing them to the table to try and deal with us for the lowest possible price.'
The meeting was set for a private conference room in a high-end hotel downtown.
Leo decided to go and meet with this snake in a suit.
Sarah insisted on accompanying Leo as his assistant.
Frank, meanwhile, brought along two old buddies as burly as himself and followed Leo and Sarah's taxi in a beat-up pickup truck.
Frank insisted on waiting for them outside the hotel.
"If that punk in a suit dares to pull any tricks on you," Frank said to Leo, rolling down his window, "I'll strip all the tires off that Cadillac of his parked by the entrance."
Leo walked into the hotel's gilded lobby.
Wexler's assistant, a young woman in a business suit, was already waiting there.
She led Leo and Sarah down a hallway and into a private conference room.
Wexler was already seated at one end of the conference table.
He wasn't wearing a suit, just an expensive cashmere sweater. He carried himself with an easy elegance, as if he were receiving guests in his own living room.
He stood up, smiled, and shook Leo's hand.
"Mr. Wallace, I'm glad you could make it," he said. "Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink? The coffee here is quite good."
Leo and Sarah sat down across from him.
"No, thank you, Mr. Wexler," Leo said. "Let's get straight to it."
Wexler nodded, his smile unwavering.
He cut straight to the chase and laid out his proposal.
"Mr. Wallace, first, I must admit, you and your team have done truly outstanding work this past week. You've successfully turned a simple commercial dispute into a city-wide public event, and for that, you have my personal admiration."
He paused for a moment, as if to gauge Leo's reaction.
"My client, Peak Development Group, is a responsible company. We never intended to make an enemy of the community. After the hearing, we listened carefully to the public's concerns and are willing to make concessions."
He took a document from his folder and pushed it across the table to Leo.
It was a beautifully designed architectural rendering.
"Our company is prepared to fully fund the construction of a brand-new, better-equipped facility for the Steel Worker Community Center on the other side of the city. It will be twice the size of the current center, and all the equipment will be state-of-the-art. Furthermore, we will pay for all relocation expenses and cover its operating costs for the next three years in one lump sum."
He leaned forward, looking at Leo.
"We believe this is a win-win solution. The community gets a better new home, and my client can proceed with its business plan. What do you think?"
Roosevelt's voice rang in Leo's mind.
'A classic capitalist ploy. They're using money to buy legitimacy, trying to break your will to fight with a seemingly generous offer.'
'This community center is ancient,' Leo asked. 'Wouldn't a new one be a good thing?'
Roosevelt replied, 'Kid, this is an elaborate trap.'
'Think about it. The elderly people who need this center the most—are they able to travel across half the city to an unfamiliar place every day? This proposal geographically severs the connection between the center and the very people it serves.'
'Besides, will they even honor the agreement to build it? They can just drag their feet. Three to five years from now, who's going to care anymore?'
'So, don't let him lead you by the nose.'
Leo looked up, meeting Wexler's gaze directly.
"Mr. Wexler, we're not here today to discuss relocation. We're here to discuss preservation."
His voice was resolute.
"The value of the Steel Worker Community Center lies in its history, in its location, and in the fact that it is deeply rooted in this working-class community. It's not just a pile of bricks and mortar that can be moved at will."
"Your proposal sounds generous, but it doesn't solve a single problem. You just want to use money to shut us up so you can tear down our history with a clear conscience and build your luxury apartments on top of it."
Without giving him a chance to object, Leo laid out his own three demands.
"First, Peak Development Group must immediately withdraw its plan to acquire the community center's lot."
"Second, as compensation for the harm done to the community, Peak Development Group must pay all of the community center's back property taxes and commit to funding its operations for the next ten years."
"Third, Mayor Carter Wright and the CEO of Peak Development Group must hold a joint press conference, publicly apologize to all citizens of Pittsburgh, and formally pledge to permanently preserve the Steel Worker Community Center as one of Pittsburgh's historic and cultural landmarks."
Leo had stated his three demands.
Wexler scoffed. "Mr. Wallace, you're passionate, I'll grant you that. But you are also incredibly unrealistic."
"Let's be clear about a few basic facts."
"First, my client won the bid through a legal process; all procedures were in accordance with the law. Second, Mayor Carter Wright has done nothing wrong; meeting with business leaders is part of his job. Third, the community center is delinquent on its property taxes. That is an unalterable fact."
"I'm here negotiating with you today not because we're afraid of you, but out of respect for public opinion. The solution I've proposed is the only way out, and it is our final gesture of goodwill."
The smile vanished from his face, his gaze turning icy.
"If you refuse, then we'll see you in court. When that happens, I'm confident the judge will make a fair ruling. And you people will walk away with nothing—not even a new community center."
They had reached a stalemate.
For the next hour, the two sides sparred verbally.
The first negotiation ultimately ended on a sour note, with both sides agreeing to "go back and reconsider."
As Leo and Sarah were preparing to leave, Wexler approached them and gave Leo a "friendly" pat on the shoulder.
"Young man, don't be so idealistic," he said. "This world runs on compromise. Learning to accept an imperfect victory will be good for you in the long run."
Leo ignored him, turning and walking out of the conference room with Sarah without a backward glance.
As they walked out the hotel doors, Frank immediately came up to greet them.
"How'd it go? That punk didn't give you any trouble, did he?"
Leo shook his head.
"He offered us a new home."
"Isn't that great?" Frank asked, confused.
"He wants to kick us off our own land," Leo said.
Frank's expression instantly darkened.