Chapter 412: Chapter 191: Go East, to the Promised Land
Jack instinctively slammed on the brakes.
The tires let out a piercing shriek against the pavement, and the truck’s body lurched violently.
But he couldn’t be bothered with any of that.
He, Susan, and Timmy in the back seat were all frozen as if petrified, staring blankly at the magnificent, almost surreal vista before them.
This was Pittsburgh’s famous "tunnel view."
Below them was a deep river valley where three wide rivers converged.
Golden suspension bridges spanned the water, connecting the two sides of the city.
And on the delta cradled by the rivers, skyscrapers shot up from the ground, their glass curtain walls reflecting the blinding sunlight.
This was a world away from the gray, dreary, and lifeless Rust Belt city he remembered.
Yellow and red tower cranes stood tall on both banks of the valley, their booms slowly rotating in the air.
Billowing dust rose from construction sites, and the roar of machinery could be faintly heard even from several kilometers away.
On the river, massive barges were lined up end to end, forming long queues waiting to enter the Inland Port.
Countless heavy trucks crisscrossed the bridges and highways, forming flowing arteries of steel.
This bustling scene, this tableau of construction filled with power and hope, reminded Jack of Detroit’s heyday twenty years ago.
No, it was even more spectacular than that.
This city was alive.
It was breathing, growing, burning.
Following the GPS, Jack drove to a massive plaza in the South District.
A banner hung here: New Citizen Housing and Settlement Service Center.
The plaza was packed with cars and teeming with people, but it wasn’t as chaotic as one might expect.
A group of volunteers in orange vests were maintaining order.
They were efficient and friendly, completely lacking the loathsome bureaucratic air of government officials.
Jack’s family got out of the truck, standing amidst the crowd, a little lost.
A young woman walked over.
She was holding a tablet, and a work badge hung from her chest with her name on it: Alina Rodriguez, Community Special Advisor.
"New arrivals?" Alina glanced at the pickup truck with Michigan plates. "From Detroit?"
"Yes." Jack wrung his hands nervously. "We saw the advertisement online..."
"Welcome home."
Alina offered a warm smile.
"Follow me, let’s get your paperwork started. Don’t worry, the process is quick. You’ll be settled into your new home before dark."
Jack was stunned.
’That fast?’
He had expected to fill out endless forms, wait weeks for approval, and maybe even spend a few days crammed into a shelter.
He followed Alina into the service hall.
Dozens of processing counters were neatly arranged in the hall.
There were no glass partitions, just long tables for face-to-face interaction.
"I need your identification," Alina said while operating her tablet. "Occupation?"
"Senior lathe operator. I can also operate CNC machines."
"Do you have proof?" Alina looked up. "Like a Union-certified technician’s certificate, or proof of employment from your previous factory showing your years of service."
Jack paused for a moment, then carefully pulled a faded blue card from a fold in his wallet.
It was the senior technician certification he had earned after working at Ford for fifteen years.
Alina took the card and scanned it with her tablet.
"Family members?"
"My wife and a six-year-old son."
Alina’s fingers tapped rapidly across the screen.
"Data entry complete. The system is now matching."
Just thirty seconds passed.
"All set."
Alina looked up.
"Given that your technical trade is on the list of urgently needed skills, you qualify for Class A priority settlement."
She took a form from the printer beside her and handed it to Jack.
"This is your New Citizen ID card. With this card, you can enjoy all the benefits of a Pittsburgh citizen."
Immediately after, she handed him a second form.
"This is your housing assignment."
Alina pointed to an address on it.
"Brooklyn District, 402 Third Avenue, Apartment 204. It’s a two-bedroom, one-living-room unit, fully furnished. It’s part of a low-income housing project we just finished renovating."
"According to the Rent Stabilization Act and the New Citizen Subsidy Ordinance, the first three months are rent-free. Starting from the fourth month, rent is fixed at 15% of your family’s monthly income, and all utilities are free."
The hand Jack used to hold the form was trembling.
"Rent... rent-free?"
"That’s right." Alina’s tone was matter-of-fact. "The Mayor says we can’t have our builders sleeping on the streets. The keys are with the apartment manager. You can head straight over."
"Also, about your child’s schooling."
Alina handed over a red card.
"This is an enrollment voucher for the public daycare. It’s just two blocks from your apartment building, and you can send him tomorrow. They provide free lunch and dinner, and if you have to work late, there’s supervised care."
Susan covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.
In Detroit, she had run herself ragged trying to find an affordable daycare for Timmy.
But here, everything was sorted out in just five minutes.
"Finally, your job."
Alina looked at Jack.
"Turn right when you exit. That’s the Industrial Renaissance Human Resources Center. A Mr. Frank is recruiting there now. Go with your ID card. Your skill rating is very high, so you won’t need an interview. You can sign a contract directly."
"Good luck."
With that, Alina turned and walked over to the next family that had just arrived.
The entire process took less than ten minutes.
There was no hassle, no waiting in line, none of that incomprehensible bureaucratic jargon.
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