Richard Castle had no idea about Congressman Gavin's desperate struggle to seek help from his party leaders. Castle was happily preparing dinner at home. After making an anonymous phone call to Congressman Gavin using a voice changer, he was in an excellent mood. The situation had become chaotic, exactly as he had intended. Having stirred the pot to his heart's content, he decided to put it all aside and focus on preparing a sumptuous dinner for his daughter and girlfriend. He was eagerly anticipating a delightful evening with his long-legged lady. As for the impending conflict between a Congressman and a New York State Senator that he had inadvertently instigated, Castle felt no burden whatsoever.
In fact, he cared even less about what might happen next. With his mind entirely preoccupied with the prospect of a romantic evening, Castle figured he deserved a night off, right?
As he busily prepared food in the kitchen, whistling a cheerful tune, the phone inconveniently rang. Seeing that it was from the "little fatty," Castle wondered if there had been some new development.
"What's up, little fatty? I'm busy right now," Castle said, putting the call on speaker as he continued cooking.
The "little fatty" didn't catch the hint of impatience in Castle's voice. Instead, he excitedly reported, "Uncle Rick, after you left, I hacked into the surveillance system outside Nick Conan's temporary safe house in Washington. Just ten minutes ago, a group arrived, subdued him, and took him away. These people didn't look like law enforcement but more like private security or armed bodyguards. From the footage, it seems they didn't kill Nick Conan but rather tranquilized and captured him alive. His phone has been discarded by those who captured him. I don't have many surveillance cameras under control in Washington, so I've lost track of him. What should we do next? Should I hack into the city's traffic surveillance system to find them?"
Castle finally put down what he was doing, picked up the phone, and said, "Good job, little fatty. You don't need to hack into the traffic surveillance system. If I'm right, these people were sent by Congressman Gavin. So, we just need to keep an eye on the Congressman. Nick Conan was merely a pawn for William Brecken, and I bet Brecken never imagined that we'd tip off Congressman Gavin, leading to Nick's capture right after he was sent to Washington. This is going to be interesting!"
The "little fatty" was a well-behaved kid. Since Castle told him not to hack into the surveillance system, he didn't. After checking to see if Castle had any other tasks for him, and finding none, he couldn't help but remind his trouble-loving uncle, "Uncle Rick, did you forget that Northrop Grumman is still waiting to negotiate with you? They want to retrieve the drone's design blueprints and the semi-intelligent flight control system you developed. I know you've entrusted Mozzie with this, but are you really going to leave it entirely in his hands? What if they ask technical questions during the negotiations?"
The "little fatty's" reminder finally brought Castle back to reality. He had indeed been slacking off lately. The drone's design and its sophisticated semi-intelligent flight control system were based on skills he had received as a reward from the system, specifically from Tony Stark's mechanical expertise in the Marvel world. These technologies were entirely different from any mainstream control systems in the current world. If Northrop Grumman were to ask technical questions during the negotiations, Mozzie might not be able to handle them.
Moreover, maintaining a good relationship with Northrop Grumman was important for Castle. It wasn't just because he was a fan of the F-14 'Tomcat' fighter jet in his previous life, but also because he needed to establish connections with the third-largest defense contractor in the USA, the only company with a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier manufacturing plant. This relationship would be a significant asset if he ever wanted Beckett to enter politics.
After all, who truly holds power in the USA? The President in the White House? Hardly. The real power lies with the financial elites and defense contractors. The military-industrial complex drives the country's global interventions. A simple glance at the National Rifle Association reveals who really runs the show.
Now, Castle had a golden opportunity to establish ties with the third-largest defense contractor in the USA, so he needed to seize it.
Having weighed the pros and cons, Castle quickly abandoned his previous plans. He decided to personally handle the negotiations with Northrop Grumman, especially since Congressman Gavin was currently distracted, preparing for a showdown with William Brecken. Castle realized that he could negotiate with Northrop Grumman for a tiny share of their stock instead of a large sum of money. Given that Gianna had shares in an Italian aircraft manufacturing company, Castle had already licensed the drone's design and the semi-intelligent flight control system to them, with the licensing fees deposited in his secret account in the Cayman Islands.
During negotiations with Northrop Grumman, Castle didn't need their money. Instead, a small share of the company's stock would suffice. Besides, the technical director of Northrop Grumman had been incredibly helpful, swapping out the surveillance packages on Castle's drones with military-grade reconnaissance kits. This upgrade allowed Castle to monitor Vincent's submarine salvage operations around the clock without any hitches. Castle owed this guy a favor.
Castle believed that if he proposed taking a small equity stake instead of cash, Northrop Grumman might agree. This approach would save them a significant licensing fee and demonstrate Castle's commitment to their partnership. Plus, this arrangement would allow Castle to avoid paying taxes to the formidable IRS, making it a win-win situation. If Castle had demanded a large licensing fee instead, he would have been forced to pay a substantial amount to the IRS, which would have been painful. In comparison, asking for a fraction of Northrop Grumman's stock was much more appealing.
After considering all the advantages, Castle casually chatted with the "little fatty" for a bit, promising to head to Gianna's Long Island estate tomorrow to discuss the matter with him and Mozzie. He would then contact Northrop Grumman's aerospace division's technical director to start negotiations. Just as he hung up the phone, Alexis bounded into the kitchen like a deer.
"Dad, what's cooking? It smells amazing!" Alexis, as cheerful as a little red squirrel, sniffed the air, her nose twitching as she eyed the array of dishes on the table.
Castle laughed heartily. "It's Sichuan cuisine, the same kind we had last time."
Indeed, Castle had finally remembered the 'Sichuan Cuisine Mastery' skill he had received from his system long ago. At that time, he had been blinded by some peculiar biases from his previous life and ended up making an overly spicy meal that both he and his daughter regretted.
"Sichuan cuisine? Dad, did you forget what happened last time we ate Sichuan food?" Alexis's face showed a mix of concern and panic.
Castle calmly continued cooking. "Sweetheart, the last time I made all the spicy dishes from Sichuan cuisine. But I've since remembered that Sichuan cuisine also has many non-spicy dishes. For example, this fish-flavored pork and this mapo tofu. It may look red and spicy, but it's actually just numbing. Try it, and you'll see. Go wash your hands; Beckett will be here soon. Once she arrives, we'll have dinner, and you can taste some of Dad's non-spicy Sichuan dishes."
Alexis gave her somewhat unreliable father a dubious look, deciding she would eat sparingly to be on the safe side.
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