So, what kind of plan did Castle come up with to handle the current situation? It was quite simple. He decided to start by distributing the fifty tons of gold bars, each stamped with the Nazi eagle insignia. Each of the seven participants in the operation, including himself, would receive one ton. This would provide a solid material foundation for everyone involved. After that, Neil, Mozzie, and Alex would each choose one painting they liked from the remaining nineteen. As for their value, Castle didn't care—whether they chose a Titian or a Monet, it was all the same to him.
As for the remaining jewelry, Castle planned to let Neil, Mozzie, and Alex select their favorites first, after which Harry could pick a few items of interest. The rest of the gold, paintings, and jewelry would then be entrusted to Gianna, who would use the resources of the Dantonio family to sell the items in Europe.
Although these items were looted by the Nazis during World War II and might attract the attention of their original owners if sold in Europe, Castle was confident that this minor inconvenience wouldn't be an issue for the Dantonio family. Moreover, when it came time to auction these items, the U.S. would also publicize them, but not in New York, to avoid attracting too much attention from Uncle Sam. After all, if the U.S. government couldn't find the submarine's contents during the capture of Vincent Adler, they'd likely turn the world upside down to locate them. Even though the odds of connecting these items to Castle were slim, it was best to stay clear of Uncle Sam, who was notorious for shamelessly pursuing money. Concepts like freedom and democracy were just slogans; if you took them seriously, just look at what happened to Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine.
After the Soviet Union fell, Ukraine naively trusted Uncle Sam, turning a once-decent country into its current mess. They even dismantled their Tu-160 bombers for the sake of joining NATO. And what did they get in return? Nothing but deception from NATO, led by the U.S. Then there's Turkey, a legitimate NATO member with a U.S. base on its soil, yet Uncle Sam still supported Kurdish separatists. Sure, that situation might have amused China, but Uncle Sam's shamelessness made him an adversary one should always guard against.
Therefore, to ensure that selling these items wouldn't attract unwanted attention from Uncle Sam, Castle decided, after a night of contemplation, to entrust everything to Gianna.
The reasons were simple. First, Castle and Gianna were friends, and Castle had played a significant role in Gianna's relationship with John. This meant Gianna wouldn't be tempted to take the treasure for herself. Additionally, Gianna was aware of Castle's unclear ties to the Elders of the High Table, so it was in her best interest to maintain this valuable connection rather than risk everything for a one-time gain.
Finally, by entrusting these items to the Dantonio family, whose influence was primarily in Europe, Castle knew that the treasure, largely consisting of items looted from European countries, could be used by Gianna to strengthen her family's connections in Europe. This, in turn, would earn Castle more support from the Dantonio family.
While Castle had no interest in pursuing a political career or cultivating European connections, he had planned a political path for Beckett. These connections could be useful in the future.
The United States is a peculiar country. Though its people descended from the outcasts of Europe—disgraced nobility, thieves, and the like—they've recently been glorifying their European roots, naturally favoring old European families. So, by using this treasure to build a network in Europe with Gianna's help, Castle could significantly benefit Beckett's future political ambitions.
This idea had only occurred to Castle the previous night—a way to temporarily solve his current dilemma while planting the seeds for Beckett's future political career. Of course, the key to all of this was Gianna, the Dantonio family's heiress. Their mutual trust, strengthened by John's relationship with Gianna and Castle's vague connections with the High Table, made this the most viable solution. The Dantonio family, though based in Italy, a country considered second-rate in Europe, had close ties with the Vatican in Rome, a powerful entity. With the Vatican's backing, the Dantonio family would be much more effective at handling the sale of the treasure than Castle could ever be.
Moreover, Castle wasn't asking Gianna to handle the treasure for free. As previously mentioned, most of the treasure had been looted by the Nazis from various European countries, so some items might still be considered family heirlooms by their original owners. Gianna could use these treasures to build connections in Europe, further enhancing Castle's network.
Gianna knew that Castle didn't care much about the treasure itself. He was more of a carefree soul with little ambition, and it was only because he couldn't sit still that he found himself in this situation. So when Castle handed over the entire treasure to her, asking for her help in managing it, Gianna's question earlier was one of surprise, not skepticism.
Once Castle explained the underlying benefits and his plans for Beckett's future, Gianna became genuinely interested. As a Dantonio family elite groomed for leadership, she quickly grasped the potential advantages Castle's maneuver could bring her and her family. Seeing the clear benefits, Gianna didn't hesitate to agree. She planned to deposit the proceeds from the treasure sales into a Swiss bank account for Castle, understanding that Castle would need substantial funds to support Beckett's future political aspirations.
After finalizing the plan for the treasure with Gianna, Castle finally turned his attention to John Wick, who had been eagerly waiting on the sidelines, and Harry, who had been quietly listening to Castle and Gianna's discussion.
Seeing Harry approach, Castle couldn't resist teasing him. "Harry, I've decided to give you a ton of gold bars stamped with the Nazi eagle insignia from the treasure. How does that sound? No need to worry about not having enough gold bricks in your collection now, right?"
Harry was startled. "A ton? Are you serious, Uncle Rick?"
Seeing Harry's shocked expression, Castle couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, each of the seven of us will get a ton of gold first. Then, if you like any of the art pieces or sculptures, you can choose one as well. How does that sound?"
Harry, who had spent most of his life as a homebody, was completely overwhelmed. He still had millions of dollars sitting idle in his bank account, and now, following his Uncle Rick, he was on the verge of financial freedom in just a few short months.
As Harry sat there, struggling to process it all, Gianna, annoyed by Castle and John's teasing, shot them both a glare. She had grown fond of Harry, seeing him as a younger brother. Watching Castle and John mess with him, she couldn't stand it anymore. She promptly took Harry to the basement to show him the treasures and help him choose an appropriate art piece to commemorate this adventure. This also gave Castle and John the space they needed to discuss their plan to deal with Vincent Adler.
John, who had been eagerly awaiting some action, smiled as he sat down across from Castle. His girlfriend had finally allowed him to go out and have some fun—there was no way he was going to miss this opportunity.
Seeing John sitting in front of him, Castle sighed. "John, Mozzie and Neil are still at the FBI, negotiating with the DOJ. We can't act until Neil signs his pardon. That's when our time to shine will come…"
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]