As expected, Neil had a knack for charming women. With just a few words, he dispelled Alexis' suspicions, and she happily followed him. They began an "art appreciation" and "scumbag identification" lesson using the chaotic world of the little fat guy's computer that was spinning off in every direction.
Meanwhile, Mozzie and Castle moved to one side of the hall. "Rick, now that Colonel Johnson is dead, I think both the Elephant and Donkey factions might use this incident as an excuse to stop fighting each other. After all, continuing the conflict wouldn't be wise or beneficial for either side.
I believe Andrew will likely take this opportunity to make certain demands of the Elephants before calling it quits.
And as for Senator Charles Hahn, now that he's lost Johnson, who could shield him from all his scandals, he might agree to Andrew's terms and end the battle."
Castle, looking unbothered, replied, "Mozzie, you're forgetting something. It's not about whether they want to stop fighting; it's about whether we want their conflict to end!
If Andrew thinks that reaching an agreement with Charles Hahn will allow him to rest easy, do you think we—or Frank, who's already in action—will let that happen?"
Mozzie chuckled deviously. "Right. Andrew will likely demand that Charles hand over those incriminating African documents. Even if Charles doesn't give them up, they might strike a verbal agreement to stop using that issue as a threat. But what if, during tomorrow night's fundraising banquet, this issue suddenly explodes? Andrew would likely think that Charles broke the deal and is trying to kill him during his own fundraiser!
Haha, no wonder you told Frank earlier not to mention Andrew's South American incident when exposing his scandal. That way, Andrew will think it wasn't Frank who revealed the dirt. After all, he still believes that only Charles Hahn has evidence of his involvement in the African massacre!"
Castle nodded with a smile. "Exactly. After Frank and the others accidentally bumped into and took out that fool Johnson, I figured this was the best course of action. We can't let the flames between Charles and Andrew die down!
If they calm down, they might realize that a fourth party—us—is involved in all this. Frank alone might not be able to fully distract them. But as long as they keep fighting each other, we'll have the chance to escalate the situation to the point where neither can back out!"
Mozzie laughed heartily. "Rick, you're a master at stirring up trouble... Oh, and quite the senator-killer too. Looks like that Montana senator will be played to death by you, huh?"
Castle shamelessly grinned. "Thank you, I think so too!
Hey, neither of them are good people, so let's just say we're doing the world a favor!"
The two men exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
At the same time, Beckett was walking out of the FBI's New York branch building with Bob Lee Swagger, who had just finished giving his statement and identifying the body of Colonel Johnson. Bob was now completely cleared from this mess. With Johnson, who had lured Bob out of the Montana mountains, now dead, the FBI was relieved and pinned the Times Square incident on the deceased colonel. As for the five assassins still in FBI custody, Hughes believed that if his boss didn't use this opportunity to extract something from the CIA, the Agency would be very lucky. At least now Hughes no longer had to navigate the political battles between the two parties.
In high spirits, Hughes graciously exonerated Bob of all suspicion. Bob's testimony confirmed that the deceased Colonel Johnson had tricked him into coming to New York, and there was no evidence linking Senator Charles Hahn to the case. As a result, Hughes quickly closed the case, freeing Bob to focus on seeking revenge on the real masterminds behind the scenes.
Having promised Castle that he'd return to Long Island to grab a beer with him once the FBI investigation was over, Bob rode in Beckett's police car, joining her for a weekend getaway to Long Island.
Castle, meanwhile, was in his study, talking on the phone with Frank, briefing him on the current situation and sharing the strategy he and Mozzie had devised. Particularly, after learning that Frank and his team still intended to expose Vice President Andrew's scandal at tomorrow's fundraiser, Castle emphasized their idea: avoid mentioning Andrew's South American dirt. Frank, Marvin, and Victoria all valued Castle's input, especially since they couldn't rely on their usual intelligence networks, given the political clash between the two parties.
Frank, impressed by the insider information Castle had, was increasingly convinced of his value.
After hanging up, Frank turned to the group. "What do you think of Rick's suggestion? Should we avoid exposing Andrew's South American scandal tomorrow and instead use the dirt on what he did in Africa? That way, we could make Andrew believe that Senator Charles Hahn betrayed him, and it would also better conceal our intentions while still damaging Andrew's reputation and political standing."
Victoria, always a fan of intrigue and manipulation, was the first to support Castle's idea. Coming from a country where scheming was second nature, she admired the notion of staying behind the scenes while letting others tear each other apart. After all, wasn't that what Britain's policy of appeasement had been about? Let others fight while staying out of the fray.
Frank had mainly asked for Victoria's support, knowing that Marvin's opinion, though interesting, wasn't crucial. Once sure Castle's suggestion was solid, Frank began preparing. First, they needed to get the dirt on Andrew's African activities, then use Castle and the little hacker's skills to infiltrate the hotel's system, ensuring a nasty surprise for Andrew during his grand speech.
Back at the estate, Castle and the little hacker were enthusiastically hacking into the Waldorf Hotel's system when Beckett and Bob Lee Swagger arrived at the estate, greeted by a massive sign reading "Castle Manor." Even the usually quiet Bob couldn't suppress a smile. Beckett, however, began to wonder if she had made a mistake dating such an ostentatious man.
When they entered the mansion, Beckett found Mozzie and Neil giving Alexis an art lesson, with no sign of Castle. Mozzie quickly informed her that Castle was upstairs and notified him.
Coming downstairs, Castle didn't even glance at the recently freed Bob. Instead, he headed straight for Beckett, only to be grabbed by the ear. "Are you out of your mind? Look at this. Who else on all of Long Island has such a massive sign outside their estate?
It's embarrassing! That sign is so big, you can see it from a mile away! If you like signs so much, why don't you move to Beverly Hills?"
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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