Castle weighed the pros and cons in his mind, wondering if revealing the blueprints for a scaled-up version of his drone, which resembled a Quinjet, might shock Northrop-Grumman's leadership into thinking he was just being reckless. But then he remembered that Northrop had previously designed and built the F-14 Tomcat, the world's only variable-sweep wing fighter, and his worries vanished.
Sure, the Russians had their own variable-sweep wing fighter, the MiG-23, but unlike the Tomcat, which could freely adjust the angle of its wings, the MiG-23 could only switch between three preset angles. The Tomcat was far more advanced.
The only reason the Tomcat was retired was due to its high maintenance costs, which became too much for the U.S. Navy to bear. That's how the F/A-18 Hornet, a collaboration between McDonnell Douglas and Northrop (sometimes jokingly called the "plastic bug" due to its use of composite materials), came to dominate as the Navy's primary carrier-based fighter. It held that position for years, only being phased out when the F-35 arrived.
The F-14's development showed that Northrop was a company unafraid to push the boundaries of aircraft design and engineering. Their expertise in airframe construction was evident in the precision and innovation that went into the Tomcat's aluminum-alloy variable wing mechanism, a technical marvel of its time. And later, they demonstrated their forward-thinking approach with the development of the Hornet, using high-strength composite materials to reduce costs and increase the jet's durability.
Given Northrop's history of technological boldness, Castle thought that introducing the Quinjet concept—based on a scaled-up version of his drone—might actually garner some interest from the company's unconventional engineers and upper management.
He had full blueprints in his mind, and once his supercomputer was up and running, he could subtly use his AI to check for any bugs or issues in the design before handing it over. Whether Northrop decided to build a prototype or not wouldn't be his problem.
Having made up his mind, Castle shared his idea of scaling up the drone into a general-purpose aircraft with the eager Senior Vice President. He mentioned that once the supercomputer was operational, he would run some simulations to assess its feasibility. Without waiting for the VP's reaction—whether joy or shock—Castle casually left the office.
He knew that even if the VP rushed back to report this to the company, they wouldn't act on it immediately. After all, his drone hadn't even secured the contract for the U.S. military's next-generation drones. Talking about new projects at this point was premature. Castle was simply planting a seed, and any serious development would only begin after his supercomputer was fully operational, which wouldn't be until at least the end of the year. The development of a new aircraft takes years, and if Castle miraculously produced detailed blueprints in just a month or two, people might suspect something was seriously off.
Right now, his primary focus was on getting the supercomputer up and running, and that was a long-term project involving the construction of the lab and installation of the necessary equipment. So Castle wasn't in any rush. He had only shared his idea to express gratitude to Northrop for helping him acquire the supercomputer. The real work would begin later.
For now, the most important thing on Castle's mind was his upcoming trip to Europe with his daughter.
The 12th Precinct, under Beckett's leadership, was finally experiencing a period of relative calm, with no major robberies, explosions, or assassinations. It seemed that, for now, no one was causing chaos in New York. Apart from the usual homicide cases, there hadn't been any major incidents.
With things quieting down, Castle felt the urge to invite Beckett to join him and his daughter on their European adventure. Unfortunately, that didn't pan out. While Beckett was open to the idea, Esposito, who had taken over Beckett's role after her promotion to captain, was still struggling to fully settle into his new position. As a result, there were still cases that required Beckett's experienced hand.
And let's not forget, the phrase "a shooting every day in the U.S." wasn't just an exaggeration. Even though there hadn't been any major incidents recently, the steady stream of homicide cases kept Beckett too busy to join Castle and Alexis on their trip.
In the end, after entrusting Moz and the chubby guy with overseeing the supercomputer lab construction and promising Neal that they would deal with Senator Pratt together once he returned, Castle and Alexis boarded a flight to Rome in first class.
Their first destination was Rome, not only because both Castle and Alexis were eager to see Gianna, who was about to give birth, but also due to a request from Sean, who had recently left North Africa for Europe. Sean's former subordinate, Frank, had encountered a serious problem that forced Sean to come to Europe. Sean advised against meeting Castle's granddaughter in the UK, citing potential risks, but felt Italy, the stronghold of the D'Antonio family, would be much safer.
Given Castle's close relationship with John Wick, Gianna's partner and the next in line to lead the D'Antonio family, meeting in Italy, closer to Africa, seemed far more sensible than meeting in the UK.
When Castle and Alexis landed at Rome airport, they were greeted by the sight of Gianna, heavily pregnant, and John Wick, standing next to a luxurious car that had been driven right onto the tarmac, waiting for them.
At that moment, Castle fully grasped the extent of the D'Antonio family's influence in Italy. They had the power to bypass airport security and pick him and Alexis up without even having to go through customs. Their reach was truly formidable.
As they settled into the spacious Rolls-Royce, Alexis was quickly swept into Gianna's maternal embrace, the two women chatting in hushed tones. Meanwhile, Castle shot a mischievous look at John, whose usually cold demeanor had melted into a warm smile.
John, clearly unnerved by Castle's persistent gaze, eventually snapped. "Rick, why are you looking at me like that?"
Castle burst out laughing. "Buddy, I just can't wait to see if you'll be driven insane by all the diapers and bottles in three months!"
The thought of the legendary John Wick, a man feared in the criminal underworld, being reduced to a father surrounded by baby paraphernalia was too much for Castle. He couldn't help but laugh at the image.
Gianna, overhearing the playful jab, laughed heartily. "Rick, don't tease him. John is trying hard to adjust to his new role. He's going to be a great dad!"
Alexis, clearly excited, chimed in, "Aunt Gianna, do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"
Gianna, who adored Alexis, beamed at her. "We've checked! It's a girl, just like you. She's going to be my little angel. I hope she's as smart and clever as you when she grows up!"
The idea of the fearsome "Boogeyman" of the criminal underworld being bossed around by a little girl had Castle laughing again. "John, I can't wait to see you following your little girl around all day..."
John's expression darkened, clearly displeased with the teasing. He wanted nothing more than to shoot Castle's smug face, but Gianna came to his rescue. "Alright, Rick, enough teasing John. Let's head to the family castle. My father says we're expecting a very important guest tonight. Do you know anything about this? He's sent Santino to Switzerland and raised security at the castle to the highest level."
Castle didn't hide the truth. After all, his father's arrival wouldn't remain a secret for long. "Yes, my father is coming tonight. He's Alexis' grandfather, and he has deep connections with the Elders. That's probably why your father is taking things so seriously."
Given Alexis' presence, Castle kept the explanation brief. Both Gianna and John, fully aware of the significance of Castle's father, didn't press for more information. They had their suspicions about Castle when they saw him with the dual-sided Lion of Wrath coin, and now that they knew his father had ties to the Elders, they decided not to pry further. After all, they would meet Castle's father later that evening. Any questions could wait until Alexis was no longer around.
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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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