Why? It's all because of that guy, Richard Castle, who has grown into a truly terrifying figure in just over half a year!
When Sean first met Richard Castle in Paris, France, Castle had only been in this world for less than two months. At that time, he had neither the status nor the power he possesses now. But ever since Sean's meeting with Castle in Paris, his son seemed to have entered "cheat mode," rapidly gaining influence. What surprised Sean the most was that Castle was supposed to be a novelist, so how did he suddenly display such extraordinary talent in drone design? Even more unexpectedly, thanks to this talent, Castle became a shareholder in Northrop Grumman by a twist of fate!
This development was the happiest thing for Sean because everyone knows that the CIA, despite its fearsome reputation, is actually one of the most misunderstood agencies. Whether on U.S. soil or abroad, the CIA has no actual law enforcement powers or operational authority!
Headquartered in Langley, Virginia, the world's largest intelligence agency technically only answers to the President. They don't have the enforcement authority like the FBI, which is directly led by the Attorney General. The CIA's function is limited to gathering intelligence. However, after the U.S. benefitted from two world wars and outlasted the Soviet Union, becoming the world's only superpower, they found themselves in a unique geographical position that allowed them to emerge as the strongest military and economic power, despite facing setbacks in Korea and Vietnam.
In this context, the CIA, originally just a wartime intelligence agency providing information to the White House, started to overreach.
There were calls to shrink the CIA after the Cold War, but why did it grow even larger? It's because they kept stirring up trouble globally! This investigative body gradually expanded its role, especially with significant support from the U.S. arms industry. When the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union collapsed, the U.S. considered cutting defense spending. This was a disaster for arms manufacturers who had profited from two world wars. So, the CIA, eager to cause trouble globally, and the arms manufacturers, anxious to find buyers for their weapons, teamed up. The CIA instigated conflicts worldwide, and the arms dealers sold weapons. Thus, the CIA grew into the behemoth it is today and gained operational authority it never originally had.
What reassured Sean was that despite Castle's reckless actions, his son had managed to become a shareholder in the only U.S. aircraft carrier manufacturer. This position could protect Castle from many unnecessary troubles.
No matter how powerful the CIA is, it wouldn't dare move against its financial backers. Castle might seem like just a shareholder in Northrop Grumman, but because he had agreed to exchange the licensing fees for his drone and flight control systems for shares, Castle had become one of the top private shareholders in the company.
These large defense corporations' shares are typically controlled by financial conglomerates or influential families. For an individual like Castle to hold so many shares is nothing short of a miracle, made possible by the recent financial crisis. Otherwise, Northrop Grumman's shares wouldn't have been so cheap.
Moreover, Castle's talents in drones, flight control systems, and his breakthrough ideas on the "Jericho" missile demonstrated that he was not just an ordinary writer. Northrop Grumman's investment in Castle's shares was more than justified by these innovations alone, not to mention his incredible productivity. Within such a short time, he had developed a prototype drone, and they were now considering moving on to manned aircraft. For Northrop Grumman, eager to catch up with Lockheed Martin, this was a worthwhile investment!
Regarding the CIA's threat to Castle, Sean initially worried that once their father-son relationship was exposed, the "Loxat" organization, hidden within the CIA and Sean's sworn enemy, would use Castle as leverage against him. But now, Sean was no longer concerned because Castle's status ensured he wouldn't be easily exploited. They wouldn't dare!
Despite the CIA's portrayal as all-powerful in movies, their main method is throwing money around. A closer look at their global operations shows that CIA agents aren't all like Ethan Hunt.
Their usual playbook involves showering people with money, equipment, and weapons. If that doesn't work, assassins like Jason Bourne come into play. From the 1980s onward, every CIA operation followed this same routine. Whether in the Middle East or tricking the Soviets' "little brother," these legendary CIA agents typically found a target, offered money and resources, trained their forces, and then watched the chaos unfold from behind the scenes.
For instance, the guy who led his gang to crash planes into the World Trade Center? He was trained by the CIA! While they initially trained him to disrupt the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the CIA eventually had to deal with him when he stopped following their orders.
Everyone labels the Taliban as terrorists, but before the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, when the Taliban were in power, the "Golden Crescent" had almost no poppy cultivation. Though the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas, they were remarkably effective in drug enforcement. Compare that to post-occupation Afghanistan, where armed U.S. patrols casually stroll past poppy fields. Why? Because the poppies are theirs now! The whole world knows that the U.S. military and the CIA are the biggest drug dealers, using military planes to transport drugs from Afghanistan back to the U.S. It's an open secret!
The same goes for Russia's "little brother." The shameless Americans convinced them to disarm their most crucial defense capabilities, and then "little brother" eagerly awaited NATO membership, only to find themselves on the brink of collapse. These were all the works of the CIA! Even Libya and Iraq were victims of their madness. They didn't even spare their NATO ally Turkey, stirring up internal conflict among the Kurds. The CIA is the world's biggest shit-stirrer!
So, it's no wonder the CIA collaborates closely with drug cartels in South America and Afghanistan. With all the dirty work they do, relying solely on government funding is unrealistic. Self-reliance is the way to go.
Sean had always been afraid to return home to find his son, even with his close ties to the top powers in the U.S., because of the enemies lurking within the CIA. But now, with Castle's successful entry into the arms industry, Sean could finally rest easy.
Recently, Castle had also unintentionally revealed that he possessed a mysterious transportation channel capable of smuggling treasure under the FBI's watchful eyes. Sean, understanding the difficulty of this feat, grew even more impressed with Castle.
What Sean didn't know was that Castle didn't have a mysterious transportation network—he had a cheat. He possessed a personal space with a thousand-cubic-meter capacity!
Castle had no idea that after driving off in the container truck John had found for him, he had left his father with an image of himself as an impressive figure. Right now, Castle was on a remote mountain road, loading his personal space's contents into the container. Fortunately, Gianna had already packed the paintings and sculptures, replacing the crates adorned with eagle and swastika symbols. Castle quickly tossed everything into the container.
After getting back on the road to Rome, Castle finally called his father. "I've picked up the goods and am driving them back. Should I head to Gianna's castle, or contact your people?"
Surprised by Castle's speed, Sean told him to drive back to the castle, saying he'd arrange for someone to handle the situation. All Castle needed to do now was bring the truck back safely, and he wouldn't need to worry about the rest!
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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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