Writing novels? For Castle, gathering material had never been a problem. He had plenty of ideas from the events he'd observed recently and from his long-term collection of interesting occurrences. Now, with Jarvis, tasks like formatting, error-checking, and grammar reviews were no longer a concern. In fact, if Castle really wanted to, he could let Jarvis handle the entire writing process. With Jarvis's increasingly advanced capabilities, supported by a server array Castle had set up, even multitasking—like overseeing Moe and Ramsey in the supercomputer lab or helping Castle with intelligence gathering—was effortless.
Ramsey and Moe, who were deeply entrenched in their work in the supercomputer lab, had barely left their workspace. Their love for technology, combined with the luxury of Castle's chef providing them with food, meant they were perfectly content to remain in the lab indefinitely.
Only Mozzie, after using Castle's supercomputer and AI to wipe his digital presence and effectively become a "ghost," reluctantly left on a new mission. Tasked with ensuring that Castle's carefully selected dark horse candidate for the upcoming election, Benjamin Arthur, remained on track, Mozzie headed to Washington, D.C. (referred to sarcastically as "Peanut Stew").
Benjamin, a candidate Castle had identified early, had recently gained significant popularity. His strong family background and clean image had turned him into a surprise front-runner in the polls. To ensure Castle's investment paid off—and to prevent other political backers from poaching Benjamin—Mozzie, now fully trusting in Castle's foresight, took on the role of close advisor. He utilized the AI for subtle, behind-the-scenes tasks, like gathering dirt on Benjamin's opponents, ready to expose them at key moments.
Castle himself, along with Gianna, couldn't make the trip. Gianna, still in her breastfeeding phase and primarily focused on caring for baby Onona, was Italian and couldn't be seen actively supporting Benjamin in such a high-stakes race. Castle, on the other hand, had his novel to finish and needed to stay at the estate to oversee the construction of his mechanical lab, which was nearing completion.
Thus, the task of shadowing Benjamin fell to Mozzie. Benjamin's increasing momentum only further solidified Mozzie's admiration for Castle's ability to pick political winners. Castle had identified Benjamin's potential long before big data and AI came into play. Now, with those tools at Mozzie's disposal, he felt it would be nearly impossible for Benjamin to lose the election.
By the time Castle finished writing the third Nikki Heat novel, the various odd and complex pieces of machinery he had ordered had arrived in shipping containers at the newly built mechanical lab on his estate. Given his extensive knowledge of mechanics and engineering, along with his desire to integrate AI control into the equipment so Jarvis could manage it, Castle had decided to handle the installation himself. He declined the manufacturers' offers to assemble the machinery, instead having it stacked outside the lab. After all, with thirty Russian ex-special forces soldiers working for him, manpower wasn't an issue.
After sending the manuscript to Gina, Castle threw himself into modifying the equipment. With Jarvis's help, retrofitting the machines was a straightforward process. The only real challenge was upgrading certain critical control circuits to allow for smart integration. With the help of his thirty-man team, the newly built lab quickly filled up with equipment.
Of course, Castle's new lab couldn't compare to the high-tech wonder of Tony Stark's Marvel world lab. Stark had decades of personal experience, his father's legacy, and the full resources of Stark Industries backing him. Castle, by comparison, was a small-time player. Still, with Jarvis running the show, Castle could proudly claim his lab was one of the most advanced on Earth. The simple fact that it was controlled by the only AI in existence put it far ahead of most other labs.
Finally, after several weeks of hard work, Castle's new lab was fully operational, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and stocked with a wealth of raw materials in its underground vault. The entire setup had cost him several billion dollars, leaving even Castle, who was flush with cash from selling off the Nazi treasures, feeling a bit dizzy when he saw the bill.
"Damn it, Hanscat! Three billion dollars for a single high-speed multi-axis precision machine?!"
Holding the invoice, Castle felt his blood pressure spike.
Still, good equipment is worth the price. After testing the newly modified machines, Castle found they exceeded his expectations. Jarvis's intelligent integration worked seamlessly, and the machines ran like a dream. Even the hefty multi-billion-dollar bill seemed easier to swallow.
The only person perplexed by the sudden emergence of "Castle Technologies Lab" was Beckett. She had never imagined that a novelist could casually spend billions of dollars to establish a high-tech laboratory. It gave her a new perspective on just how lucrative the writing business must be.
Fatty and Ramsey, who had stayed out of sight for weeks, made a brief appearance when the lab was completed. They marveled at what might be the most advanced mechanical lab in the world before retreating back to the supercomputer lab to continue tinkering with whatever projects they were working on.
With everything in place, Castle wasted no time putting the lab into trial operation. Since Jarvis controlled all the equipment, Castle's only task was to synthesize the high-explosive compound needed for the micro-missile he had dubbed "Ex-Wife." The rest—fabricating the missile body, testing the miniature engines, and running simulations—was all handled by Jarvis.
On the very first night of trial operations, Castle produced four micro-missiles at no expense spared.
The next day, word of his success spread quickly. John, Gianna (with Onona in her arms), Beckett, and Fatty all gathered at the lab to see Castle's latest invention. When they saw the small but potent missiles, they were both impressed and puzzled.
"You're telling me this tiny missile, despite its small size, can deliver a blast equivalent to two kilograms of TNT with only 15 grams of high-explosive? How is that possible?" Beckett asked skeptically, examining one of the unarmed "Ex-Wife" missiles. "And why on Earth did you name it 'Ex-Wife'? What kind of name is that? Are you serious?"
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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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