In New York State, Japanese mafia influence was nowhere near as prominent as it was on the West Coast in cities like San Francisco or Los Angeles. On the East Coast, especially in New York, the dominant criminal groups were Irish, Latino, and African-American gangs. Unlike the West Coast, where Japanese gangs such as those affiliated with the Yakuza held considerable sway, the Japanese presence in New York was minor by comparison.
Even after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI had recently cracked down on Japanese mafia organizations in the wake of the Christmas incident, deep-rooted infiltration over many years still allowed groups like the Yamaguchi-gumi to maintain significant potential influence on the West Coast.
However, despite their reputation, the Yamaguchi-gumi and other Japanese mafia groups in the U.S. were nothing more than paper tigers. Many of their eighth-generation leaders had been killed by powerful Chinese mafia groups operating on the West Coast. Despite their intimidating reputation back in Japan, these Japanese gangs were laughably weak compared to their international counterparts, resembling children playing house rather than hardened criminals.
Nevertheless, the current head of the Watanabe Corporation had dispatched his personal bodyguard and two so-called "hitmen" from the Yamaguchi-gumi to New York.
When Castle learned of this, he couldn't help but feel the absurdity of the situation. He had prepared himself for a serious confrontation with professional assassins, but who could have guessed that the old Watanabe patriarch would send such an amateur squad to kill him?
After eavesdropping on the conversations of the three "assassins" holed up in their safe house, Castle realized the truth: all three of them were merely "part-time" hitmen. Their actual roles were laughable. One was Watanabe's personal bodyguard, a former captain in Japan's Ground Self-Defense Forces who had no real combat experience. The other two were low-level Yamaguchi-gumi enforcers playing temporary assassins.
Jarvis quickly pulled up their full personal histories on the screen, revealing their lackluster credentials. Castle and John, who had initially been excited about Castle's "bait-and-trap" plan, both deflated immediately.
"Bait? What bait?" John muttered. "These clowns aren't worth fishing for."
Now the two were more concerned about whether Big Ivan, currently stationed outside the safe house with his team, could hold back enough to let these three amateurs escape. The goal was to pressure them just enough to force them to call for reinforcements from Japan or their more powerful West Coast allies before their operation crumbled completely.
Castle, realizing the significant oversight in his earlier intelligence due to his excitement, was momentarily at a loss. He wore an expression that could only be described as "WTF." Should he continue with the plan or scrap it entirely?
It was Big Ivan's voice over the comms that snapped Castle out of his thoughts. "Mr. Castle, although these three guys are amateurs—one with military experience but no combat record, and the others just some yakuza muscle—I think your plan can still work. However, we may need to adjust a few details."
Castle valued the advice of professionals and didn't hesitate to defer to Big Ivan's judgment. "Fine," he said. "You're on the ground, so I'll leave it to you. Just remember one thing: don't kill them right away. Give them enough time to call for reinforcements before deciding whether to eliminate or capture them."
With the knowledge that these three "assassins" were nothing more than part-timers, Castle adjusted his strategy. The "bait-and-trap" plan would continue, but killing these three was no longer a priority. One of them, Watanabe's personal bodyguard, could prove particularly valuable if captured alive. Even if Watanabe tried to deny involvement, the bodyguard's connection to him would make it nearly impossible for the old man to weasel out of responsibility.
But just as Big Ivan and his men prepared to teach the trio a lesson, something unexpected happened. The leader of the three, Watanabe's personal bodyguard, Sugiyama Hachi—a retired captain of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Forces—mentioned something during a conversation with his two Yamaguchi-gumi teammates that made Big Ivan abruptly halt the operation.
What could Sugiyama have said that was so critical?
It was simple: Sugiyama, completely unaware that all his electronic devices and communications had been hacked by Jarvis, let slip a crucial piece of information while trying to motivate his increasingly discouraged teammates. He revealed that their assassination plan hinged on an upcoming visit by representatives from Northrop Corporation.
The Northrop team was scheduled to visit New York to meet with Castle in an attempt to smooth over past misunderstandings. Sugiyama claimed that, thanks to a mole Watanabe Corporation had planted within Northrop, the three assassins would be smuggled into Castle's Long Island estate under the guise of accompanying the Northrop team.
This revelation stunned not only Big Ivan but also Castle, who had been monitoring the situation. Sugiyama explained that this contingency plan was their last resort, one they were instructed to use only if all other options failed. According to Watanabe's instructions, this mole within Northrop was a carefully cultivated asset, developed over years at great expense. Using them in this operation would inevitably expose their identity, so it was to be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
The fact that Watanabe was willing to burn such a valuable asset for the sake of avenging his son and nephew showed just how unhinged the old man had become.
The problem now was that while Sugiyama mentioned the mole's existence, he didn't reveal their identity. Without identifying this traitor, there was no telling what further damage they could cause in the future.
And why was Northrop Corporation coming to New York to meet with Castle in the first place?
The answer was simple: Castle had developed a groundbreaking technology—optical visual cloaking—and rumors of this invention had reached Northrop. The corporation, already on shaky ground with Castle due to their mishandling of a previous incident, now realized they were at risk of losing out on one of the most revolutionary technologies in military aviation history.
The incident in question occurred when Japanese agents kidnapped Castle's daughter. Northrop, motivated by its stake in a lucrative Japanese military procurement deal, had tried to act as a mediator between Castle and the kidnappers. This move backfired spectacularly, angering Castle and causing him to take his optical cloaking technology to their biggest competitor, Lockheed Martin.
The news that Castle had already made significant progress on this technology—and was now working with Lockheed Martin—sent shockwaves through Northrop's board of directors. In the competitive world of defense contracting, they knew all too well the implications of allowing Lockheed to gain exclusive access to this "black tech."
If Lockheed Martin were to integrate optical cloaking into their already dominant F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning IIs, it would elevate their aircraft to an entirely new level, securing countless military contracts and leaving Northrop in the dust.
Northrop's board immediately recognized the gravity of the situation. Emergency meetings were held with a singular goal: repair their relationship with Castle at all costs.
The corporation's leadership realized that Castle, unlike most profit-driven capitalists, made decisions based on personal values and emotions. Their previous attempt to prioritize profit over his goodwill had been a catastrophic misstep.
Now, with Lockheed Martin already courting Castle and rumors swirling that he was close to perfecting his optical cloaking technology, Northrop was in full panic mode. If they couldn't reconcile with Castle, the consequences for the company would be catastrophic.
For Northrop's board, the stakes couldn't be higher: failure to win back Castle's favor could very well mean the end of their careers—and the company itself.
(End of Chapter)
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