Chapter 366: A Change of Mind
No one really knew what Jimmy was thinking—whether he had truly changed.
But one thing was certain: without Castle watching him, there was no way Jimmy would honestly stick to a regular job.
"I've changed," Jimmy insisted.
"A dog doesn't stop eating crap," Frank said flatly.
"You—!" Jimmy glared, about to snap—
—but Frank cut him off.
"Do you remember what I told you before? About joining Heisenberg?"
"Heisenberg…" Jimmy's eyes lit up instantly.
"I've already made arrangements on my end," Frank continued. "If you want in, I can set it up. Let's be honest—you're not really going back to school."
From Jimmy's reaction alone, Frank could already tell.
School was just an excuse.
If Jimmy truly wanted to study, graduate, and become a doctor, Frank would never have brought up Heisenberg again.
"So that's where you went these past few days…" Jimmy said, finally connecting the dots. "You disappeared to deal with Heisenberg."
His gaze shifted to Castle.
"Wait… he went with you. That means he's part of it too."
Jimmy's thoughts started racing.
"You had him watching me—not to stop me from stealing cars—but to test me. To see if I'm worthy of joining Heisenberg!"
He was practically narrating his own conclusions, getting more excited by the second.
Frank didn't correct him.
He simply took a sip of his coffee and let Jimmy think whatever he wanted.
"So," Frank said at last, "what's your decision? Go back to school—or join Heisenberg?"
"School? Screw that!" Jimmy replied without hesitation.
"If that's your choice, then leave for New Mexico tomorrow," Frank said.
"Tomorrow?!" Jimmy blinked, caught off guard.
"Yes. Tomorrow."
"That's way too fast…"
"Whether it's fast or not isn't up to us," Frank said calmly. "If you want in, go to this place tomorrow and call the number on it."
He handed Jimmy a slip of paper.
That was all.
No further explanation.
The rest—Jimmy would fill in himself.
Jimmy stared at the paper, excitement flashing in his eyes.
"You know a bit about Heisenberg," Frank added. "Don't tell anyone about it."
"…Not even Fiona?" Jimmy asked instinctively.
"Have you seen me tell anyone?" Frank shot back.
Jimmy paused.
Thinking about it… no one in the house knew what Frank had been involved in.
"Also," Frank added, his tone turning cold, "you're not taking Fiona with you. If you drag her into this, I'll make you disappear. You know I can."
"I… I get it," Jimmy said, a chill running down his spine.
He couldn't help but recall that unfortunate guy—his ex-wife's boyfriend—who had ended up dissolved into a pool of sludge.
That same night, Jimmy told Fiona.
He even pulled her outside to avoid being overheard by the others.
Of course, he didn't mention Heisenberg.
He made up some excuse.
Soon enough, their voices rose—an argument breaking out loud enough for everyone inside to hear.
Not long after, Fiona stormed back in, furious, marched upstairs—and started throwing Jimmy's belongings out the window.
"How'd it go?" Frank asked Castle when he returned. "Did he tell Fiona the truth?"
"No," Castle shook his head.
Frank sighed, a hint of disappointment on his face.
Even though he had repeatedly warned Jimmy not to tell anyone—especially Fiona—there was still a part of him that had hoped… just a little.
But deep down, Frank still hoped Jimmy would come clean to Fiona—tell her everything, hold nothing back.
That hope came from two very different sides of him.
As one of Heisenberg's founders, he wanted Jimmy to keep the secret.
But as Fiona's father, he wanted Jimmy to be honest.
Just like Pinkman had been.
Despite all the warnings, Pinkman had still told everything to that girl.
From a father's perspective, Frank couldn't help but prefer someone like Pinkman—simple, sincere—over someone like Jimmy, who was always slippery with the truth.
Compared to Pinkman, Jimmy wasn't even in the same league.
No wonder Frank had never really liked him.
And yet, despite that, he still chose to bring Jimmy into Heisenberg.
Because he had no better option.
This trip to New Mexico hadn't been without gains.
More than anything, it made Frank see Walter clearly.
Walter was no longer the man he used to be.
And that realization forced Frank to rethink everything.
Now, what Frank needed… was to secure his own stake in Heisenberg.
Walter was ambitious.
Right now, he was still inexperienced, still relying on Frank—and even on Pinkman.
If Frank were healthy, he could keep Walter in check. Keep that ambition confined to the lab. Keep the beast inside its cage.
But that was no longer possible.
With Frank fading, Walter would inevitably take control.
And once the restraints were gone, that "beast" would be unleashed.
Frank had never doubted Walter's intelligence—just like no one would ever doubt the genius of that billionaire playboy flying around in a metal suit.
Walter's only weakness had been his lack of exposure. Outside of production, he seemed clueless.
But with his ambition and learning ability, once he fully stepped into this world, he would grow fast.
Too fast.
And when that day came—when Frank was gone—
Walter would eliminate anyone who stood in his way and take complete control of Heisenberg.
It would become his empire.
Even if Pinkman stayed… he wouldn't stand a chance.
Yes, Pinkman had grown.
But his core hadn't changed.
He was still too soft. Too trusting.
Walter would have countless ways to deal with him.
Frank had tried—again and again—to persuade Walter to walk away, to hand over the formula, even invoking his family.
But Walter never wavered.
The man who once claimed to do everything for his family…
had already placed them second.
And that made him dangerous.
Very dangerous.
The Walter of today was someone Frank barely recognized.
And because of that, a quiet sense of unease had begun to grow in Frank's heart.
He was one of Heisenberg's founders.
The empire had reached this point largely because of him.
But in the end…
when a man dies, everything he built dies with him.
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