The chubby guy wasn't entirely convinced by Richard Castle's analysis: "Uncle Rick, did you forget that Dominic and his crew are currently being hunted by Hernan and Hobbs? They're lacking everything right now; how could they possibly retaliate against Hernan?"
Castle smiled mysteriously, "Little fatty, did you think I went out yesterday just for a stroll? And why do you think I had you prepare that villa? Let me tell you, I stocked that villa with five cars and a cache of weapons. Not only can they defend themselves, but they can also strike back at Hernan with these resources!"
"What? Weapons? You even provided them with weapons?" The chubby guy was stunned by Castle's unexpected move. Just to watch the drama unfold, Uncle Rick managed to procure enough weapons to arm several people and five cars? What kind of dedication to stirring the pot is this? Who would invest so much just to enjoy the spectacle? Only someone like Uncle Rick could be so qualified a troublemaker. But how am I supposed to explain to Dominic and his crew that their safe house is stocked with so many weapons?
Seeing the chubby guy's conflicted and hesitant expression, Castle laughed heartily, "Just tell them you arranged the self-defense weapons through a friend. Whether they use them for defense or for a heist isn't up to you to control, right? Idiot!"
The chubby guy could feel Castle's malevolent joy towards the three feuding parties involved in this real-life show. It was clear that his Uncle Rick held no goodwill towards any of them and would love nothing more than to see them at each other's throats. He seemed to delight in chaos. But why was he himself starting to feel excited about the possibility of things escalating? Maybe, deep down, his innocent self was being led astray by his mischievous Uncle Rick.
Castle, showing no sign of realizing his role as a master instigator, continued to brainwash the chubby guy, "Don't worry. Your friend Tej is just a tech guy. Even if Dominic decides to strike back at Hernan, Tej isn't going to be on the front lines. None of the parties involved are good people anyway, so why are you so torn about it?"
With Castle's words lingering in his mind, the chubby guy felt less hesitant. He picked up the phone and, after confirming Castle's instructions one last time, called Tej. He told him that five cars were ready in the villa's garage and that there was a cache of weapons in the basement to ensure their self-defense.
He subtly hinted to Tej to inform Dominic and the others that he had a friend who could supply them with weapons and vehicles right under Hernan Reyes' nose. This reassurance was meant to ease their fears and give them a chance to think about possibly striking back at Hernan Reyes.
As Castle watched the chubby guy fake concern over the phone, suggesting to Tej that now was the perfect time to retaliate against Hernan while he was busy hunting them, Castle felt more confident in his plan. Who could have imagined that he had a portable space of a thousand cubic meters filled with weapons? These were the same weapons he had once bought through Winston at the Continental Hotel in New York. At the time, Winston had questioned why he needed enough armaments to start a small war. Now, they were proving useful. He had filled the villa's basement with guns, ammunition, and even a box of C4 – fifty kilograms in total! And not to mention the RPGs – four of them! If Dominic didn't feel the urge to take revenge after seeing this arsenal, no one would believe it.
After being hunted by Hernan for so long, Dominic's pride wouldn't let him back down now that he had the means to fight back. Castle was sure Dominic would take this chance for revenge, and with his brother-in-law Brian O'Conner, a loyal supporter, he wouldn't just stop him but also encourage him. Following Castle's plan, his main objective of coming to Brazil – to watch the drama unfold – would be fulfilled perfectly.
As the instigator Castle and his accomplice, the chubby guy, waited cheerfully in the hotel for things to spiral out of control, Dominic and his crew were at the safe house villa's basement, overwhelmed by the cache of weapons they found.
The first to express doubt was Roman, a friend of Brian who had come to Brazil with dreams of making a big score. He hadn't anticipated that shortly after arriving, he and Brian would be caught up in a relentless pursuit by Hernan Reyes. Exhausted and scared, he had been considering giving up. Seeing the stockpile of weapons in the basement, Roman's first reaction was disbelief. How could the tech guy Tej's friend manage to set up such a well-stocked armory in this hostile environment?
In Roman's view, the best course of action was to scatter and flee Rio de Janeiro, a place now filled with threats at every corner.
Meanwhile, Dominic was questioning Tej, the only one who had any direct connection with the chubby guy. Dominic also found it hard to believe that the tech-savvy friend of Tej's could have such vast resources. His gut told him that things weren't as simple as they seemed.
Blinded by vengeance and greed, Dominic realized he had underestimated the challenge of taking on Hernan Reyes on his home turf. Though they had managed to find temporary refuge in the affluent villa with Tej's friend's help, the unexpected arrival of the weapons was perplexing. How could a hacker from the USA arrange for a safe house and supply so many weapons in Rio?
Dominic's skepticism led him to set aside Roman's talk of splitting up and escape. He pulled Tej aside to get more information.
But Tej was equally baffled. He had only invited the chubby guy out of whimsy, not expecting him to become such a pivotal player in their struggle. To be fair, the chubby guy had warned them and helped plan their escape routes multiple times, saving them from capture by Hernan's men or the giant Hobbs. The safe house was even courtesy of the chubby guy's generosity. But faced with Dominic's questioning and the arsenal, Tej was at a loss.
"Maybe I should call him again and ask directly who this powerful friend is that set us up with all these weapons and vehicles?" Tej suggested, hoping for clarity.
Dominic nodded, looking at his brother-in-law Brian, "Alright, find out what you can. If everything checks out, we can use these weapons to give Hernan a nasty surprise…"
Tej went upstairs to contact the chubby guy, while Dominic turned to Brian, his brother-in-law and the brains of their operation, and asked, "Brian, what's your take on this situation?"
Brian O'Conner, a former FBI agent who prioritized love over law, replied confidently, "I don't think Tej's friend has any ulterior motives in providing these weapons, but I don't think it's necessarily a good sign either…"
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