Listening to the chubby guy bragging on the phone, Castle almost burst out laughing. This chubby guy really had a knack for intelligence gathering. Castle had asked him to check on Simon's group's movements and to monitor their communications. He didn't expect the chubby guy to be so efficient. In just a few days, not only did he find out where Simon and his group were hiding, but he also uncovered their detailed action plans. It seemed Castle had always underestimated the chubby guy's talent in intelligence work.
While Castle was still musing about this, the chubby guy continued his chatter on the phone: "Uncle Rick, I must thank you for the second drone you gave me. Without the laser eavesdropping device you installed on it, I wouldn't have been able to gather this information so easily. As you know, Simon's group would never discuss their robbery plans openly over the phone. Fortunately, your drone's laser eavesdropping device could pick up their conversations from one or two kilometers away. That's how I found out about Simon's talks with his bomb expert, Faris Tagg."
"By the way, Uncle Rick, shouldn't we inform the police about this intelligence in advance?"
Castle's voice came through the phone, calm and composed: "Chubby, do you want to see the police calmly arrest Simon's group, or would you prefer to watch an extremely exciting show, possibly even the Federal Reserve vault getting robbed?"
The chubby guy chuckled, "Of course, the big show is more exciting. But Uncle Rick, Simon is a complete lunatic. If we let him carry out his robbery plan, won't a lot of innocent citizens get hurt? He's planning to blow up the Wall Street subway station at around nine in the morning, and there are a lot of people there at that time."
Obviously, the kind-hearted chubby guy was still worried about innocent people, unlike his Uncle Rick, who was more callous.
Castle was aware of this drawback, but he had no choice. The side mission given by his crazy system required him to intervene only after Simon had started his plan. Castle knew he had to alleviate the chubby guy's concerns to avoid leaving a shadow in his heart. Fortunately, Castle had a plan for this scenario. He assured the chubby guy that he would find a way to evacuate the Wall Street subway station.
In fact, when Castle first learned that he had to wait until Simon started his plan to intervene, he had already anticipated this situation. Otherwise, why would he warn Beckett and Captain Montgomery? As soon as the bomb in the department store exploded on the day of Simon's action, Castle would have Beckett evacuate the Wall Street subway station. He believed that the department store bomb would give him enough leverage to convince Beckett to act.
Castle knew that letting Simon carry out his plan would inevitably result in casualties, no matter how much he tried to prevent it. But compared to the number of casualties if he hadn't intervened, his involvement would surely reduce the damage.
Moreover, Castle had a secret he couldn't reveal: he had no real sense of belonging to the American people of this world. Apart from his friends and family, he didn't care about the fate of American citizens. After all, his real soul belonged to a man from the great celestial dynasty, with mature values. He would lend a hand when he could save people without endangering himself, but he wouldn't risk his own safety to save more lives.
Of course, he wouldn't share these thoughts with the naive chubby guy. However, he hadn't lied to him either. He had informed Beckett and Captain Montgomery about Simon's plan the day after he learned about it. Captain Montgomery had reported this intelligence to his superiors and the NYPD. Even John McClane, a crucial figure in this matter, had been notified by Captain Montgomery, though John hadn't taken it seriously. But that wasn't Castle's concern.
Once Simon set off the first bomb, Castle would have Beckett evacuate the Wall Street subway station. Then, he would discreetly inform her about the location of the fake bomb at Chester A. Arthur International School, allowing her, Esposito, and Ryan to earn some major credit. This would significantly benefit Beckett's career.
As for Castle, he planned to stay behind the scenes, following Zeus and John, waiting for the right moment to sabotage Simon's final escape plan and intercept the hundred tons of gold bricks.
This time, Castle didn't want to be in the spotlight. He preferred to be the orchestrator, letting Beckett, the young caped crusader, and the still-hairy John McClane take the glory.
The main reason Castle didn't want the spotlight was that he couldn't face Beckett right now. Since he had given her the vague intelligence about Simon's plan a week ago, he had been busy building drones for the chubby guy and hadn't seen Beckett. Proud Beckett had tried everything in the past week but failed to find any trace of Simon's well-trained gang. Although all signs pointed to the accuracy of Castle's warning, Beckett had been frustrated by the lack of concrete intelligence.
She knew Castle had more information, and if she could bring him in for questioning, she might get the clues she needed. But stubborn Beckett didn't want to admit defeat. She believed that as a police officer with so many resources, she should be able to find Simon's gang, unlike the idle Castle.
But reality had slapped Beckett in the face. Simon's gang had successfully evaded her near carpet search, leaving no trace.
So Beckett was furious these days. Esposito had secretly informed Castle about her mood, knowing that if Castle didn't talk to her before Simon's plan unfolded, he might not have the chance later.
Luckily, Castle had prepared a scapegoat. He could attribute all his intelligence to the chubby guy, so he wasn't worried. Holding two cups of coffee, he walked into the 12th precinct.
Seeing Castle stroll in as if nothing had happened, Esposito immediately snickered, "Hey, writer, you dare come in here? Because of your vague tip a week ago, we've been living in hell. You're dead meat. Beckett's really mad right now!"
Ryan, hearing Esposito's teasing, turned to mock Castle as well: "Castle, if I were you, I'd turn around and run. Beckett's in the captain's office now and hasn't seen you yet. If she comes out and sees you, you're toast!"
Castle wasn't bothered by their teasing. He casually handed the two cups of coffee to Esposito and Ryan, then smiled, "Guys, I'm here to save you today. Instead of being grateful, you mock me? Is that fair?"
Esposito and Ryan, surprised by the coffee, accepted it, "Wow, this is the first time we've had coffee from you. I'll give you a tip for the coffee: Beckett's really pissed off, so don't run into her."
Castle smirked, "I'm not afraid of her. Besides, I've got all the intel on those robbers. Didn't I say I'm here to save you? Do you think Beckett will still be mad?"
"What do you think, Mr. Castle..." Just as Castle was boasting to Esposito and Ryan, Beckett's voice came from behind him.
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