Chapter 14: A Month’s Preparation for the Mission

Castle, well aware of Santino D'Antonio's character and the likely unfolding events, was skeptical about Gianina's strategy of winning without a fight. He understood that Gianina's main goal was simply to keep John Wick close to her, essentially as a convenient tool for her own needs.

While Gianina's plan appeared tight and prepared for any contingency, it was mostly a show for John. After all, without any real threat materializing yet, how could she take the situation seriously? It was merely a case of setting a trap and waiting.

Regretfully, Castle's original plan for John to deceitfully agree to Santino's request and then betray him at a crucial moment, to make Santino feel the sting of being outsmarted, was no longer in his control. However, Castle believed it was better to avoid unnecessary complications, confident that Santino's own inflated ambition would lead him into the trap eventually.

With John now embarking on a tragic yet vital role as a tool, Castle thought he might send some supplements to him someday—nothing as aggressive as Pfizer products, perhaps something milder like Liuwei Dihuang pills to subtly hint at the humorous side of the situation.

Thus, Castle decided to let John's situation rest for now, turning his attention to preparing for his upcoming encounter with Beckett.

"Ah, I remember Beckett will appear at my book launch because of a series of murders that mimic scenes described in my book. The first victim covered with flowers… what was her name again? Oh right, Alison, and wasn't it her brother who turned out to be the killer?

It seems I'll have to rely on this opportunity, along with the usual plot mechanisms—like the mayor pressuring the police—to stay close to Beckett.

However, regarding her mother's murder, which is her biggest hang-up, it's best not to reveal too much until I've gained her complete trust.

And as for what main missions the system might assign me, I have some guesses, but I'll wait for the system's tasks before finalizing my plans for the next while."

Richard Castle, feeling quite content with his arrangements, believed everything was in place—except for the east wind.

"Alexis, you're back?" Castle, sitting in his study, heard the front door open.

"Yes, Daddy, it's almost the weekend, and I haven't really talked to you for almost a week, so I came straight home after class," his red-haired daughter replied as she walked into the study and hugged him.

"That's right, it's nearly the weekend. Do you have any plans? How about I take you out?" Though Castle tried to play the cool dad, he still felt a bit awkward about the affectionate gestures from his daughter.

"Ah, have you finished with your new book? Tomorrow I've made plans with friends to go to Greenwich Village, so I might not have time to hang out with you!" Alexis replied regretfully.

"Right, the new book… Oh, speaking of which, one of your classmates, Kim Mills—remember her? She's invited you to spend some time in Paris over the summer holidays. What do you think? Can I let you go?" Alexis mentioned another matter that had been on her mind.

"Kim? The blonde girl who's a few grades above you, right?" Castle racked his brains, recalling a blonde girl.

"Yes, and Amanda will be there too. They're planning to experience the art scene in Paris during the long summer holiday. Kim ran into me today at the school cafeteria and invited me. I was hesitant, so I told her I'd ask for your opinion first," Alexis said, showing maturity beyond her years in some respects.

"Hahaha, Paris, huh..." The mention of the destination immediately brought to Castle's mind an image of a troubled John Wick, which sent his thoughts spinning into humorous territory.

"Daddy, are you listening to me?" Alexis noticed her father's distracted smile and knew he was lost in his own thoughts again.

"Ah, yes, sorry, dear. I just got sidetracked. Your classmates invited you to travel to France? Do you want to go? By the way, your godfather is in France right now too—not in Paris, but in Marseille!" Castle quickly apologized and casually dropped John's name.

"Why would my godfather suddenly be in Marseille?" Alexis wondered.

"Heh, he's planning to find you a new godmother…" Castle started, not being entirely serious.

"Really? Has he finally moved on from Helen's death?" Alexis seemed genuinely happy for her godfather.

As always, Castle was eager to dive into gossip, even if the subject was his daughter's godfather. "Yes, yes, dear, let me tell you, the new godmother he's considering is quite impressive…"

Meanwhile, back in Marseille, just after hanging up with Castle, John felt a sudden chill over his body…

In the Manhattan study of Castle

's house, as he planned John and Gianina's love story, he suddenly remembered something important: "Dear, you mentioned your classmate Kim invited you to Paris for the summer? Is her last name Mills? And there's another girl, Amanda? Is she also blonde, and a few years older than you?"

"Daddy, what's wrong? You didn't listen to anything I just said. Yes, both Kim and Amanda are blonde. How did you know Kim's last name is Mills and that she's two grades above me? And Amanda is graduating this year, a grade above Kim. Is there a problem?" Alexis was confused.

"Is there a problem? It's a huge problem…" Castle's mind was racing. The storyline was all too clear to him now—it was "Taken," featuring the fearsome protective father, Bryan Mills.

"I knew it, this world is just too dangerous..." Castle lamented internally.

Ding—"Host has triggered a side quest, 'Taken'. For details, please consult the mission panel," the system announced just in time.

"Dear, of course I know about Kim Mills. Didn't I meet her father at the school's parent-teacher conference at the beginning of the semester?" Castle tried to pacify his daughter while planning to check the new system task.

"Alright, Alexis, go do your homework. Daddy needs to check something!"

"But Dad, you haven't answered yet—can I go to Paris with Kim and the others during the summer vacation?" Alexis was clearly keen on the trip.

"My dear, I promise I'll consider it carefully, okay? We still have some time before the holidays, right?" How could Castle agree to let his daughter go to Paris just like that? At least he had to read the mission details first.

Satisfied with her father's promise to consider it, Alexis happily left the study.

Exhaling deeply, Castle couldn't wait to open the system's mission panel. "Huh, why has the style of the system panel changed?" he murmured to himself.

On the system panel, the following text appeared:

Side Story Mission: Participate in "Taken" in one month and actively alter the storyline.

Mission Details: Help Bryan Mills rescue Kim Mills. (Note: Kim must board the plane to Paris, be deceived by the airport thug Pete, and be captured by the Albanian trafficking organization at Amanda's cousin's house for the story to officially start); Save Amanda's life; Destroy the trafficking ring; Eliminate the masterminds behind the girl trafficking organization.

Mission Rewards/Penalties: Successful completion of the mission will grant a random reward. Note: Host understands ^^^^^^

Mission Tips: The host can infiltrate Amanda's cousin's house before the mission officially starts. Once the story begins, follow the Albanian traffickers to initiate the rescue, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

"What's with the 'I understand ^^^^^^'? Is this system getting less formal?" Castle read the mission details with a frown.

"The system has been upgraded with a new interactive interface due to a lack of missions, hoping the host enjoys the new setup…" The system responded promptly to Castle's comment.

"What to do if the system becomes too clever? Online waiting, very urgent…"

"Well, I've got a month until the mission starts, so there's plenty of time," Castle resignedly accepted his reality, already planning his next steps in this increasingly complex world.

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