Chapter 121: Complex Side Quest
Neal was taken aback by Castle's question. After a moment, he responded quickly, "Rick, just say what you mean. Don't worry about me not being able to handle it. Given my current situation, I can take any bad news!"
Castle quickly calmed Neal down and reiterated what he had told Mozzie before. "Neal, don't rush. I mean, from your story, it's clear that you and Kate truly love each other. She waited for you for three years and eight months. With only four months left until your release, she suddenly visited you in prison to say goodbye and then disappeared within two days. You even broke out of prison three days after your last meeting, risking everything, yet you couldn't find her. Does that seem normal to you?
I don't think it's normal. If it's not normal, let's think about what could make Kate say goodbye and vanish?"
Castle's words were not new to Neal, as Mozzie had already relayed everything Castle had said before. Neal carefully considered his words before telling Castle that he believed someone might be after the art collection he had gathered through various cons and scams over the years. Since he was in prison, they might have targeted Kate. Under such circumstances, Kate might have been forced to disappear after saying goodbye to him in prison.
After listening to Neal's reasoning, Castle offered a new perspective that Neal hadn't considered. "Neal, could it be that someone needed to find you or needed your help, but because you were in prison, they made Kate break up with you and then controlled her, predicting that you would break out to find her?"
Castle's suggestion stunned both Neal and Mozzie. What kind of mind would come up with such an outlandish idea?
Neal laughed, "Rick, if someone is after me, for what reason? Even if they wanted to find me, they should have contacted me when I broke out. Why would they let me get caught by the FBI again?"
Castle looked at Neal's skeptical expression and asked, "But now you're out of prison again, and Kate still hasn't appeared. Don't you think that indicates she might be under someone's control? And as for why they didn't contact you, maybe the timing wasn't right. You're working with the FBI every day, and maybe the person controlling Kate isn't ready yet!"
Even though Castle knew the story well, he couldn't reveal everything directly. His vague explanations couldn't fully convince Neal. Seeing this, Castle didn't push further. He knew today's conversation was to plant a seed of doubt in Neal's mind. When Neal eventually encountered Agent Fowler, who was controlling Kate, he would remember Castle's words and possibly seek his help, giving Castle a legitimate reason to join Neal's plans.
Mozzie suddenly interrupted, "Gentlemen, our priority should be finding Kate. Once we find her, we can ask her directly. Isn't that better than speculating here?"
Mozzie's words made Castle and Neal smile at each other. Yes, finding Kate was indeed the most important task.
Castle reassured Neal, "Neal, don't worry. Since you trust me to help, I will do my best to find Kate quickly. I'll visit King at Barry Street soon and entrust this task to him."
Neal, full of gratitude, was about to thank Castle again when Castle waved him off. "No more thanks. Let's talk about something else. I heard you helped the FBI catch the guy forging Spanish war bonds right after joining them. Tell me about it."
Seeing that Castle didn't want more thanks and had changed the subject, Neal wasn't offended. After all, the new topic was something he was proud of. Neal began explaining his first case with the FBI.
"Rick, I was released from prison to help the FBI solve cases. They agreed to my proposal because they were struggling to catch a guy nicknamed 'The Dutchman,' who was forging valuable securities and the new Canadian hundred-dollar bills. They couldn't catch him, so they brought me out, hoping I could help find him.
I have to thank Mozzie for his insight. He said, 'The biggest regret for counterfeiters is not being able to sign their names on their forged art.' That reminded me to look for a signature, and I found 'C.H.'—Curtis Hagen—on a Spanish war bond. With that, we caught 'The Dutchman,' and I was officially hired as a consultant for the FBI's White Collar Crime Division!"
Though Castle knew the story from the original show, hearing it directly from Neal excited him.
After chatting a while longer, Castle stood up to leave, intending to visit King at Barry Street to fulfill his promise to Neal and check the system for the new side quest.
Knowing Castle was heading to Barry Street, Neal didn't try to keep him. After another hug, Neal watched Castle leave.
"Mozzie, Rick is a true friend, don't you think?"
"Yes, he is," Mozzie replied, sipping his wine. "I've told you before, Rick entrusted me with handling some art collections, including a staff from Tutankhamun worth nine figures. He didn't hesitate to give it to me and even said he'd give me a cut. Such trust from someone like Rick is rare for people like us."
"Since Rick trusts you so much, you mustn't let him down," Neal said.
"Of course," Mozzie replied firmly, finishing his wine.
Unaware of Neal and Mozzie's conversation, Castle was cursing under his breath on the street.
"Damn it, system! Why so many side quests? Almost as many as my main quests!"
Castle was frustrated because, after leaving Neal's loft, he checked the system, only to find a long list of side quests.
The system panel displayed several side quests related to Neal Caffrey:
1. Help Neal Caffrey find his missing girlfriend, Kate Moreau, and help her escape the control of FBI Agent Fowler and the hidden mastermind, Vincent Adler. Before Adler finds the treasure-laden German U-boat off the New York coast, locate it first.
2. Help Neal find his framed father, James, and ensure that Senator Pratt, who framed Neal's father, gets his due punishment. Prevent Pratt from silencing Ellen, who raised Neal and was James' former colleague.
3. Within five years, fulfill Neal's wish to be free from FBI surveillance legally.
The system stipulated a five-year deadline to complete these side quests, after which rewards would be issued in a lump sum, unlike previous incremental rewards. This message left Castle dumbfounded.
"Su-ka-blyat..." Castle muttered, staring at the extensive list of tasks on the system panel.
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter