Chapter 26: By the Grace of Gianna

The decisive Sister Gianna lived up to her word. Less than an hour after hanging up the phone, Richard Castle received a call from a local New York number. The caller claimed to be Gianna's subordinate and asked if Mr. Castle was available to provide an address, as the lady had ordered them to deliver a box to Castle.

Bored at home and not wanting the D'Antonio family to visit his house, he told them he would pick it up himself.

The caller was polite on the phone and informed Castle that their location was at the D'Antonio family estate on Long Island. It would be appreciated if Mr. Castle could come and pick it up himself; they would wait for him at the estate.

Not driving his flashy Ferrari, which was too conspicuous, he switched to a low-key Mercedes S400 and sped toward Long Island. Along the way, he also took the opportunity to enjoy the rewards he received from the system.

Indeed, 'Vanessa Lopez's' driving skills were much more impressive than his previous amateur attempts. Despite being photographed by speed cameras multiple times due to his speeding as he tested his newly acquired driving skills, Castle didn't care.

With such speed, he made it to his destination in less than half an hour.

Parking at the grand, sprawling entrance of the D'Antonio family's New York residence, it looked like a vast estate indeed.

Castle couldn't help but feel envious of Gianna's wealth and John's good fortune to have such a generous benefactor. Wuu, look, look, the size of the free meal John is getting!

The guard at the gate had already been notified and even had a photo of Castle on an APAD. Upon seeing Castle arrive, he immediately confirmed that this was the distinguished guest the lady had mentioned and promptly ushered him into the main house.

In the mansion's grand hall, a very professional-looking butler expressed his regret that the master could not greet Mr. Castle personally and then politely asked if Mr. Castle needed any refreshments.

Castle, who had been envious of the lavish benefits since entering, had no intention of staying any longer. He stated he was just there to pick up the item and would leave immediately.

The butler quickly showed understanding and had a luxurious leather case brought up.

Castle, no longer willing to torment himself by staying, picked up the case and took his leave.

On the way back, knowing that his driver's license was in jeopardy, Castle didn't dare to speed again and drove back home obediently.

Once home, he couldn't wait to open the case, eager to see the mythical 'Lion of Fury gold coins,' which he had never seen before.

Upon opening the case, the extravagant generosity of Sister Gianna dazzled Castle with its brilliance!

Inside the case, neatly and densely packed, were about a hundred exquisite gold coins. To Castle's delight, there was even a manual included.

Picking up the manual beside the coins, the naive Castle learned that the 'Lion of Fury gold coins' he had seen in movies were just a facade.

The real 'Lion of Fury gold coins' were actually divided into three different grades, each with subtle differences and even laser security markings. A simple scan with a special scanner could easily verify their authenticity.

No wonder in the original series, when John handed over the coins at the Continental Hotel's front desk, a green laser scanned them.

In the underworld, many things cannot be purchased with just money. The 'Lion of Fury gold coins' actually represented a form of identity recognition.

Otherwise, in an underworld where anonymity and disguise are the norm, who would deal with you without reason?

For example, at the Continental Hotels around the world, if you don't have the coins, they won't serve you even if you offer cash.

It's a form of prestige as well as a protection of identity, but it's also a way for the 'High Table' to monitor the underworld.

Plainly speaking, these coins are like a membership card to the underworld, allowing its bearer access to items or information that can't be obtained through normal channels, or anything else illegal.

Whether it's arms, intelligence, banned substances, men, women, or even corpse disposal…

Like when Castle asked Winston for help purchasing arms; if it weren't for Winston owing a favor to Castle's father, it wouldn't have been possible for him to acquire such an arsenal. And all this was made possible only through Winston's personal connections.

The coins come in three grades: the highest worth about a million dollars each, the second about a hundred thousand, and the last about ten thousand each.

The already wealthy and generous Sister Gianna indeed made a grand gesture, with the highest grade coins in the case amounting to about twenty million dollars, not to mention the others.

Damn, though Castle knew that the D'Antonio family was one of the twelve brains of the 'High Table' and that the 'Lion

 of Fury gold coins' were actually a currency issued by the 'High Table' itself, he was still stunned by Gianna's display of wealth.

After seeing the manual, Castle realized how naive and ridiculous his plan to dominate with his prior knowledge of the original series was.

A single 'Lion of Fury gold coin' turned out to have three different grades, and without John's manual, Castle, who would have plunged headlong into the underworld armed only with theoretical knowledge, would have been utterly lost.

"Damn, the real underworld is deep…" Castle muttered to himself, sweating.

But, how deep could it be? He wasn't part of the underworld, and now with so many coins, his trip to France could be even more discreet.

For example, after taking down the Albanian traffickers and their behind-the-scenes handlers, he could call in a 'cleaner' to take care of the aftermath.

Or the mission to ensure Amanda's safety, he could now hire others with his coins and watch from behind the scenes as the 'grandfather.'

With a wave of his hand, Castle smugly stashed the case and coins into his personal space.

Now, according to the latest plan, he didn't need to deal with Bryan Mills; to keep track of Kem and Amanda's movements, he would rely on Alexis, the little spy.

Although she ultimately didn't want to go to Paris with Kem and the others, Castle was relieved to hear this.

He didn't want his daughter facing such dangers. Alexis not going meant he could complete the mission more comfortably as an observer.

Now, all he had to do was wait for Kem and Amanda to leave and arrive in Paris a day or two before them to arrange everything and wait for the plot to unfold.

Oh, right, he still needed to inform Beckett at the police station that he was going to France to handle some matters, just to avoid any slip-ups.

Go, go, go, do it now, and while at it, see if she could do him a favor and dismiss the pile of speeding tickets he had accumulated on his trip to Long Island.

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