Chapter 18: Castle’s Return Fire

"Mr. Castle, thank you for your help and your brave actions, which enabled our police force to solve this case so quickly," Captain Roy Montgomery greeted Castle warmly as he walked into his office.

"However, Mr. Castle, Detective Beckett has informed me that you participated in the pursuit of the suspect knowing the risks involved. I must remind you again, such actions disregard your own safety and are against regulations. This will be noted in the case report."

Captain Roy Montgomery, though proud of the swift resolution of the serial murder case, was also frustrated with Castle's reckless involvement. Thankfully, this would be Castle's last interference.

Before letting him go, Roy needed to ensure Castle acknowledged his mistakes during the arrest, to preempt any issues from the district attorney. Despite these issues, Roy had to admit that Castle, besides being a skilled writer, had a knack for solving cases. If only he had such broad thinkers among his own staff. Poor Captain Roy wasn't familiar with the saying, 'It takes madness to find genius.'

"I apologize, Captain Montgomery, for any inconvenience I caused. I am very satisfied and happy with our collaboration, and I hope we can work together again in the future," Castle diplomatically responded.

"We welcome future collaborations with you, Mr. Castle. Now, if you'll excuse me," Captain Montgomery quickly moved to send Castle on his way, eager to avoid further trouble.

"I think we'll have the chance to collaborate again soon..." Castle left with a meaningful smile, leaving a baffled Captain Montgomery behind.

Exiting the captain's office, Castle did not run into Beckett, probably because she was interrogating Harrison. No matter, he thought, they'd see him soon enough, but today they could celebrate without him.

With a plan in mind, Castle walked towards the precinct exit while dialing the mayor of New York City, a fan of his books and a personal friend.

"Hey, it's Rick... Yeah, I need a favor... I've found inspiration for a new book, but..."

Castle's figure faded into the distance.

*Ding! "Host has assisted the female lead Beckett in solving a serial murder case and has actively participated in the plot, leading to the early capture of the criminal. As a random reward, the host is granted a life skill—Mastery of Szechuan Cuisine!!!"

Had the system not chimed in, Castle might have forgotten that each case solved with Beckett promised random rewards. But what did 'Mastery of Szechuan Cuisine' mean? Was he supposed to become a chef or remember his past life as someone from Sichuan, or perhaps conquer Beckett's stomach with Szechuan dishes? Could a pure American girl handle spicy Sichuan food?

Nevertheless, preparing a feast for himself wasn't a bad idea. After over a month in America, he found the local cuisine lacking variety—just pizza, burgers, and hot dogs, or overly sweet and weirdly adapted Chinese food like 'General Tso's Chicken' and 'Chop Suey,' which would surely flop in China.

Now, armed with the 'Mastery of Szechuan Cuisine' skill, why not take the opportunity to shop for authentic ingredients in Chinatown?

Acting on his plan, Castle headed straight for Chinatown. After all, where else in New York could you find genuine Pixian bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns?

Despite his typical Caucasian appearance, Castle impressed the Chinese shopkeepers with his fluent Mandarin, leaving one bemused shop owner to mutter, "Crazy...this foreigner speaks better Mandarin than me!"

"Hey, what are you doing? Is the house on fire?" Alexis exclaimed as she walked through the front door into a smoke-filled home.

"Oh, dear, you're back? Come and see, Dad has cooked authentic Chinese dishes tonight!" Castle called out from the kitchen, wearing an apron and juggling pans.

"What in the world are you doing? It's so smoky!" Alexis was curious about her dad's latest antics.

"I'm cooking Szechuan cuisine—one of the great Chinese culinary traditions. It's going to be delicious!" Castle hurriedly promised his daughter.

"Dad, did you forget to turn on the vent hood, or didn't you notice that the smoke detector is flashing? It's about to reach its alarm threshold. Unless you want the fire department to flood our home, you'd better turn off the smoke detector," Alexis advised as she dumped a metaphorical bucket of cold water on her father's cooking enthusiasm.

Castle looked up to see the smoke detector blinking a warning. He rushed to the control box to shut it off, then hurried back to continue bragging about his cooking skills: "Alexis, come, look at what Dad made today—boiled beef slices in chili oil, twice-cooked pork, pepper steak, and sliced pork with garlic sauce…"

His daughter interrupted his culinary show-and-tell: "Dad, weren't you at the police station

 consulting on a case? How did it go?"

Eyeing the impressive dishes on the table, Alexis felt her appetite whetted, but she was more intrigued by her dad's first detective outing.

Interrupted from showcasing his dishes, Castle eagerly launched into his tale: "Ah, the case, haha, it was cracked thanks to my brilliant guidance!"

"Wait, didn't you text me about another murder? It's solved already? How did you do it?" Alexis's curiosity was piqued by her dad's story.

Proudly, Castle turned off the stove, removed his apron, and stepped out of the kitchen: "Come, let me tell you about it. I went to the station this morning, just as Detective Beckett was about to head to the crime scene…"

As he recounted his story, emphasizing his critical role in unraveling the complex murder case, Castle was keen to elevate his image in his daughter's eyes.

"Wow, Dad, I thought you were just going to be a drag as a consultant. I didn't expect you to actually subdue the killer. That's impressive!" Alexis, knowing full well her father's usual antics, couldn't help but express her astonishment and newfound respect.

"Humph, no kidding, your dad is unbeatable!" Castle, basking in his daughter's admiration, was visibly swelling with pride.

"What about Detective Beckett? She sounds impressive. You mention her a lot," Alexis's gossip instinct kicked in, sensing more to the story.

"Oh, Detective Beckett, perfect timing, my dear. I have an idea, and I need your advice on whether it's feasible," Castle decided to share his plan with Alexis to see what she thought.

"What's the idea?"

"Well, I've finished the Derrick Storm series, right? I'm thinking of starting a new series based on Detective Beckett. I plan to volunteer at the police station and work with her on cases as research for my new book," Castle revealed his plan.

"Are you serious? You're just a writer; how can you act like a real cop? What if you run into danger? You haven't had proper training. Besides, would the police even agree to such a far-fetched scheme?" Alexis was stunned by her father's 'foolish plan.'

"Hehehe, don't worry about that. First, I'll sign a waiver with the police department that absolves them of any liability for accidents that happen while I'm volunteering for my research. Second, I've already spoken with the mayor, and he'll use his influence to ensure the police department agrees. After all, I'm just doing research for a new book, not actually becoming a cop. Lastly, don't worry about my ability to protect myself. Remember, your godfather taught me how to shoot. I'm pretty good now!

Don't worry, I'm very cautious. I won't go anywhere too dangerous. I'll just be following Detective Beckett around, so there's nothing to worry about!" 

With John Wick-level gun skills and a system space full of resources, Castle was confidently assuring his daughter.

"You're not falling for her, are you?" Alexis's suspicions grew; her dad was probably looking to make Detective Beckett her new stepmom!

"What do you think of my plan?" Ignoring her response, Castle looked expectantly at his daughter.

"Okay, but you have to promise me, don't actively seek out dangerous situations. Remember, you're not a cop; you're just a writer. You have a mother and a daughter to think about!" Knowing her father's stubbornness, Alexis laid down some ground rules, hoping he would remember them.

"That's more like it! I knew my plan was perfect! But let's table that for now.

Come on, come on, your grandmother called and said she won't be home for dinner tonight. It's just the two of us. Try Dad's cooking." Happy to have his daughter's support, Castle was eager for her to taste his culinary efforts.

"Wow, delicious... Wow, what's this dish called? It's so spicy... This Chinese food is different from what we usually eat..."

Father and daughter began their journey of enjoying Chinese cuisine, while at the NYPD 12th Precinct, Captain Roy Montgomery was on the phone with his boss, the Chief of Police for all of New York City.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Castle helped us solve a case today... Yes, very quickly... What? Have him involved in the investigation process? But that's not standard procedure..." Captain Montgomery was hesitant to comply with the Chief's suggestion to let Castle participate in investigations as a volunteer.

"Roy, do you know how hard it is to get the media to speak well of us? Now we finally have a bestselling author who wants to portray the NYPD in a positive light. This could significantly boost our image. Not to mention, this task comes directly from the mayor!" The Chief of Police was doing some serious convincing over the phone.

"

Also, don't worry about his safety. He'll sign a waiver.

We don't need to guarantee his safety; he's responsible for himself.

What you need to do is ensure that the detective who worked with him today cooperates well!

Roy, this is an order!!!" The Chief closed off any bargaining, making his command clear.

"Yes, sir! I'll arrange for someone to work well with him!" Captain Montgomery was somewhat dejected but also pleased; he had just hoped for a subordinate who could think outside the box, and here was Castle.

"Better tell Beckett about it tomorrow!" he thought.

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