Chapter 167: Alex

After several years, Alex was as stunning as ever, while Neal now found himself labeled by Alex as "a dog domesticated by the FBI." She didn't hide her sarcasm, making it clear that she had no intention of cooperating with an FBI informant in any capacity.

Neal, unfazed by the taunts, responded with a calm smile. He looked at the proud, almost defiant Alex and said something that stunned her to the core: "You don't want to work with me in any way? Really? Then you're not interested in the location of the U-845 submarine and what's on it either?"

Alex's mind exploded as if a bomb had gone off. Did Neal just mention the U-845 submarine? How did he know about it?

Her demeanor changed instantly. She stepped forward, grabbing Neal by the collar. "What did you just say? How do you know about the U-845?"

Neal maintained his calm smile, still in control of the situation. "Alex, do you think discussing the U-845 in a crowded shopping center is appropriate?"

The sudden mention of the U-845 had made Alex lose her composure momentarily. Neal's reminder brought her back to her senses, realizing this was neither the time nor the place for such a secretive discussion. She released Neal's collar and urgently suggested, "Then let's go to your place. We need to talk about this in detail."

Grateful that he had sent Kate to the West Coast earlier that afternoon, Neal discreetly wiped the sweat from his forehead, a mix of fear from Alex's sudden aggression and relief at his foresight. If Kate were still home and Alex came over, it would have been disastrous.

Thanks to Castle's morning attack, Neal had persuaded Kate to temporarily relocate to the West Coast to avoid any danger from Vincent's threats. Since he was still serving his sentence, he couldn't accompany her, but luckily Kate had left that afternoon. Otherwise, Alex's suggestion to talk at his place could have caused major conflicts.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Neal led Alex to 87 Canal Street, to June's mansion.

Alex marveled at the mansion, teasing Neal, "Is working for the FBI really this lucrative? Living in a mansion in the heart of Manhattan?"

Neal suppressed his urge to roll his eyes and retorted, "June is letting me stay here, and only the attic is mine. Don't get any ideas. Of course, once we find the U-845, everything will change."

Alex now believed Neal truly knew about her secret and her connection to the submarine. She was curious how Neal discovered these classified details. Nonetheless, she decided to wait for Neal to reveal his information, knowing that he must need something from her.

Alex walked into the attic, admiring Neal's cozy setup. "Even the attic is nice. Oh, look, there's women's underwear here. Neal, are you into something weird?"

Ignoring her personal jabs, Neal calmly explained, "Those belong to Kate. I sent her to the West Coast this afternoon to avoid getting caught up in what we're about to do. Let's have a drink. We have a lot to discuss tonight."

Alex's expression briefly changed when Neal mentioned Kate, but he didn't notice. He was busy selecting a bottle of wine. He then took the wine and two glasses to the rooftop.

After pouring wine for both of them, Neal got straight to the point. "Alex, you must have guessed why I wanted to see you. Yes, we know the secret of the U-845 submarine that sank off New York's coast in 1945, including how your grandfather, the radio operator on that submarine, encoded the passive sonar receiver signal in the music box's comb. We know everything."

Despite being mentally prepared, Alex was still shocked by Neal's knowledge. She had thought Neal knowing about the submarine was surprising enough, but he also knew about her grandfather. She felt completely transparent in front of Neal.

She asked with difficulty, "If you know all this, why do you want to see me?"

Neal took a sip of his wine before continuing, "Alex, I don't plan to search for or salvage the submarine myself. Someone else is after it—my former boss and mentor, Vincent Adler. You might not know, but his father served on that submarine with your grandfather and was one of the three survivors. Vincent has known about the submarine all along and has spent the past decade searching for it."

Alex, intrigued by Neal's revelations, listened quietly without interrupting.

Neal went on, "You know that four years ago, I was caught by the FBI and imprisoned. Just four months before my release, Kate suddenly visited and broke up with me. It turned out Vincent thought I had the music box we stole in Spain, so he used Kate's safety to pressure me into giving it up. With the help of friends, I found Kate and discovered Vincent was behind everything. Naturally, I couldn't let it go, so I sought you out for cooperation."

Alex, still skeptical, asked, "Cooperation? For what? Finding the submarine? Do you realize how much manpower, resources, and money that requires?"

Neal motioned for Alex to be patient and let him finish. "No, we don't need to find the submarine ourselves. We just need to find the music box before Vincent. Then, we can give it to him, let him spend his resources to locate the submarine, and when he's least expecting it, hit him hard and take everything. How does that sound?"

Alex, unrelenting in her sarcasm, responded, "You're crazy. Do you know who he is? He's Vincent Adler! You plan to double-cross him? Have you forgotten he taught you everything about strategy and the big picture?"

Prepared for this reaction, Neal shared his and Mozzie's plan, carefully omitting Castle's involvement, to gain Alex's trust. He explained their ultimate strategy to involve the FBI, ensuring Vincent's capture after he salvaged the submarine.

After hearing Neal's plan, Alex didn't immediately decide. She cautiously told Neal she needed time to think before giving him an answer.

Neal just reminded Alex not to share what he had told her with anyone before letting her leave. He was confident she wouldn't betray him because of her unresolved issues with Vincent. After all, Vincent's father had betrayed Alex's grandfather, leading to his imprisonment as a war criminal, so Neal had no fear of her siding with Vincent.

After Alex left, Mozzie emerged from the closet, uncertain if Neal's words would convince Alex to join their plan. Neal, however, was confident. "Don't underestimate Alex's obsession. Like Vincent, she's extraordinarily interested in finding that submarine. Otherwise, why would she have dragged me into stealing that music box in Spain?"

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