Chapter 15: The Ultimate Drama King, Richard Castle

Having confirmed that the side mission wouldn't start for another month, Richard Castle was relieved. After all, the plot hadn't kicked off yet, and he certainly couldn't just go find Bryan Mills and tell him not to let his daughter go to France, right?

The system's side mission was already issued, and it was specifically pointed out that the trigger point was Kemm being captured in France. For now, all he could do was watch these events unfold. If he changed the plot too prematurely and the system didn't acknowledge it, wouldn't he be at a loss?

To keep track of Kemm and Amanda's whereabouts, he could only rely on the hacker, the chubby kid. Yes, he needed to have a good talk with this little chubby hacker soon, see if he could be persuaded to join him and provide logistical support in the future. After all, a hero needs a team of three, doesn't he?

Brian, too, was a former CIA undercover boss. Think about the original story; wasn't there an awesome team helping him?

Just look at that domineering line from Brian, "I will find you, and I will kill you..." That has to be the gold medal dialogue in the coolest dad competition!

Compared to himself, who spent his days goofing around and playing with Alexis, Brian was just too cool.

That settles it! When participating in the mission to alter the plot, he had to wait for Brian to deliver this classic line to the foolish kidnappers before making his move. Ahahaha, as a prophet of the plot, that's just how awesome he was!

The carefree days of Richard Castle flowed swiftly like water, and soon it was the beginning of June.

Tonight was the night of the new book launch dinner.

Eagerly anticipating the event, Castle, to mask his middle-aged, somewhat portly figure, dressed up in a sharp suit and put on a pair of trendy sunglasses, trying to look as youthful as he had in his younger days.

He planned to make a brilliant appearance to leave a good impression on Miss Beckett.

Why was it that everyone else who was reborn or crossed into another world always appeared young and handsome, while he ended up as a greasy middle-aged uncle?

Luckily, apart from being a bit overweight, he was fairly well-off financially, and he had a cute and well-behaved daughter. Aside from a somewhat troublesome mother, there really wasn't much else to complain about.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. After a month in this world, Richard Castle finally let go of his past life's concerns.

At nine o'clock that evening, the bustling dinner party began. With the introduction by the publisher, Gina, Castle made a grand entrance amidst the screams of the surrounding fans and then got lost in signing autographs for the swarm of fans around him.

Gina pulled Castle out from a group of excited female fans and snapped a photo with him while complaining, "Is this what you really wanted? Killing off the bestselling male protagonist in your book as your revenge against me? Cutting off my income to punish me?"

"Come on, I might be short-sighted, but I'm not that petty," Castle replied to the camera with a perfectly toothy smile, soothing Gina.

"Really? Then why do you still insist on doing it?" Gina looked skeptical.

"Creating Derek once brought me great joy, but now, it feels like a never-ending job.

I just can't keep it up anymore.

But don't worry, didn't I tell you I already have new writing plans?

Trust me, Derek Statham is not our cash cow; I am!" Castle's heart warmed as he got closer to meeting Beckett.

After dealing with Gina and assuring her that he would still entrust her with his next book's publication, Castle made his way to the bar, greeted his mother Martha and his daughter Alexis, and ordered a champagne. As he chatted with his daughter, he waited for Beckett's arrival.

"She's here..." In the crowd, a figure with brown short hair and a spirited demeanor caught Castle's eye.

"Ding… System detection of the female protagonist's appearance, triggering the main system task, please proceed to the system panel to receive it…"

Just as Castle had always suspected, as soon as he saw Beckett, blending beauty and spirit seamlessly, the system finally issued the main task.

It seemed even the system acknowledged Beckett as the female protagonist. Isn't it just that the task release notification mentioned the appearance of the female protagonist?

"Mr. Castle, NYPD, Detective Kate Beckett. I have a case I need to consult with you about. Are you available now?"

Similar to the original series, Beckett, wearing a high-waisted leather jacket and looking sharp and efficient, got straight to the point.

"Hahaha, I've been waiting for you…" Castle, laughing like a pig in his heart, tried to suppress his triumphant excitement

 and responded to Beckett, "Hello, Detective Beckett, I am available now. Can you tell me more about the case?"

"Mr. Castle, thank you for your cooperation. Let's find a more appropriate place to discuss the case details. This environment isn't suitable for introducing the case."

Watching the strange expression on the greasy middle-aged man in front of her (actually Castle's excitement), the spirited Kate Beckett felt a bit uneasy.

"Sure, shall we go to your police station?" Knowing the plot well, Castle played along, feeling fully capable of making it in Hollywood on the West Coast.

Leading the way, Castle was unaware that Detective Beckett, following behind him, had a playful look in her eyes as she watched his back.

Sitting in the interrogation room he had seen countless times in the original series, Castle was completely at ease.

As Beckett entered, holding Castle's identification details and about to intimidate the frivolous man, Castle took the initiative to speak: "Alright, Detective Beckett, let's drop the pointless tests between us.

I want to know, what kind of case do you need help with? Let me guess, a murder case?"

"How did you know? What do you know?" Beckett's calm demeanor was finally shattered.

"It's obvious, isn't it? You belong to the Robbery and Homicide Unit. You just mentioned you have a case that needs my help, and I am a detective fiction writer who spends all day thinking about how to kill people!

You wouldn't be asking for my help on a robbery case, right?

So, a simple deduction, the case you need my help with can only be a murder case."

Richard Castle, the master of the plot, blatantly played the big bad wolf.

"Let me make an even bolder guess, did you come to me because there has been a murder case where the killer used a plot from one of my novels?" Castle spared no effort in acting like a psychic.

"How did you know?" Beckett, whose face had been calm, was shocked!

"I guessed it. Didn't I just tell you, I am a detective fiction writer. If I didn't have this level of logical thinking ability, how could I write books?" The drama king, Castle, was getting into his role even more.

"Mr. Castle, please answer my question directly, how did you know about the murder case that we have kept under tight wraps and have not disclosed publicly?" Beckett, originally just planning to consult with Castle, became stern as he flaunted his knowledge.

"I told you, I guessed it! How can one be a bestselling author without powerful associative logic skills?" Realizing he had overplayed his hand, Castle quickly began to act like an innocent bunny.

"Mr. Castle, where were you between two and six o'clock this afternoon?" Beckett knew the man before her wasn't the killer, but his arrogant and conceited demeanor was truly annoying.

Beckett decided to teach him a lesson.

"Great, playing tough and now I've played myself into a corner…" Castle was speechless.

But he still had to answer Beckett's serious question: "From one o'clock this afternoon, I've been at the hotel where we just held the dinner party until you came to find me. I haven't left the hotel."

A chastened Castle answered earnestly.

Actually, Beckett had never really suspected Castle from the beginning. Seeing him finally behaving, she didn't pursue further but calmly took out the case file and started to consult the egomaniac in earnest.

"Mr. Castle, here's the situation…" Beckett began to explain the case details seriously.

Castle, forced to act as if he had just heard the news, knew this was not the time to continue spoiling the plot. He quieted down and listened attentively to the case presentation.

"Could I go back tonight and look over my manuscript to find any connections and then give you a reply tomorrow?" After finally hearing the case details, Castle had achieved his goal: meeting Beckett. Knowing that haste makes waste, he proposed parting for the evening.

"That would be fine, thank you for your cooperation!" Miss Beckett also understood that things couldn't be resolved immediately.

"Alright, see you tomorrow…" Castle opened the door of the interrogation room, and suddenly, the familiar face of Captain Roy Montgomery, the victim of a tragic death in the series, appeared.

The good-natured captain with a balding head introduced himself with a smile, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Castle. I am Captain Roy Montgomery from the 12th precinct, and on behalf of the police department, I would like to express our gratitude again!!"

Looking at the captain from the series, who died protecting Beckett, Castle had a thought, "This time, I must save this kind and protective captain."

While many thoughts spun in his head, Castle's hand did not slow down as he reached out and shook hands with the respected captain

, quickly saying, "Helping the police is the duty of every citizen! I really can't take credit for your gratitude…"

As Castle continued to blabber, the amused Captain Roy Montgomery laughed heartily...

"I hope you can still laugh this heartily when I inadvertently cause you trouble in the days to come…" Castle's face also sported an ambiguous smile.

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