Chapter 171: Gourmet Food
From the moment I asked the Continental Hotel for information on Castle's identity, they immediately revoked my junior membership. This clearly indicates that Castle has a very close relationship with the Continental Hotel in New York, and it's even possible he has connections with Continental Hotels worldwide. Therefore, trying to use the Continental Hotel's channels to deal with Castle is no longer an option since they've canceled my membership.
So, I need to find another underground channel to take care of him. Reflecting on this situation, it all began with my subordinates' poor information gathering on Castle. Without knowing his full background, I rashly sent Larson, one of my best hitmen, to deal with him. Larson's failure led me to lose my composure and attempt to get more information through the Continental Hotel, resulting in the loss of my hard-earned membership. Vincent Adler, a seasoned veteran, was still shaking with anger over this blunder.
How could it be that I just wanted to eliminate a small threat to my plans, and this person turned into someone I dared not touch?
Vincent was smart enough to quickly realize his mistake. When Fuller successfully controlled Kate and Neal Caffrey predictably broke out of prison to find her, Vincent saw the dawn of fulfilling his long-cherished wish. This made him anxious, causing him to overlook the small guy and the writer by Neal's side, as he subconsciously believed his hidden motives wouldn't be discovered by them.
So, when Fuller reported that Kate was rescued under his watch, and the next day I received preliminary information about Castle, I called to threaten him. That's when things started to spiral out of control, beginning with my phone call to Castle.
Vincent Adler never imagined that Castle would immediately recognize his identity during that call. For ten years, due to a past case, I've been hiding from the relentless pursuit of the FBI, living under aliases. Who would have thought that just by mentioning I was Fuller's boss, this writer would instantly expose me?
Admittedly, that moment made my heart tremble when Castle identified me. Fortunately, he quickly expressed his desire not to be my enemy, and I accepted his submission at the time.
However, my damned control freak nature and compulsion to eliminate any instability led me to send Larson to deal with him, setting off the chain of events that forced me to retreat from New York and abandon all my arrangements.
In my safe haven in Argentina, Vincent Adler finally calmed down to reflect on his interactions with Castle. As a smart man, he was good at learning from his failures, a habit that helped him rise from obscurity to his current status. He realized that his downfall was mainly due to his own impatience. If he hadn't been blinded by the imminent success of his plans, he wouldn't have rashly sent Larson to kill Castle, and none of this would have happened.
After thoroughly reviewing his mistakes, Vincent knew that understanding the reasons didn't lessen his hatred for Castle. He, Vincent Adler, a prominent figure, was driven out of New York by a mere writer. How could he let this go without losing face?
He must show that writer who's boss. Now, in Argentina, Castle couldn't reach him. Vincent was determined to make Castle pay.
Luckily, the Continental Hotel's seemingly harsh cancellation of his membership made Vincent aware of the hidden powers behind Castle. This allowed him to withdraw to his stronghold before Castle could retaliate. The Hotel's actions also warned him that he couldn't rely on them to deal with Castle anymore.
However, with enough money, Vincent could find mercenaries anywhere. South America had plenty of outlaws, though none in Argentina met his standards. It would be better to hire skilled killers from Europe to deal with Castle. European assassins would have an easier time entering the US than those from South America.
Wait, wait, he was making another rash decision. Even though he wished Castle dead immediately, he had just returned from New York. His subordinates were still confused. The priority was to stabilize his men to prevent further chaos. Castle could live a few more days.
Vincent seethed with rage but knew he needed to pacify his people first. He didn't believe Castle could fend off multiple waves of professional killers.
Vincent, steeling his resolve, went to settle his subordinates and equipment in Argentina.
Unaware that he was now Vincent's primary target, Castle was happily dining with his daughter, enjoying Chinese takeout while complaining about the modified, overly sweet and salty "Chinese food."
"Dad, I know your Chinese cooking is good, but last time it was too spicy. Don't you remember suffering for days after eating most of that Sichuan feast yourself?" Alexis, seeing her dad grumble like a kid, couldn't help but speak up.
Castle sheepishly smiled at his annoyed daughter. "That was my first attempt, and I overdid the chili. Authentic Chinese food is amazing. What we're eating now is nothing like the real thing, just altered to suit American tastes…"
Alexis didn't understand why her dad disliked the sweet and sour "Chinese food" she enjoyed. As she took another bite of "fish-flavored pork," she mumbled, "I think it's pretty good…"
As a former foodie from the empire of food, Castle couldn't stand watching his daughter enjoy these pseudo-Chinese dishes. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Alexis, when does school start again? About a month, right? How about we go to China for real Chinese food? We can spend a month in Shanghai sampling authentic dishes."
Seeing her dad seriously consider taking her to China just for the food, Alexis sighed. "Dad, you're crazy. I thought it was outrageous when Mom took me to Paris for shopping during school. Now you want to fly to China just for Chinese food?"
Castle felt sorry for his daughter's ignorance. "Who said we'd just eat one meal? Alexis, there was once an American who vowed to try all Chinese cuisine. Three years later, he's still in Sichuan! Three years, and he hasn't even tasted all the food in one province!"