Chapter 25: Bluffing Through

Beckett, watching Castle perform his charade, couldn't help but let out a scoff, "Mr. Castle, perhaps you haven't realized yet, but I am a professional detective. Do you really think your riddled explanation can convince me that all this was just a coincidence?"

Caught off guard by his failure to deceive Beckett despite his best efforts, Castle was at a loss for words, "Uh..."

"Alright, Mr. Castle, you may have your secrets, and regardless of that, you indeed helped us solve a high-profile robbery case. So, as far as your secrets go, I'm not overly concerned, especially since the outcome was very satisfactory. However, I must clarify that while we allow you to accompany us, that doesn't mean you can go off and investigate on your own without informing us. Besides the issues of your safety, you also don't have the authority. Is that clear?" Beckett sternly warned Castle against such undisciplined actions.

Beckett had beautifully misunderstood the situation, thinking Castle had merely played the hero, investigating on his own.

This also perfectly explained why he was able to directly locate the hidden loot.

Castle quickly grasped the core issue at hand, realizing that Beckett's concern was mainly about him conducting an investigation without police involvement, rather than the suspicions his prior knowledge might have aroused.

"Alright, I understand, Detective Beckett. Thank you for your concern. If there's a next time, I'll report to you first!"

"Mr. Castle, you're here? Could you please come to my office for a talk?" Captain Montgomery, spotting Castle, promptly invited him in.

After all, it was only fair to offer some explanation to someone who had played a significant part in resolving the case but had been overshadowed during the press conference.

Seated in Captain Montgomery's office, Castle chuckled silently. In truth, he wasn't bothered by the lack of recognition; attributing the success of the case to Beckett was precisely what he had hoped for.

Yet, with the captain feeling apologetic, it was an opportune moment to secure some benefits.

After hearing the captain's remorseful explanation, Castle responded with a smile, "Thank you, Captain Montgomery. I agree that keeping my role in the case discreet is ideal, as I'm not a police officer and recognition means little to me. However, you can't deny I played a significant part in solving this case, right? So, I don't need any awards from the police. All I ask is to continue working alongside Detective Beckett, to witness more cases, and enrich my new book with various scenarios. That's not too much to ask, right?"

"Of course, Mr. Castle, as long as you ensure your safety, you can keep working with Detective Beckett. That's a promise from me and the NYPD!"

Pleased with Castle's understanding, Captain Montgomery made a significant commitment, delighted by the arrangement.

"Thank you, Captain Montgomery. I won't disturb you any further. I'll be leaving now." Having achieved his goal, Castle tactfully exited the captain's office.

Beckett, sitting at her desk, looked up at Castle, "What did the captain say?"

Castle, all smiles, replied, "Detective Beckett, it looks like our partnership will continue for quite some time!"

Time flew by, and it wasn't long before Castle, leveraging his plot knowledge, assisted Beckett in swiftly solving three murder cases and, with the help of a hacker, one armored car heist.

Effectively utilizing his 'Portable Grandpa's' abilities to their fullest, he boosted Beckett's reputation within the department as a capable detective.

Meanwhile, Castle, known for his broad and agile thinking and as Beckett's exclusive top-tier support, gained some fame of his own. This led to four more random skill reward opportunities from the system.

The system, ever accommodating, informed Castle that he could accumulate these rewards and exchange two random awards for a skill of his choosing. After some thought, Castle chose the 'Elite Hacker' and 'Fluency in French' skills, knowing he was about to undertake a side mission in France for the system.

Aware of the perils involved and equipped with firearms skills from John Wick, enhanced physical abilities, and an arsenal stocked in his dimensional space, Castle felt well-prepared. Fluent French and elite hacking skills would allow him to handle critical situations independently, without needing to rely on a hacker back in New York.

Ultimately, Castle reminded himself to remain inconspicuous during the mission. Rather than making contact with Bryan Mills right away, he decided this trip to France would be strictly business. After all, France was a major nation, and in the original story, Bryan Mills had clashed with the French authorities.

Realizing the potential dangers of exposing himself, especially given the intricate ties between human traffickers and government officials depicted in the story, Castle decided not to follow Mills' overtly confrontational path. This

 was real life, not a movie, and angering the French government could lead to serious repercussions.

At home, Castle was prepping for his trip to France. "Let's see, what else do I need? Oh, right, I should get some of those 'Continental Hotel' gold coins for underground intel in Paris. Should I exchange with Winston? Or maybe..."

After some thought, Castle decided it was better to call John Wick in Europe instead of dealing with Winston directly.

"I wonder if John has received the Shou Wu Pian I ordered online for him?" As Castle dialed the number, he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.

"Hey, John, how are you? How's it going? Did you get the gift I sent?" Once connected, Castle teased John on the phone.

"Rick, you bastard! What the hell did you send me? What's this 'tonic for kidney deficiency' mentioned in the instructions? You made me consult a Chinese student to explain what those pills are for! Are you mocking me?"

John's roar through the phone gave Castle a good laugh, noting that since reuniting with Gianna, John seemed more human and emotional.

"Calm down, John. In my eyes, you're a composed and handsome guy, haha. Did you like my gift? You misunderstood me, buddy. I wouldn't have thought to get you a gift if you hadn't looked so exhausted last time we video chatted. Don't doubt it, that stuff is a great traditional Chinese remedy. I was actually hoping it would help you start a family with Gianna! Hahaha..."

Hearing John's frustration, Castle couldn't stop laughing, picturing John's frowning face as he took the Shou Wu Pian.

"Alright, Rick, you're a jerk. What's up? Why are you calling?"

On the other end, John's face was a picture of dismay as he interrupted Castle's raucous laughter.

"Oh, right, I actually need a favor. John, do you have any Continental gold coins you could exchange with me? I need some!"

Castle finally remembered his purpose after halting his laughter.

"Why do you need Continental gold coins, Rick? Are you planning to kill someone? Tell me who it is, and I'll fly back right away to take care of it for you!"

John frowned upon hearing Castle's request for the coins.

"Who said anything about killing? I'm just a writer; why would I need to kill anyone? Also, what about Gianna's safety if you fly back here? Just stay by Gianna's side. I need the coins, not for killing anyone!"

Castle quickly discouraged John from rushing into action.

At that moment, Gianna walked over to John, having heard about Castle's request for the coins. It's true what they say, 'Birds of a feather flock together.' Gianna's first question to Castle was also whether he was planning to kill someone, offering her help to handle the matter.

Gianna had always held a good impression of Castle, the man who had sent John her way, and now hearing that he was also hoping for a family for her and John made her even more well-disposed toward him.

Hearing Gianna offer help on the phone, Castle quickly intervened to prevent the couple, ready at a moment's notice to unleash violence, from going too far: "No, no, no, hello Gianna! Sorry to disturb your time together!

But as I just told John, I'm not planning to kill anyone. I just want to exchange some Continental gold coins to buy information. If you have some to spare, I'd really appreciate it!"

"Rick, you should know you can't exchange those coins! But if you want them, no problem at all, I'll arrange for someone to deliver them to your house right away!"

Gianna, overwhelmed with generosity, dismissed Castle's idea of exchanging coins and assured him she had plenty to spare, promising to send them straight to his home.

Does being rich and beautiful mean you can be this capricious and unreasonable?

Oh, living on easy street really does taste sweet. John, you lucky guy!!!

Tears of envy streamed down Castle's face…

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