Chapter 28: Castle as the Puppet Master

After hanging up the phone, Castle drove the rented Citroën around Paradise Street for the afternoon. He meticulously surveyed the area around the red-doored stronghold of the Albanian gang, memorizing the terrain and surroundings before leisurely driving back to the hotel.

"Now that Kem and Amanda haven't arrived yet, it's time to hire some people to intervene after the plot begins..."

Sitting in the plush sofa of his luxurious hotel suite, Castle picked up the phone and dialed the Continental Hotel in Paris.

"Hello, Paris Continental Hotel!"

The sweet voice of the operator came through.

"I'd like to settle accounts... I need to open a new account..."

Following the instructions on the usage of the gold coins provided by Jianna, Castle spoke the passphrase in fluent French he'd acquired from his system rewards, signaling the start of his role as the puppet master from behind the scenes.

"One moment, sir, I am transferring you now..."

The call was transferred to another gentle operator: "Hello, what do you need?"

"Hello, I need to hire a standard combat team of six people for about three days. The task is to protect or rescue two women. Can I place the order now?"

"Orders can be placed, sir. What is the exact start date of the task?"

The operator, knowing that calls transferred to her usually came from high-ranking figures, politely asked.

"The operation starts the day after tomorrow at 9 AM. I will need to discuss the specifics of the task with the team once you have selected them. Is that acceptable?"

"Absolutely, sir. Do you have any other requirements? If not, the combat team will be ready by tomorrow afternoon at 4 PM at the latest. Do you have any specific requests regarding the team's ethnicity, combat gear, or anything else?"

The operator's voice grew even more gentle.

"No, I have no specific requirements. Standard urban combat gear will suffice."

"May I have your contact information?"

"My contact number is... Did you get that?"

"Yes, sir, your contact information has been noted. Please wait for the team leader to contact you. Thank you for calling! Have a nice day!"

Castle hung up the phone, marveling internally, "Damn, this number Jianna gave me really works! Everything gets handled with just one phone call!"

He was unaware that the number Jianna had provided was actually a direct line used by the 'High Table' elites, and the operator had assumed he was one of them. They accepted the task without even asking about the payment.

Naively, Castle didn't realize that his use of the passphrase allowed him to exploit their services.

By the next afternoon, while still in his hotel, Castle received a call from someone claiming to be "Black Fox," the leader of the mercenary team: "Hello, sir, we are instructed to contact you and accept the mission. How may I address you?"

"Hello, Mr. Black Fox, you can call me 'Mr. C.' The mission officially starts tomorrow morning. You are a six-person team, correct?"

"Yes, Mr. C."

"Excellent. I need you to split into two groups. The first group will standby in the parking lot of Charles de Gaulle Airport, and the second group near Paradise Street, number XX. You have vehicles, right? Specific instructions will be sent tomorrow morning via tactical computer. Any issues?"

"No, sir, we have the necessary transportation and tactical computers. I will send you our contact details right away. Also, we are instructed to follow your commands explicitly."

While Castle didn't pick up on any subtext from Black Fox, he assumed his hired team was simply highly professional.

"Then, please set your walkie-talkie to frequency 90.5 MHZ. I will join your communication channel to issue direct instructions."

Castle relished the thrill of command.

"Understood, sir. We will contact you again tomorrow morning!"

"Black Fox" ended the call.

As Castle looked out over Paris below, Kem and Amanda were thrilled with excitement. It was their first trip to another country without family.

"Amanda, are we really not going to a hotel and staying at your relative's house instead? I promised my dad I'd follow his advice and stay at a hotel."

Though excited, Kem was worried about deviating from her father's plan, fearing possible dangers.

"Kem, it's fine, trust me! My relative went on a trip to Spain, and their house is empty. We can stay there to save money and also look after it for them. It's perfect, right?"

Unbeknownst to them, as they landed safely at Charles de Gaulle Airport and ventured into the city with youthful exuberance, they were being watched by someone sinister. Moreover, they were unaware that this sinister figure was actually unfortunate because another, more powerful player was observing from the sidelines.

Yes, the hapless scoundrel Pete, just like in the original drama, had set his

 sights on Kem and Amanda, the two naive "rabbits."

"Hello, ladies! Are you here to tour Paris too?" Pete, with his slicked-back hair and charming demeanor, approached the girls and struck up a conversation.

The inexperienced girls were no match for Pete, a seasoned con artist specializing in deceiving women. Within a few exchanges, they naively revealed their origins and purposes, delighting Pete who saw them as easy prey.

Meanwhile, in an SUV with tinted windows at the airport exit, "Black Fox" was on the phone with Castle. He and another team member each held an APAD displaying photos of Kem and Amanda.

"Sir, the targets have arrived! As you predicted, there's a hustler at the airport chatting them up. Just to confirm, your orders are for us to follow these two girls and not to intervene even if the kidnapping you mentioned occurs?"

"Yes, I confirm. Until the girls reach their accommodation, your task is to ensure their safety on the road. At their accommodation, if they are kidnapped, you do not need to intervene immediately, but you must ensure that they are always within your sight for potential rescue."

Despite his doubts about the employer's unusual requests, "Black Fox" did not question further and relayed to his team, "You heard the man. Stay sharp! Group two, have you reached Paradise Street?"

"Sir, we have arrived at Paradise Street and have set up an observation post in front of the building with the red door."

"Good, stand by for Mr. C's instructions."

Black Fox confirmed his other squad was in position and looked out the window, focusing on his targets.

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