Reborn as an American Writer

Castle's shopping spree had yielded a collection of relatively simple items, such as small tools, high-performance batteries, and faster motors—standard civilian gear. He knew it was impossible to find military-grade equipment in a local market. His intention was merely to experiment with the mechanical modification skills he had recently acquired from the Marvel universe's smartest man, Tony Stark. For a truly powerful drone, he would need to return to New York, procure better equipment, and design a new one from scratch.

Given the constraints of his current DJI quadcopter, Castle soon realized the limitations of his grand plan to arm the drone. After swapping out the battery for a higher performance one and installing faster motors, it became apparent that there wasn't enough space left to accommodate weaponry without removing the camera. But what good is a drone without a camera? Moreover, he also wanted to enhance the drone's data transmission capabilities, which further complicated his plans for an armed drone.

Even if he managed to mount a gun barrel on the drone, it would only hold a maximum of ten rounds—hardly practical as a sniper weapon. Additionally, the added weight would increase the power consumption, further exacerbating the issue of maintaining adequate speed.

The original design of the drone never contemplated turning it into an armed vehicle. These were merely Castle's wild fantasies. After considering all the factors, he decided to abandon the unrealistic idea of weaponizing the drone. Instead, he opted to focus on his initial goal: increasing the drone's speed and extending its flight time. He resolved to design a truly weapon-capable drone only after returning to New York and gathering the necessary resources.

The chubby kid stood silently by, watching Castle place all the newly purchased parts and high-capacity batteries on the table. While muttering to himself, Castle swiftly dismantled the unsuspecting drone using a power screwdriver. He then tinkered with various components using a multimeter, methodically taking apart the drone that had brought them so much joy that morning.

The chubby kid was astonished. He had never expected Uncle Rick to demonstrate such adeptness in handling these components. His precise and practiced movements were far from those of someone ignorant or merely pretending to understand. Could it be that his Uncle Rick was actually a DIY expert?

Thanks to Tony Stark's mechanical modification skills, Castle's performance was nothing short of groundbreaking for the lone witness in the room. The chubby kid found it hard to believe that his usually lazy and slick-talking Uncle Rick had acquired such impressive abilities.

Within just thirty minutes, Castle had replaced the DJI drone's four motors with new high-performance ones. He also swapped out the original battery for a high-capacity one he had purchased earlier. Most astonishingly, Castle casually rewrote the drone's fly-by-wire system and even modified its core data.

Despite looking slightly odd with these changes, the drone, after Castle's rapid assembly, managed to hover unsteadily in the room. This indicated that his modification approach was viable, even if the drone's performance improvements were not yet fully assessed.

Castle was confident in his modification plan, trusting in Tony Stark's vast experience in mechanical adjustments. He was primarily concerned with testing whether the enhanced speed of the rotors could be supported. If the blades couldn't handle the increased rotational speed, he would need to replace them as well.

Fortunately, the quality of the original blades, made from lightweight carbon fiber rather than steel to reduce weight, proved to be robust. After a brief indoor test flight, Castle guided the drone outside through the window to assess its performance in open air. The results were satisfying. The drone now boasted a significant improvement in both speed and range compared to its earlier performance that morning.

Watching the nimble little drone maneuver effortlessly in the sky, the chubby kid was dumbfounded. "Uncle Rick, you weren't kidding this time! When did you become a DIY master? I had no idea!"

Castle, now tidying up the cluttered table, grinned with pride. "Did you really think your Uncle Rick is just a lazy bum? Have you forgotten that I'm a diligent guy too? Writing books has introduced me to many friends. So, isn't it natural that I'd pick up some cool hobbies, influenced by a friend who's great at DIY? Oh, by the way, my hacking skills have also seen significant improvement lately!"

The first part of Castle's explanation was believable, but the chubby kid couldn't tolerate Castle's boast about his hacking prowess. Was Castle floating on cloud nine, or had he forgotten the gravity of the situation?

As a staunch defender of his professional domain, the chubby kid couldn't let anyone, even Uncle Rick, undermine it. Enraged by Castle's claim, the kid challenged him, "Draw your sword, Uncle Rick! We shall duel! You bragged about your hacking skills, right? I'll put my laptop here, and if you can break through my firewall, I'll acknowledge your prowess. Deal?"

Castle couldn't help but chuckle at the chubby kid's over-the-top reaction. The kid, almost twenty-six, acted like a ten-year-old. It dawned on Castle that their friendship might stem from their similarly youthful mental ages.

Castle had no intention of showing off his hacking abilities, which he had gained as a reward from the system. Revealing such skills could attract unwanted attention. Only Neal and Mozz knew a bit about his true capabilities, and it was best to keep it that way. The fewer people who knew, the safer he would be, aligning perfectly with his strategy to stay under the radar.

Castle's mind raced as he replied, "What's wrong with a bit of bragging? Come on, I ask you, what's the harm? Can't I blow off some steam with a little boast?"

The chubby kid, simple-hearted compared to the cunning Castle, was left speechless. Castle's brazen denial and twisting of logic left him flabbergasted. How could someone be so shameless?

Frustrated, the chubby kid thought, "I've never encountered anyone so shameless."

Castle continued organizing the table while discussing their next steps. "Kid, for the next couple of days, Dominic and Hobbs will probably need some time to recuperate. So, your role becomes crucial. You need to maintain daily contact with Dominic's team. Also, we need to figure out Hernan Reyes's response to today's events. Will he intensify his pursuit of Dominic and Hobbs or pull back and focus entirely on securing his stash of money? Starting tomorrow, I'll go out personally for some reconnaissance. Meanwhile, you must monitor all of Hernan Reyes's electronic communications closely, and keep an eye on his lieutenant, Mario, to prevent any unexpected moves."

The chubby kid nodded. "Don't worry, Uncle Rick. I've already planted malware in Hernan Reyes's and Mario's phones. Every call they make is under my surveillance! Are you sure you want to go out scouting yourself? Aren't you worried about running into that blonde nemesis you mentioned?"

Castle's face flushed with embarrassment. "Mind your own business, kid…"

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