Reborn as an American Writer

For two leisurely days, Castle drove around Rio, exploring the city and soaking in its sights. He even took a trip to the police station where Hernan's hidden cash was stashed, standing outside to "admire" it. He also drove along the escape route that Dominic and Brian would use, imagining what it would be like to drag a massive vault behind his car. But after driving the route, he concluded that director Justin Lin's depiction was absurd.

Castle understood that while the Dodge Charger SRT-8's 6.1-liter V8 HEMI engine, with its 425 horsepower and 569 NM torque, could theoretically pull the vault, the logistics baffled him. First, what kind of winch could withstand such immense centrifugal force? Newton's laws of physics would barely hold up! Castle could accept that the cars might manage to pull the vault, but the incredibly resilient winch they used must be from another world. He even considered buying some of those winches himself, as they were indestructibly strong!

Secondly, Castle was perplexed by how, on the bridge, Dominic could easily sever Brian's steel cable with a remote detonator. Before that, they had used the same seemingly indestructible cable to demolish a bank. Newton himself would likely resign in frustration at such inconsistencies, signaling that such trivial matters should no longer disturb him.

This led Castle to believe that Dominic and Brian had been endowed with some invincible buff in the original film. His ground assessment indicated that following the movie's plan was implausible. Even with Giselle and their pre-arranged garbage truck for the switch, the plan couldn't be executed as shown.

Castle was curious whether Dominic and his team would stick to the original reckless approach or come up with a smarter strategy. The challenge lay in successfully securing the vault, evading the entire city's police force, and luring out Hernan Reyes—all highly daunting tasks.

But these weren't Castle's concerns. He had no inclination to dwell on historical figures and their worries. Anticipation for the unknown climax was part of the thrill of spectating. Hence, he refrained from probing Dominic's exact plans through the little fatty. All he needed to know was when they would act, allowing him to sit back at the hotel and deploy his upgraded drone, which now had enhanced speed, range, and flight duration, to capture the action as it unfolded.

Over the past two days, Castle didn't just wander aimlessly. The little fatty, monitoring Hernan and Mario, reported that the duo was convinced Dominic's team hadn't left Rio. They were lying low, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. In a frenzied state, Hernan and Mario were sending their men all over the city to find Dominic and Hobbs.

Unbeknownst to them, they had been duped by the crafty Castle. No one expected Castle to have rented a yacht for Dominic's team, setting their base of operations out at sea. Only Giselle and Han occasionally came ashore for reconnaissance. The rest of the team remained safely offshore, far from the reach of Hernan's clueless goons.

Castle knew Dominic's action was imminent. Delaying any further would only disadvantage Dominic's team. The pressure on Hobbs was also mounting with each passing day due to the death of his comrades, the failure of his mission, and inevitable knowledge of these events back home. Prolonging their stay could lead to Hobbs being recalled, stripping Dominic's team of valuable allies.

Thus, Castle anticipated that Dominic and Hobbs would move soon. Eager not to miss the spectacle, he returned to the hotel, ready for the show to begin.

Castle's timing was impeccable. As soon as he entered, the little fatty, now completely swayed by Castle's influence, came bounding over with excitement. "Uncle Rick! Dominic just contacted me. He needs me to cut off the power and communications to the police station at 9 AM tomorrow. They're planning to make their move in the morning."

Castle perked up at this news. "Really? They're moving tomorrow?"

The little fatty nodded vigorously. "Yes, Dominic called just now. He asked me to disable the power supply to the police station's area and, if possible, to disrupt their communication lines. I told him I could handle the power, but the police radio communication was beyond my ability."

Castle was puzzled by Dominic's request. Weren't they planning to storm the police station and tow the vault with their cars? Why the need to cut power and communications?

Rather than overthink it, Castle decided to maintain his role as an observer. Since the ambush by Mario, he had come to terms with his intellectual limitations. His plan was simple: just watch the drama unfold without worrying about the details.

With a swift decision, Castle asked the little fatty, "Do you think you can manage to cut the police station's power as requested?"

The little fatty grinned confidently. "Fortunately, Rio's government recently upgraded their power distribution system. The police station's power is computer-controlled. I've already hacked into it before you got back. I can cut off the power anytime. And Dominic only asked for a fifteen-minute blackout. That's a piece of cake!"

Relieved by the little fatty's preparedness, Castle felt all his concerns melt away. He didn't bother probing Dominic's plan any further. Tomorrow morning would reveal everything. The anticipation added to the excitement.

Under Rio's September sun, which shone brightly from early morning, Castle and the little fatty were up by 7 AM. After washing up and having breakfast, they launched Castle's modified drone, which could now stay airborne for at least five hours. This drone would capture every moment of the heist they had been eagerly awaiting.

As the drone took flight, Castle's heart raced with anticipation. Dominic's team, bolstered by the vengeful Hobbs and his crew, was about to stage a spectacular heist against Rio's underworld kingpin, Hernan Reyes.

Receiving Dominic's final confirmation to cut the police station's power at precisely 9 AM, Castle and the little fatty were all set, eager for the action to begin.

But as the drone's live feed displayed the unfolding events, Castle and the little fatty were left stunned.

Hobbs led the charge in his heavily armored Knight XV, followed by two Dodge Chargers. So far, everything seemed normal. But then, a massive 8x8 Tatra military truck, much larger than the Knight XV, followed behind the Dodges. What was going on? Were Dominic and Brian not planning to tow the vault with the Dodges after all?

As the convoy neared the police station, the little fatty, right on cue at 9 AM, severed the power supply from the grid. The station plunged into darkness.

Hobbs, at the helm of the Knight XV, smashed through the barriers at the police station's entrance. The vehicles behind him followed in a well-coordinated line, driving into the underground parking lot. The vault, filled with Hernan Reyes' money, was located behind a thin wall in this parking area. Hobbs maneuvered the Knight XV deftly, crashing through the wall.

After breaching the wall, Hobbs reversed out to clear the way for the two Dodges. But to Castle's surprise, it wasn't Dominic and Brian who exited the cars. Vanessa and Brian stepped out instead. They used cables to drag the vault from its recess in the wall but didn't haul it away immediately. Instead, they waited as the heavy-duty Tatra truck, driven by Dominic, reversed towards them. They maneuvered the vault into the truck's cargo hold with the help of the Dodges.

It was then that Castle and the little fatty, watching via the police station's internal surveillance, finally understood Dominic's plan.

Fortunately, the police station's surveillance system operated on a low voltage, allowing the drone to transmit footage even during the blackout. Castle's curiosity about how Dominic would handle the vault was finally satisfied!

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