Reborn as an American Writer

On the way over, Castle had already briefed the chubby youngster about Dominic's likely request. So, when Dominic asked for intelligence support, the chubby youngster agreed without hesitation.

Among the four present, only Castle, who was busy loading cash into the car, knew that Dominic and Brian's lives would truly start to become exciting from Rio de Janeiro. It wouldn't be long before Hobbs, indebted to them, would seek their help again in a deadly confrontation against Owen Shaw's team, which was similar in composition to Dominic's but entirely dark. Owen's team had the same configuration and was just as strong, if not stronger.

Dominic would also discover that his supposedly dead girlfriend, Letty, was part of the enemy team. The expression on Dominic's face when he realized that his presumed dead girlfriend was alive and with the enemy would be priceless—a piece of drama Castle wouldn't miss for the world.

With a mix of friendship, love, family ties, and intense conflicts, the ensuing events would be perfectly presented to Castle. How could he possibly miss such an intriguing spectacle? Even being a voyeur from a hotel room would be great. The high-speed chases in London and the final showdown with the massive plane were incredibly thrilling events for someone as idle as Castle.

Thus, Castle had already anticipated that Dominic, having experienced the chubby youngster's importance firsthand, would try to recruit him. He had advised the youngster to agree immediately, no questions asked. Castle assured him that if he got involved with Dominic, future excitement like the recent Brazilian escapade was guaranteed.

Having spent the last half month with Castle, the chubby youngster was no longer the naive guy who only thought about watching scantily clad girls on the beach. He had been subtly influenced by Castle to become just as much of a chaos-monger.

So, when Dominic indeed requested the chubby youngster's support, as Castle had predicted, he readily agreed, surprising Dominic and Tej who had expected to persuade him further.

With the youngster's agreement secured, Dominic and Tej didn't linger. The Rio police, humiliated by Dominic's crew multiple times during the day, were frantically searching for them. With the money divided and no reason to stay in Brazil, they quickly exchanged secret contact information with the youngster and disappeared into the night.

By then, Castle, with his enhanced physical prowess, had already loaded the piles of cash into the truck. Sitting in the driver's seat, he watched the dazed youngster, who still didn't fully grasp the significance of agreeing to help Dominic. Castle, though too tired to explain, called the youngster into the truck, intending to take him back to the hotel and find a secluded place to store the cash in his personal space. With Rio's heightened security, driving around with a truck full of cash was risky.

After safely returning the youngster to the hotel, Castle drove the truck into a dark alley and, with a wave of his hand, transferred the cash into his personal space. Whistling, he returned the truck to the hotel and strolled back to his luxury suite.

The chubby youngster was likely in his own room, planning how to upgrade his computer equipment with his newfound wealth. Castle, not wasting time, logged into his Cayman Islands account and transferred thirty million dollars to the youngster's newly opened account.

Finally feeling relaxed, Castle reflected on his extended stay in Brazil. Originally thinking it would be a quick trip, he had now spent sixteen days there and wondered how his daughter was adjusting to her new school. Despite their daily calls, Alexis was too shrewd to reveal much. Fortunately, everything was now concluded, and he could return to New York the next day.

Just as he was about to take a bath, the chubby youngster, excited about the account notification of thirty million dollars, interrupted. Stammering, he asked why Castle gave him so much and covered the laundering fees himself.

Exhausted from the day's events, Castle dismissed the youngster's concerns with a casual comment, attributing it to a reward. The chubby youngster, planning a celebratory night, was thus satisfied. Castle knew that the youngster had never been exposed and, as long as he kept quiet, they were safe.

While soaking in the bathtub, Castle arranged for a private jet to fly them back to New York. He realized he had ample funds in his secret account, thanks to past heists and sales, and decided to enjoy some luxuries.

He even considered buying a helicopter for quick city travel, especially for future cases with Beckett, imagining how much faster and cooler it would be than navigating New York's congested streets.

Completely relaxed, Castle envisioned this new, lavish lifestyle, unaware that at the same time, Vincent Adler, who had fled in fear earlier, was arriving in New York. Standing on a ship approaching the Hudson River, he murmured, "New York, I'm back…"

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