After confirming that Beckett wasn't joking and genuinely wanted his help, Castle almost laughed out loud. What was this? A gift from heaven? Nick Coonan, followed by working with Vulcan Simmons to launder drug money for Senator William Bracken's campaign funds, plus those black cops who aided and abetted them—he knew it all! There was no need to investigate; he just had to pretend to do so and then provide the information when Beckett needed it. This was fantastic!
Furthermore, unlike in the original plot where he had some disagreements with Beckett, this time he received Beckett's 'official authorization' right away. This not only exceeded Castle's expectations but also made his future plans regarding Beckett's career much easier.
Castle, having received Beckett's personal endorsement, felt incredibly lucky, as if he had struck gold. Helping Beckett investigate the truth? If it weren't for the timing, Castle could reveal the whole truth right away. Since Beckett had asked for his help, why not use the resources he had to the fullest and make the most of this opportunity?
Suppressing the urge to laugh out loud, Castle forced himself to maintain a serious demeanor as he solemnly agreed to Beckett's request. After discussing the matter, the atmosphere between them grew more intimate.
Just when Castle thought he might get lucky with the long-legged lady he had been dreaming about, Beckett, having regained her composure, firmly kicked him out. For Beckett, the amount of information she had received from Castle in one day was overwhelming. She knew that if she allowed the thick-skinned man to stay any longer, she might succumb to his charms. However, now was not the time for such matters, so Beckett, with a firm attitude, dismissed the lovestruck Castle to prevent his mischievous intentions from succeeding.
Castle, bewildered, hadn't expected that despite seeing the pink bubbles in Beckett's eyes, he would be turned away. Since crossing over to this world, his troublesome System had prevented him from getting close to any woman other than Beckett. The author was a jerk, nearly a million words in, and Castle, the protagonist, hadn't had a single romantic encounter!
Having already planned out how things would go in his mind, Castle was defeated by Beckett's resolute gaze. Beckett said her mind was a mess and she needed some time alone, so Castle had to reluctantly agree to help her gather information.
Frustrated, Castle sat in his car, reviewing his earlier performance and finding no obvious flaws. He breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes in thought.
Castle realized a significant shortcoming in himself: he wasn't good at planning and strategizing. In his previous life, he was an ordinary person, even though he had served in the army for two years, which only made him proficient in marching drills. Strategic and tactical knowledge was beyond him since a simple soldier didn't need to worry about such things.
Now, in this world, when he wanted to plan something seriously, his lack of strategic thinking became apparent. It's not that Castle was stupid, but he didn't have a mind for detailed planning. He could come up with clever ideas and cause trouble, but when it came to long-term planning or step-by-step actions, his shortcomings were evident. He felt too embarrassed to ask people like Neal or Mozzie for help, so he had to figure things out on his own, making it clear that he wasn't cut out for this.
This situation exemplified Castle's predicament. His goal was to use a significant achievement to help Montgomery get promoted, thereby vacating the precinct captain position for Beckett. Beckett, in her early thirties, would become one of the youngest precinct captains in the NYPD. With his help, after taking this position and avenging her mother by bringing down Senator William Bracken, Beckett's career would be secure, and she would gain enormous political clout. Bringing down Bracken, a Democrat, would delight the Republicans.
Though the Democrats might resent Beckett, she would be seen as avenging her mother's death at the hands of Bracken and acting as an NYPD officer. The Democrats would have to swallow this bitter pill. If the New York media got wind of Bracken's deeds, especially using drug money for his campaign, they would have no choice but to abandon him. Castle didn't believe the Democrats would stand by Bracken, who had such a tainted background.
If exposed, Bracken's presidential ambitions would be shattered. Imagine a scenario where, during a world summit, other leaders would ask, "Mr. President, how's your drug business going?" It would be a global embarrassment.
Thus, bringing down Bracken was not an issue. The only potential problem was that Beckett might be opposed by the Democrats who view New York as their stronghold. However, Castle didn't care. If the Democrats didn't work out, Beckett could switch to the Republicans. He never intended for Beckett to run for president, just for her to become a senator eventually. With the reputation he helped her build and her being the protagonist of his novels, running as a Republican would be fine.
All this depended on the smooth implementation of his plan. Initially, it seemed challenging, even though Castle knew the outcome. But he had always struggled with how to present the information to Beckett. He never expected Beckett to come to him for help!
Wasn't this perfect timing? Castle knew the ins and outs of the situation and now didn't have to worry about how to present the information. He could say whatever he wanted, attributing everything to Barry Street or the little fatty. This way, his secret of being a transmigrator would remain safe.
After carefully reviewing everything, Castle realized this approach would compensate for his lack of strategic skills. Satisfied, he started his car and abandoned his previous plan to buy ferrets, heading home instead.
But just as Castle was close to home, he received a call he didn't want to take. It was from a vice president at General Atomics, who had come to New York to make amends after their failed attempt to kidnap Barry due to insufficient information, which led to their defeat by Castle. They had learned through their company's channels that Castle had connected with their rival, Northrop Grumman, and had even performed a flight demonstration for their aerospace technical director, Mark. This news had alarmed General Atomics' higher-ups, as they had the most footage of Castle's drone's flight. Even without the flight control system code, the footage alone demonstrated the drone's capabilities. They couldn't let the cat factory get hold of it.
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