John's concern was simple—he worried that Castle's involvement in a government-led crackdown on the British and Turkish intelligence operations might bring unexpected trouble.
But Castle? Completely unfazed.
"Buddy, you've got it all wrong," Castle said casually, sipping his drink. "Did you know? Just a little while ago, the British embassy reached out to me to apologize."
That immediately caught John's attention.
Castle smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "I told them straight up—I won't make any public statements about this. Sure, MI6 and the Turks both sent agents after me, but in the end, they didn't actually get the chance to act.
Nothing happened to me. No harm, no foul. So why should I waste my time worrying about it?"
John still wasn't convinced. "But Castle, this whole mess still involves you. You really think the Brits and Turks are just going to let it slide?"
Castle chuckled, his grin turning downright devious.
"Of course not. That's why I made it clear to the British—I won't pursue this issue further, but I also won't defend them when dealing with our government.
Whatever happens next is on them.
And that's exactly why I handed this case over to the FBI and called Lockheed Martin—because compared to me, those military contractors are far more motivated to protect their technological edge.
Now look at the situation—our government is going after the British and the Turks, but it's not really about me anymore, is it?
If this was just about me, do you think the White House would have held a press conference specifically naming two other countries?"
John's brows furrowed slightly as he followed Castle's reasoning.
Castle continued, "Politics is never just about what's on the surface, John.
Mozzie told me—our government has been arguing with the Brits over EU financial policies for a while now.
And then—bam!—Britain hands us a golden opportunity to pressure them.
Some folks in Washington, who were pissed off about Britain not playing ball, jumped at the chance to use this scandal as leverage.
As for Turkey? That's a different story.
Lockheed Martin is using this as an excuse to kick all Turkish engineers out of their company.
Once the F-35 project is complete and the aircraft are delivered, they'll be able to charge Turkey even more for delayed shipments.
So, you see? This was never just about me.
I was just the catalyst—the perfect excuse for the U.S. government and Lockheed Martin to push their own agendas.
I'm not nearly as important in this as you might think.
But at the same time? The political maneuvering behind this is way more complex than it looks."
John leaned back, rubbing his temple. "Yeah… well, I don't care about any of that."
He shot Castle a sideways glance. "I just want to make sure you don't get caught up in the crossfire."
Castle chuckled, genuinely touched by John's concern. "Thanks, man. But honestly?
That's exactly why I decided to back off.
Mozzie gave me a crash course in political survival, and I realized something—no matter how skilled I am, going up against entire countries is a bad idea.
So instead? I stepped back and let the government handle it.
Even Britain has no choice but to take this loss quietly, and Turkey? Well, they still have an agent sitting in an FBI interrogation room.
There's nothing left for me to worry about."
John smirked. "Alright. Just don't get cocky."
Then, after a pause, he glanced at Alexis, who was still furiously typing away on her laptop, completely absorbed in her work.
"By the way, Castle—are you really just gonna sit there and watch Harry work himself to death?
Dude, what the hell did you make him do?
He's been at this for months, and I heard from Gianna that you don't even need to code anymore—that your AI can handle it all.
So why is this kid glued to his laptop?"
Castle burst into laughter.
"Oh, this isn't my fault. This is all Harry's doing."
John raised an eyebrow.
Castle leaned in conspiratorially, grinning.
"Listen, John.
What Harry is building? It's something no one else in the world has right now.
When he's done? He'll be set for life—and the defense industry will be all over him."
John didn't quite get it, but Harry definitely did.
The exhausted young programmer finally looked up from his laptop, confused.
"Wait, what?"
Castle grinned, taking another sip of his drink.
"Harry, your software is the world's first universal flight simulator interface.
Right now, all the different military aircraft simulators run on separate systems—even Lockheed Martin's own simulators aren't fully integrated.
What you're making?
It's like Windows for flight simulators.
Once it's done, it'll let any simulator instantly switch between aircraft models, all within a single program.
Do you have any idea how much money that's worth?"
Harry's jaw dropped.
John, still not entirely sure what Castle was getting at, turned to Harry. "So… is he saying you're about to be filthy rich?"
Harry, stunned, slowly nodded. "I… I think so?"
Castle clapped him on the shoulder, laughing.
"Now you get it!
That's why I didn't help you with this project.
If I had stepped in, it wouldn't be your software anymore.
But because you built it, this is your invention.
Your name is gonna be on the patents.
And when Lockheed or Northrop Grumman or Boeing come knocking?
They'll be offering you contracts that'll set you up for life."
John finally understood.
Castle hadn't just been keeping Harry busy—he'd been setting him up for success.
By pushing Harry to figure it all out on his own, Castle had ensured that the young programmer would become invaluable to the defense industry.
"Damn," John muttered. "You really are looking out for him, huh?"
Castle shrugged, smiling.
"Hey, I've changed a lot of people's lives, John.
And I'm proud of it."
He glanced at John.
"You're one of them."
John snorted. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Castle smirked.
"And don't forget about Neal Caffrey.
He went from being a street con artist to… what's his title again?
'National Security Advisor to the President'?"
John shook his head, laughing.
"Man… if Mozzie was here, he'd say you're the real con artist, Castle."
Castle grinned.
"Hey, I don't trick people… I just help them reach their full potential."
He raised his glass, toasting to his own brilliance.
Because at the end of the day?
He had turned a former assassin into a family man, a con artist into a presidential advisor, and a young programmer into a future defense industry mogul.
And he wasn't done yet.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.
Every 5 reviews = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.