When Castle walked over, John couldn't resist teasing him: "What's the matter? Finally feeling bored of sitting around?"
Castle rolled his eyes at John but didn't take the bait. He was actually quite pleased with this change in John. In his past life, he had felt a lot of sympathy for John, who was once a cold, lifeless loner. But in this life, due to Castle's interference, John had undergone a significant transformation—he now had a lover, even a child on the way, and was more of a family man than a lone wolf. So, instead of responding to John's teasing, Castle simply flopped onto the sofa with a satisfied sigh.
After making his joke, John turned serious, "Rick, what's really going through your mind? Do you honestly not care about the value of those treasures at all?"
John had a good reason for asking. Before seeing the treasures with his own eyes, he hadn't given them much thought. To John, money wasn't something that held much appeal. But Castle had really outdone himself this time. A whole truckload of priceless artworks— even someone like John, who was usually indifferent to wealth, found it hard to stay unmoved. Not to mention Gianna, who, despite her vast knowledge and family background, had been momentarily stunned when the truck doors opened.
So, out of concern for his friend, John felt it was important to have a proper talk with Castle.
Castle, understanding John's concerns, laughed heartily. "John, you know I'm not short on money right now, and soon, with the tech transfer deal I'm working on with Northrop Grumman, I'll have even more. And it'll be perfectly legal, clean money that I can use however I want. So, these so-called treasures aren't something I'm obsessed with like Vincent Adler is. Our little group has seven people in total. My plan is to let Mozzie finish sorting everything out, then set aside the items Gianna wants to return to those French families. After that, we can each pick out a few things we like or want, and then sell off the jewelry and other easily liquidated items without any Nazi insignia. As for the items marked with the swastika—paintings, sculptures, and so on—we'll store those away for now. I haven't decided how to deal with them yet."
John sipped his coffee and nodded, acknowledging Castle's plan. "As long as you know what you're doing. If you need any help, just let me know."
Castle grinned, realizing there was indeed something he needed John's help with. "Actually, there is something I could use your help with."
John, who had been feeling a bit cooped up lately due to Gianna's pregnancy, perked up immediately. Aside from installing a few surveillance cameras in the warehouse Vincent Adler had rented, John had basically turned into a homebody. The chance to help Castle meant he could finally break free from his monotonous routine.
"What is it? Tell me!"
Knowing how restless John had become, Castle didn't hold back and laid out his plan to eliminate Vincent Adler after the FBI caught him. "John, you have to understand—if we just let this guy get prosecuted by the FBI, he could be back out in no time. And for him, finding out that the submarine he's spent half his life searching for is empty is something he absolutely won't accept. Once he deals with the FBI, he'll be like a mad dog, hunting down anything that was on that submarine.
Plus, with Gianna planning to return some of the art pieces to their original French owners, Vincent will surely catch wind of it. So, to avoid future problems, and to prevent him from putting a bounty on my head across Europe's underworld again, I've decided that after the FBI arrests him and clears Neal's name, we'll take Vincent Adler out for good. What do you think?"
John Wick, the former world's top assassin known as "The Boogeyman," was no stranger to solving problems by eliminating the source. And from the sound of it, Castle was even inviting him to help out—a chance to finally break free from his homebound routine. Without hesitation, John agreed, "No problem, Rick. Harry's been keeping an eye on Vincent Adler, right? When do you plan to tip off the FBI about his whereabouts in New York?"
Castle chuckled, holding back John's eagerness to get the job done and enjoy some action. "Don't rush, John. You have to realize, Vincent Adler is actually less than five kilometers away from us right now. He's holed up in an estate on Long Island, but that estate belongs to a congressman. That explains why he's managed to evade the FBI for ten years—it's not just that he's good at hiding, he's got political allies covering for him.
Our original plan was to wait until Vincent, unwilling to risk disarming the explosives on the submarine himself, kidnaps Neal to use as a pawn. So, for now, Vincent won't make any moves. He's probably still in a state of excitement over finally recovering the submarine. Once he calms down, he'll definitely go after Neal. That's when we'll strike."
John, who usually planned little more than grabbing his shotgun and enough ammo to blow holes in anything that moved, was disappointed to hear he'd have to wait a few more days for action. He slumped back against the sofa, visibly deflated.
Seeing John so eager for freedom after being cooped up for so long, Castle couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, John, no need to act like Gianna's been mistreating you!"
John shot Castle a death glare, unwilling to speak. Sure, Castle's interference had helped him get rid of his old troubles, but with Gianna's due date approaching, John was growing increasingly anxious. And while he knew Castle meant well, the smirk on Castle's face was just too much.
While Castle and John were chatting on the sofa, Gianna, with the help of her butler and Mozzie, was busily inventorying the treasures Castle had brought back in the truck. Meanwhile, not far from them, in another estate, Vincent Adler was finally coming down from the high of locating and successfully recovering the submarine.
Yesterday, after using a semi-submersible salvage ship to secretly transport the submarine back to a warehouse near the New York harbor and securing the location with his men, Vincent Adler had returned to an estate on Long Island. This estate belonged to a congressman who had long had secret dealings with Adler, making it a safe haven. Not only did he not have to worry about the FBI finding him here, but even Castle wouldn't dare come looking for trouble. It was the perfect base for his return to New York.
After a night of rest, Vincent Adler was no longer on edge like he had been on the salvage ship. Now, as he sat in the estate's parlor, he was carefully recalling what his father had told him about the submarine. Before scuttling the sub, the crew had installed countless high explosives on the main deck and conning tower to prevent anyone else from entering. These explosives were set inside the submarine, meaning they were well-preserved and not corroded by seawater.
But this left Vincent Adler with a huge problem. While he excelled at manipulating financial markets, explosives were way outside his expertise.
Luckily, it didn't take long for Vincent to think of the perfect candidate: Neal Caffrey. This guy was reputed to be the best thief in the world, cracking safes as easily as others might crack an egg. And with a submarine full of explosives but no visible signs from the outside, it was basically just a giant safe. Neal Caffrey was the perfect man for the job!
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