American TV Writer

It was only at this moment that Castle finally realized what Moz was trying to make him understand.

Surprised, Castle grasped the reality: Moz was right. Not only would he be under surveillance if he entered the lab at Northrop Grumman to design drones, but even the chubby guy, as his "assistant," would likely become a target of scrutiny.

Damn it, why hadn't he considered this earlier?

If he went to that lab to help Northrop Grumman design drones, he would be under the watchful eye of the national security agencies for the rest of his life. How could he continue to enjoy his current carefree lifestyle?

Moreover, with Neil soon returning from Rhode Island, Castle had plans to help him take down New York's last corrupt senator. If he was under constant surveillance by national security, how could he manage that?

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Castle couldn't sit still any longer. He immediately pulled out his phone and called the Northrop Grumman senior vice president, who had recently come to New York to finalize the stock transfer agreement with him.

As soon as the call connected, before the VP could even greet Castle, he anxiously blurted out his concerns: "The lab you're sending me to, the only advanced East Coast facility, is the one that developed the B-2 bomber? If I go there, won't I have to sign a series of non-disclosure agreements and be constantly monitored by national security? If that's the case, I'd rather not go. I'll set up my own lab in New York so I don't have to deal with being watched!"

On the other end of the line, the senior vice president was utterly baffled, wondering what Castle was panicking about. After a moment of processing, he realized that Castle was worried about signing confidentiality agreements and being under surveillance if he went to their high-level lab.

Trying to keep his frustration in check, the VP, though internally exasperated, patiently explained the situation to Castle, as the writer was now a company shareholder. No matter how clueless Castle might be, the VP couldn't afford to offend him.

"Mr. Castle, I think you've misunderstood. Your visit to our lab is solely to work on your drone design and guide the assistants we've assigned to you. You won't be involved with any other classified military projects or sensitive company operations. If you're still concerned, I can bring it up with the board and find a solution. Would that help?"

The senior vice president's polite response calmed Castle down a bit. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Castle replied, "As long as I don't have to sign any crazy agreements involving other projects, I guess that's fine."

The VP, mentally exhausted from dealing with this eccentric shareholder, took a deep breath and continued to explain. He reiterated that while Northrop Grumman had been the primary contractor for the B-2 bomber, the design work had been done long ago, and Boeing had handled the manufacturing. Even if Castle wanted to apply some of the bomber's technology to his drone design, it wasn't a big deal. Plus, as a shareholder, Castle was now part of the country's elite, and it was unlikely that national security would monitor him without cause.

After a lengthy and patient explanation, Castle finally hung up the phone, satisfied. Turning to the chubby guy, who had also relaxed, he smugly boasted, "Harry, did you hear that? Your Uncle Rick is now a shareholder of Northrop Grumman. We'll be fine at the lab. Don't worry, I'm even more cautious than you about these things. That's why I made sure to ask!"

Moz, knowing he was Castle's legal advisor, felt a pang of concern. If anything went wrong, he'd be the one left to clean up the mess, which was why he had warned Castle in the first place. But he hadn't expected this result. Moz was genuinely shocked that Northrop Grumman trusted Castle so much, allowing him to work on advanced drone technology and even possibly incorporate elements from the B-2 bomber.

In reality, they had all overlooked one important fact: the B-2 bomber had been in service for many years. While its technology was still highly advanced and classified, Castle's position as a shareholder of Northrop Grumman meant it wasn't a major issue for him. After all, Castle was a native-born New Yorker. Accusing him of being a foreign spy would be absurd. And, although his father had beef with the CIA's hidden "Locksley" organization, Sean had served the country loyally for many years and had passed every test.

There was no way Northrop Grumman would transfer shares to someone like Castle without a thorough background check, especially since the company was the only one in the U.S. capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. That's a huge deal.

So, the fact that Castle had managed to leverage his drone designs and semi-autonomous flight control system to secure shares in Northrop Grumman was nothing short of extraordinary.

Of course, Northrop Grumman's interest in Castle wasn't just about his drone design. They were preparing to compete with General Atomics in the upcoming bid for the U.S. military's next-generation drone contract, set to begin in March of next year. Castle's involvement gave them a significant advantage.

In the end, even though Castle only received a 1% stake in Northrop Grumman, which seemed like a small financial gain, the connections and support he gained were far more valuable. Without this backing, his ongoing battle with Senator William Bracken would have been much more difficult.

Moz patiently explained all these nuances to Castle, who was finally starting to understand. Looking at Castle with admiration, Moz said, "Rick, you're an incredibly lucky guy."

Castle, not one to downplay his achievements, retorted, "Lucky? I've got skills!"

And he wasn't entirely wrong. Thanks to his System's rewards, he had gained access to Tony Stark's mechanical skills, excluding the Iron Man suit and arc reactor. Surprisingly, this included Stark's weapons designs and research ideas. Whether due to oversight or as compensation, the System had granted Castle this knowledge.

In the Marvel universe, Tony Stark had been the world's top arms dealer before being kidnapped by the Ten Rings. His trip to Afghanistan was to demonstrate his latest invention, the Jericho missile, to the U.S. military.

That same Jericho missile's design now resided in Castle's mind. It was also the basis for the devastating weapon he had agreed to develop for Northrop Grumman.

Once completed, this terrifying missile would be mounted on the new drones Castle was designing, becoming a vital asset for reconnaissance-strike missions.

This was why Northrop Grumman had been so willing to transfer a stake in the company to Castle. They knew the value of the Jericho missile and the role it would play in the future of drone warfare.

On top of that, Castle had recently gained the skills of a brilliant bomb expert, which would allow him to recreate the unique explosive material used in the Jericho missile. Previously, Castle might not have been able to manufacture the missile, but with his newly acquired knowledge, it was now an easy task.

Northrop Grumman was well aware of Castle's capabilities, which is why they were willing to stand by him against the powerful forces backing William Bracken.

Castle was fully aware of this, which is why he had been rushing to fulfill his promise to Northrop Grumman while Beckett's investigation into Bracken was progressing smoothly. Knowing his role was mostly done, he could now focus on completing his part of the deal.

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