Chapter 423: The Situation

Jenna's words left Castle deep in thought. On one hand, he really wanted to take this opportunity to establish a connection between Beckett and the higher-ups on the "Donkey" side, potentially laying the groundwork for Beckett's future political career. However, on the other hand, he knew that, frankly speaking, they currently had no extra leverage to offer in exchange for support from the "Donkey" side. Their only advantage was that their side had remained well-hidden, and Beckett, in this incident, had the legitimate position of a victim, which allowed her to openly investigate Senator William Bracken under the pretense of avenging her mother's murder ten years ago. Beyond that, there wasn't much reason for them to get too close to the "Donkey" side.

After sitting on the sofa and pondering for a long time, Castle finally decided not to actively approach the "Donkey" side. However, he could have Jenna inform her allies on the "Donkey" side about the enmity between Beckett and William Bracken. This way, if the "Donkey" side indeed wanted Beckett to confront Bracken, they could at least maintain some initiative.

To be honest, the current situation was highly advantageous for Castle and Beckett. Castle's involvement had not been exposed; neither Senator Bracken's camp nor Congressman Gavin's camp, nor the "Donkey" party leaders, were aware of how deeply Castle was involved in this matter. Therefore, actively aligning with the "Donkey" side wasn't wise. It would be better to wait until the "Donkey" side decided to go to war with Senator Bracken and then approach Beckett. This would be the correct way to handle things, rather than Castle rushing to them. After all, Castle's side wasn't the one in a hurry—the "Donkey" side was, as they were eager to take down the facade of Senator William Bracken, carefully crafted by the "Elephant" party.

Dealing with politicians, as Jenna had just pointed out, required caution to avoid being sold out by these shameless people without even realizing it. So after careful consideration, Castle rejected Jenna's suggestion for Beckett to actively approach the "Donkey" side. Instead, he opted to have Jenna casually leak to her "Donkey" allies the fact that Beckett, now the youngest precinct captain in the NYPD, had a deep-seated grudge against William Bracken. If the "Donkey" side was serious about going after Bracken, they wouldn't miss this opportunity.

After all, the power wielded by a precinct captain in the NYPD is substantial. Beckett had the authority to independently decide whether or not to investigate someone, and this kind of power in New York is even more influential than the FBI's. If the "Donkey" side was truly set on taking down Bracken, then Beckett, who currently held significant power, would undoubtedly become a target for their alliance.

To maximize their benefits, it would be best for Beckett to wait for the "Donkey" representatives to come to her. After all, "The best deals are made when they come to you, not the other way around." Right now, Castle's side wasn't the one in a hurry—the "Donkey" side was. So why not let Jenna cast the bait and wait for the big fish to take it?

When Castle shared his strategy, Jenna praised him highly, and even Moz looked at him with surprise, thinking that perhaps Castle had finally figured things out—managing to find the best path for himself and his girlfriend in such a short time.

Since Castle had made his decision, Jenna didn't press further. She agreed to approach her family's "Donkey" party leaders that night and casually reveal Beckett's intense enmity with William Bracken. She also promised to introduce Beckett's impressive record as a homicide and robbery squad leader, helping Castle lay the bait.

After discussing this matter, Jenna brought up the issue of the Bernard family in France, who had close ties to the D'Antonio family. Castle, overwhelmed with other concerns, directly entrusted Jenna to handle it. But Jenna refused Castle's request, stating seriously, "Rick, I told you before, among the treasures, there are two paintings and a sculpture that are heirlooms of the Bernard family. They were stolen during World War II when the Nazis invaded France. These three items are now worth almost $500 million. Even though the Bernard family has close ties with our D'Antonio family, that's no reason for us to return these items without compensation. You need to decide how much we should charge and how to proceed! After all, you're the one who recovered these items, and the Bernard family has deep connections in Europe. When they come to New York in a few days, you should meet with them. Trust me, Rick, gaining the gratitude and favor of the Bernard family is definitely worth it."

Reluctantly, Castle agreed to Jenna's plan. He set the price for the three items intended for the Bernard family at $300 million, with each piece valued at $100 million. After settling this, he hurriedly bid farewell to his friends at the manor and drove back to New York. He wanted to update Beckett on the situation and strengthen her resolve. He also planned to arrest the drug lord Vulcan Simmons, who had been providing dirty money to William Bracken, by tomorrow at the latest. Given the current unfavorable situation for Bracken, he probably didn't have the resources to stop or obstruct Beckett's investigation and arrest of his associates.

The current situation was quite interesting. The FBI still believed that the treasure on the submarine hadn't disappeared but had been taken by someone. Congressman Gavin was now the prime suspect, but the FBI also suspected that someone else or another force, hidden behind Gavin, might have been involved. Having been authorized to investigate, the FBI was eagerly conducting a thorough probe into Gavin. After all, they had not only been humiliated but were also determined to trace the treasure's whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Congressman Gavin, who had been unsuspectingly caught in the crossfire, initially thought the FBI was investigating him simply because he had lent his Long Island estate to Vincent Adler, a federal fugitive, and had close ties with him. Originally, this matter wouldn't have been a big deal for a congressman, but after making a call to William Bracken, everything changed! That damned Senator Bracken had sent a hitman to kill him? If it weren't for that anonymous tip, he might have been shot dead in broad daylight. How could he tolerate this?

Fortunately, thanks to the anonymous tip, Gavin managed to catch the hitman sent by Bracken. Even more, his bodyguard's interrogation techniques had broken the hitman's will. What shocked Gavin was that this assassin had worked for Bracken for over a decade, handling many of Bracken's dirty deeds, and knew many of Bracken's secrets. For the desperate Congressman Gavin, this was an unexpected windfall!

After gathering a substantial amount of incriminating evidence against Senator Bracken, Gavin immediately informed the leaders of his own party. The "Donkey" leaders, who had been struggling to counter the "Elephant" party's moves, were thrilled by this gift and began to plan how to take down William Bracken, a key player in the "Elephant" party, before the upcoming presidential campaign officially kicked off.

The most delicate part of the situation was that Senator Bracken had no idea that a huge net was closing in on him. This net included not only the vengeful Congressman Gavin and the "Donkey" leaders but also the deeply hidden Castle and Beckett!

In fact, with the evidence Castle already had—stolen by Neal from Captain Montgomery's house, such as the bank records of the corrupt cops led by Bracken—Bracken could be taken down immediately. However, Castle had been cautious, not wanting to confront Senator Bracken directly, fearing that if they succeeded in bringing Bracken down, the "Elephant" party would seek revenge, making it a costly victory.

Now, things had changed. The "Donkey" side had gathered dirt on Bracken, and they were worried that their candidate might not stand a chance against him in the election. For the sake of political gain, the "Donkey" party was ready to act. At this thought, Castle couldn't help but laugh excitedly.

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