For a nation to be forced into such a dilemma as Japan's Internal Affairs currently faced, cornered by a single individual, was undoubtedly an anomaly. But it could only be said that Castle had chosen the timing with impeccable precision. It happened to coincide with the moment when Japan's government had sent a military procurement delegation, humbly bowing before their "paternal nation," the USA, to purchase the latest arms and military equipment—timing when they absolutely dared not offend the Americans.
At the same time, Japan had never anticipated that Castle would possess an omnipotent artificial intelligence capable of breaching their networks. What's more, Castle had fully unleashed this AI, unconcerned about exposing himself, prioritizing instead a swift and decisive hack into the classified database of Japan's Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. Before Japanese technical personnel could even react, the damning intelligence—documents that could spell disaster for Japan—was swept away. If Castle were to hand this information to the U.S. government, the fallout would be catastrophic. Not only would this arms deal be jeopardized, but the U.S. government, struggling under its own economic woes, might seize this opportunity to mercilessly fleece Japan for more concessions.
A perfect storm of factors led to the current situation, leaving not only Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary in a state of panic but also its Prime Minister at a complete loss for what to do. Their only recourse was to attempt to contact the man behind all this, Castle.
Reaching the writer was not particularly difficult. What was difficult, however, was persuading him not to hand over the sensitive intelligence—intelligence that included the names of all Japanese covert operatives in the U.S.—to American counterintelligence authorities.
The current situation left no room for Japan, notorious for its scheming, to play any underhanded tricks. Although the U.S. Congress had already approved the sale of weapons to Japan, if it were revealed at this juncture that Japan's Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office—a body directly under the Prime Minister—had the audacity to plant so many covert agents in the U.S., the consequences would be dire. Both the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Secretary were acutely aware of this.
Thus, their top priority became placating the writer, who now held the proverbial "Sword of Damocles" over their heads. The massive losses in Hawaii's intelligence network could only be addressed later.
To their credit, the Japanese are known for their efficiency. After making the decision to act, the Chief Cabinet Secretary quickly utilized a Japanese conglomerate with significant investments in the U.S. to reach out to Castle's friend, the Mayor of New York. The hope was that the mayor might mediate and arrange a meeting between Castle and Japanese representatives.
However, when the New York mayor contacted Castle and learned that the entire ordeal stemmed from a previous arrangement he had made with the Watanabe Foundation—which indirectly led to the abduction of Castle's daughter—the mayor unequivocally sided with Castle. He outright refused to facilitate any further contact with the Japanese.
Faced with this development, both the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Secretary dared not delay any longer. The more they stalled, the worse the situation would become.
Their first action was to strip Watanabe Taro of his duties in the military procurement delegation, placing him on indefinite leave for "reflection." Moreover, they decided against allowing him to return to Japan immediately, fearing that Castle might interpret such an action as an attempt to evade responsibility. Watanabe Taro was effectively abandoned; the Prime Minister even lamented that if sacrificing Taro's life could appease Castle's anger, he'd gladly do so.
The second step was to mobilize all available channels to contact Castle, who was still enjoying a beach vacation in Waikiki with his daughter.
In reality, the Japanese leadership had overthought the situation, largely due to being spooked by Castle's ruthless and unrelenting response. The truth was, Castle had no intention of handing over the full list of Japanese operatives in the U.S. to the FBI. His plan was far more limited: after returning to New York, he intended to provide the segment of the list pertaining to New York operatives to Joe Martinez, Henry's girlfriend, as a favor. Martinez had helped Castle secure a crucial document that allowed Big Ivan and his team to legally transport their arsenal to Hawaii, even using a chartered plane. Castle, therefore, saw giving Martinez the list as both repaying a debt of gratitude and helping her advance her career—a win-win situation.
As for the rest of the list, Castle hadn't yet decided whether to present it to Benjamin Arthur as a "congratulatory gift" when Arthur officially took office. For now, it wasn't part of his plans.
The Prime Minister and Chief Cabinet Secretary were panicking because of their guilty consciences. They were acutely aware of the enormous damage that would result if the names of their operatives—painstakingly embedded in the U.S. over decades—were exposed. The addition of the FBI, a professional counterintelligence agency, to the ongoing sweeps in Hawaii had already resulted in devastating losses for Japan.
Given Hawaii's isolated location in the middle of the Pacific, many Japanese operatives, even those who had been warned about their exposure, found it nearly impossible to escape. Without access to aircraft, their options were limited. The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy stationed at Pearl Harbor ensured there was no easy way out. As a result, the FBI's operations in Hawaii were incredibly efficient. With detailed lists in hand, federal agents carried out arrests with precision, even managing to apprehend several operatives that the local task force, unfamiliar with Japanese methods, had overlooked.
By December 27th, when the Chief Cabinet Secretary finally managed to arrange a meeting with Castle, the damage in Hawaii was already done. Even if some operatives had avoided capture, the remaining numbers were negligible. The intelligence network Japan had spent decades building in Hawaii was virtually obliterated.
Desperate to prevent further damage, the Japanese emissary sent to meet with Castle showered him with promises in an attempt to ensure the intelligence wouldn't be handed over to the U.S. government.
However, Castle, well aware of the Japanese penchant for scheming, saw through their ploy. He had already decided to hand over the New York segment of the list to Joe Martinez. More importantly, Castle deeply understood the risks of dealing with the Japanese. He knew that accepting any form of compensation from them could later be twisted into evidence of collaboration. By agreeing to their conditions—specifically, not handing over the list to U.S. authorities—he would essentially be admitting to collusion. This could come back to haunt him, potentially resulting in accusations of treason.
Castle's suspicions weren't unfounded. Having been a Chinese national in a past life, he was intimately familiar with the unscrupulous nature of Japanese tactics. The so-called "compensation" was merely bait to pull him into their web. Once he accepted it, they could use this as leverage to blackmail him in the future.
The Japanese emissary's primary condition was for Castle to promise not to hand over the list. If Castle agreed, it would essentially make him complicit in protecting Japan's covert operations, opening the door for them to exploit him later.
Castle knew better. This wasn't the first time he had encountered such underhanded tactics. The Japanese likely assumed that Castle, as an "American," wouldn't understand the subtleties of Eastern strategy. But they couldn't have been more wrong. Castle wasn't just an American; he was a Chinese soul in an American body, well-versed in such schemes. He recognized their ploy for what it was and resolved not to fall for it.
To accept their compensation and agree to their terms would be to step into a trap—a trap that could one day result in him being labeled a traitor by the very government he sought to protect.
(End of Chapter)
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