Castle's "mysterious" intelligence sources had always been known for their frightening precision. Both Gianna and Neil had benefited greatly from this uncanny accuracy.
Whether it was Neil using Castle's intel to find his girlfriend immediately after being released from prison, or Castle's vital tips enabling Neil to take revenge, Castle's information had always been pivotal. Even Gianna had experienced its power firsthand—Castle had directed John to approach her, and with razor-sharp intel, she had not only dealt with her foolish brother but also taken control of the family business.
These examples firmly established Castle's reputation for impeccable intelligence gathering.
Yet, no matter how accustomed they were to Castle's accuracy, the details he casually revealed today left Gianna and Neil utterly astonished.
The problem was that Castle, still groggy from the previous night, had inadvertently let slip some details. With the safety net of J.A.R.V.I.S., he hadn't realized that what seemed ordinary to him was classified information to others. It wasn't something that even the most advanced AI or data systems, like The Eye of God, could easily access.
Learning that MI6 had dispatched agents wasn't particularly surprising. However, Castle had uncovered not only their entire operation but also a complete profile of the operative—down to their family tree. This level of detail was far beyond expectations.
What truly baffled them was how Castle even knew about one of MI6's top operatives.
Still, their trust in Castle outweighed their curiosity about his methods. The shock of the classified information was soon eclipsed by the detailed insights he provided into MI6's plans. For now, instead of questioning Castle's sources, they turned their attention to the pressing matter: capitalizing on Skyfleet Airlines' stock amidst the coming market fluctuations.
Among the trio, Castle and Neil were primarily focused on making a quick profit. Gianna, however, who already owned shares in an Italian airline, had delved deeper into Skyfleet's business. This deeper understanding led her to a perspective quite different from her companions.
Skyfleet wasn't developing any revolutionary "alien" technology. Like the Airbus A380 in Castle's previous world, they had designed the largest wide-body passenger jet ever created. However, unlike Airbus, which had pioneered the superjumbo jet in Castle's previous life, the honor of building the first aircraft capable of seating over 500 passengers had fallen to Skyfleet in this world.
For reasons unknown, Skyfleet had repeatedly delayed the jet's maiden flight. Even now, with the aircraft ready for takeoff, Skyfleet's management had inexplicably chosen to withhold information, possibly violating regulatory requirements in the process.
This secrecy, combined with Le Chiffre's plans to sabotage the maiden flight and short-sell the stock, had caused investor confidence to plummet. As smaller shareholders sold off their shares, Gianna and Neil had quietly amassed a significant stake in the company.
Gianna, however, understood the hidden dynamics. Skyfleet's management had reasons for their secrecy—reasons she didn't care to uncover. All that mattered was the money to be made. With Castle's inside knowledge that the maiden flight was scheduled for Miami in five days, Gianna knew the stock price was set to soar.
Unlike Castle and Neil, who were only looking for a quick cash-out, Gianna saw a longer-term opportunity. She had also discovered that Skyfleet enjoyed technical support from aerospace giant Boeing, which bolstered her confidence in the company's potential. Having decided to shift her business focus to the U.S., Gianna was unwilling to simply cash out and walk away.
With her and Neil's shares spread across multiple shell companies to avoid triggering regulatory thresholds, they had also managed to outmaneuver Le Chiffre, who was aggressively shorting Skyfleet stock.
Now that MI6 was targeting Le Chiffre, he was effectively a doomed pawn. The details Castle provided confirmed that Le Chiffre's days were numbered—once MI6 closed in, his fate was sealed.
But what about their nearly 10% stake in Skyfleet? That was no small sum. Gianna realized that with the stock poised to soar after the successful maiden flight, their shares could position them as major stakeholders in the company.
When Gianna shared her thoughts, Castle was stunned.
"What? Gianna, are you saying that once the maiden flight succeeds, we could recover our initial investment just by selling 1–2% of our shares? And you suggest we keep at least 2% each to become official shareholders in this promising company?"
Castle blinked in confusion. Until that moment, he and Neil had been strategizing how to offload their shares without causing a market disruption. Gianna's proposal—to split the shares three ways, sell enough to recover their initial investment, and retain the rest to secure a stake in the company's future—was a game-changer.
Neil wasn't entirely opposed to Gianna's idea. Although he was an expert in financial schemes, his focus during his Wall Street days had been on Ponzi scams under his mentor, Vincent Adler. His lack of formal investment experience made him hesitant to fully embrace Gianna's vision.
Castle, however, was entirely different.
He had no investment acumen whatsoever and had always considered the U.S. stock market too risky. His substantial cash reserves were a result of this cautious mindset. But Gianna's well-structured proposal opened his eyes to new possibilities.
If Gianna could secure a plan that guaranteed their investment's safety, why not give it a shot? Becoming a behind-the-scenes shareholder in a promising aerospace company sounded far more appealing than his original plan of a quick grab-and-go scheme.
Moreover, Castle supported Gianna's broader strategy of using this investment to expand her influence in the U.S. Given his intent to stay in New York for the foreseeable future, helping his friends establish themselves here was only logical. This plan also gave Neil, with his checkered past, a chance to reinvent himself as a legitimate business mogul.
After considering all this, Castle quickly agreed to Gianna's proposal, consulting Neil briefly before making the decision.
Now, their focus shifted. They not only needed to monitor Le Chiffre to prevent him from causing any last-minute chaos but also had to track the MI6 operative to see when the agent would take Le Chiffre out of the equation.
Gianna's suggestion had turned Castle's initial plan on its head, giving him and his friends a shot at something far bigger than they had anticipated. For Castle, who often found himself surrounded by chaos, this new path was a welcome change—one filled with the potential for steady growth and long-term success.
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