American TV Writer

Gianna didn't hold back as she directly pointed out that Richard Castle had misjudged the situation due to his unfamiliarity with the FBI's internal investigation procedures, which led to flawed planning and a misreading of the current circumstances. She also sharply noted that Nick Coonan, the assassin in question, was likely on his final mission of his life. This revelation startled Castle. Nick Coonan was crucial; his capture could lead to implicating William Bracken, and if anything happened to Nick—whether he was killed on the spot or silenced by Bracken's people—it would ruin everything. If Nick died in D.C., Beckett would definitely lose it!

Knowing that his weak spot was understanding people's motives and judging situations, Castle became anxious and quickly sought help from Gianna, who was sitting opposite him with a look that said, "Ask me, and I'll tell you."

Gianna, who was exceptionally intelligent and had been rigorously trained for over twenty years as a reserve leader of her family's inner circle, initially teased Castle but then got serious. She meticulously reorganized the information Castle had just shared and began to explain, "Rick, you're only confused because you care too much. Your initial analysis and actions were actually quite effective. If it weren't for your anonymous tip yesterday about the Congressman, Nick Coonan wouldn't be in D.C. right now. So, your previous steps were correct. The only reason you're puzzled now is because you didn't realize that even the FBI needs to follow a lot of procedures to investigate a sitting Congressman, which is why you misjudged the situation."

She continued, "From my perspective, Nick Coonan won't live much longer. Based on what you've told me, this guy is a hatchet man for that Senator. If the Senator has indeed decided to kill the Congressman to silence him, then someone like Nick Coonan, who does the dirty work, cannot be left alive. You have to understand that in your country, killing an ordinary person and killing a sitting Congressman are two entirely different things in terms of the public uproar it would cause. If Senator William Bracken still intends to run for President, then Nick Coonan absolutely cannot leave D.C. alive."

Having been trained from a young age to understand political intrigue and human nature, Gianna saw through the situation more clearly than anyone else in the room. Her words suddenly made everything clear to Castle, who had been somewhat lost. So, that's what's going on?

Castle wasn't stupid—he'd just been thinking like an ordinary person, which led to his mistake. After all, in his past life, he was just a regular guy in China, and although he'd heard of such political maneuverings, he'd never had to think like a politician. That's why he was confused by the current situation. But after Gianna's explanation, he quickly understood.

The situation was now quite clear: William Bracken would never allow Congressman Gavin to be captured alive by the FBI. Meanwhile, Congressman Gavin was desperately trying to save himself, but the FBI, bound by procedural requirements, couldn't just arrest the Congressman immediately, even though they had evidence linking him to the fugitive Vincent Adler. They had to follow the proper steps, which included notifying Capitol Hill to get authorization before arresting the Congressman.

Now understanding why Nick Coonan had remained inactive since arriving in D.C., Castle's mind started to churn with new ideas.

"If this guy doesn't make a move and just lets the Congressman try to save himself, won't that make things less interesting?" Castle, now back on track, humbly sought advice from Gianna, who sat before him, with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Gianna, noticing Castle's scheming look, knew he was up to something, but she was bored and didn't mind stirring the pot. So, the two of them quickly teamed up, completely ignoring the wide-eyed stares from John and the chubby man nearby.

"Rick, you've forgotten something important," Gianna began, "This game involves three players: Senator William Bracken, Congressman Gavin, and the FBI along with the Department of Justice. Each of these parties has different objectives. Senator Bracken and the Congressman are both trying to protect themselves and sever any ties to Vincent Adler, but the Senator is more deeply hidden, while the Congressman is already exposed to the FBI and DOJ.

So, if we want to pit these three against each other, we need to give at least two of them a good reason to act!"

Castle, eager to learn, respectfully asked, "What can we use to trigger all three of them?"

Gianna smiled slyly, like a fox that had just stolen a chicken. "The treasure! Have you forgotten that the FBI isn't just after Vincent Adler; they're really after that treasure? That's why they agreed to give Neil a pardon and got involved in the first place!"

Castle was confused. He didn't understand what Gianna was planning. The treasure was currently locked in a vault in the estate's basement. Was she really going to stir things up by revealing it?

Seeing Castle's confusion, Gianna rolled her eyes, exasperated by his inability to grasp her plan. "Rick, I'm not saying we should actually reveal the treasure. I'm saying we use a fake tip to motivate the FBI. Do you think I'd want to create such a huge problem for myself by letting them know about the treasure that we plan to cash in on later?"

Castle, still not fully understanding, threw up his hands in surrender. "Then what exactly are you planning?"

Gianna, clearly having thought this through, confidently explained, "Your main concern is that the FBI isn't putting enough pressure on the Congressman, right? And if he gets enough time, he might escape this mess with the help of his backers, which would ruin your plan to drag Senator Bracken down with him."

After thinking it over, Castle had to admit that Gianna was right.

"So, while Senator Bracken has sent his hitman to D.C. as a precaution, he hasn't given the order to kill yet. This suggests that Bracken believes the Congressman still has a chance to get out of this mess. What we need to do is make sure the FBI keeps their focus on him, and the key to that is the treasure. If we can convince the FBI that the treasure was secretly transferred by the Congressman and Bracken, they'll be much more motivated to act. Got it?"

Gianna paused, letting Castle absorb her idea before continuing. "All we need to do is anonymously tip off the FBI that the treasure was moved by Senator Bracken and Congressman Gavin. Do you think the FBI, who are desperate to find that treasure, would ignore such a lead?"

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