"Hahaha, Rick, it looks like you've finally met your match this time! Their strategy is clearly to disgust you to death if they can't beat you outright…"
On the other end of the phone, Janet nearly burst out laughing after hearing Richard Castle's news and the inside story behind it. As the saying goes, "You can't fool an old fox." Who doesn't know what tricks the other has up their sleeve?
This tactic, as Castle described it, could have worked if he didn't have an advanced AI. Without it, he might have been too distracted to notice that the Roxette organization had significant influence beyond just the CIA, extending into the political arena.
While the organization had to reluctantly abandon most of their CIA assets after being exposed, they were determined to preserve other deeply embedded members elsewhere. Their attempt to distract Castle with this petty ploy wasn't just a shot in the dark—it was a calculated move to keep him preoccupied. Unfortunately for them, they underestimated Castle's arsenal: not only did he possess the terrifying "Eye of God," but his AI was capable of omnipresence on the internet. This information gap rendered their otherwise brilliant plan completely ineffective from the start.
Roxette's ploy to involve an unhinged figure—someone who believes the whole world owes them—had a certain effect. After all, in this eccentric country, there really are plenty of fools whose minds have been thoroughly shaped by the media, unaware of who they truly are. Even more absurdly, this country produces a bizarre species known as "blade-punch fighters." These people, regardless of skin color, firmly believe in their invincibility. Be it the president, a governor, or in this case, a mere writer, they regard everyone as beneath them. The only entity they fear? The IRS.
FBI? Homeland Security? Mere jokes. These blade-punch fighters are walking hazards, and most people steer clear of them.
So, when Ver, a transgender senator from Connecticut, gave a teary, half-true account on TV of how she had gone to Castle's house seeking support, only to be heartlessly thrown out by the writer, whom she painted as a racist, the blade-punch fighters were incensed. How could they tolerate such injustice? Not only were they advocates for blade-punching, but also for women's rights. And though Ver, formerly Will, wasn't a biological woman, who cared? How many people in this world could emulate Yue Buqun of Mount Hua Sect and willingly castrate themselves? Ver had undergone surgery, so she was now a "vulnerable Black lady" who had been bullied by a callous writer.
As for whether Ver's story was true? Who cared? They just needed an excuse.
They had to stand up for her!
Thus, these eccentric "fighters" joined the chorus of condemnation against Castle, forcing him to take the issue seriously after calls from his agent Paula and his ex-wife and publisher Gina.
Initially, Castle had no intention of engaging with this charade. However, the absurdities of this country meant that ignoring the issue during its early stages allowed it to snowball. Soon, the entire nation was buzzing with talk of "Richard Castle, the racist writer," and Castle, thoroughly annoyed, finally lost his temper.
The reason he didn't take Ver seriously from the start was simple: his mansion's main hall was equipped with numerous hidden cameras. The entire interaction, including Ver's extortion attempt, had been recorded by Jarvis. From Ver's nonsensical speech to her demand for tens of millions of dollars to fund her "campaign," followed by her immediate hostility after being rejected, every detail was captured.
After realizing Ver's malicious intent, Castle focused on investigating other Roxette members outside the CIA, leaving Ver to run wild. Her brazen performance, unchecked by an immediate response, spiraled into an uncontrollable media frenzy. Even Castle's reclusive agent had to call him, urging him to clear his name before it hurt book sales.
As Castle reviewed the recordings, he noted how Ver misinterpreted his silence as fear, emboldening her to escalate her rhetoric. She even went on TV, demanding a public apology and calling for a boycott of his novels. That was the last straw for Castle.
"Unbelievable! A clown like her thinks I'm some pushover just because she's got a few 'fighters' backing her? She really doesn't know who she's dealing with."
Reflecting on his lapse, Castle recognized a major flaw in his security approach. He hadn't fully leveraged Jarvis's capabilities. If he had programmed Jarvis to flag his name and related discussions online as sensitive topics, this mess wouldn't have gotten out of hand, even if he'd been preoccupied.
Determined to correct this oversight, Castle instructed Jarvis to monitor his name and those of his loved ones. Only then did he begin his counterattack against Ver.
The plan? Simple. Armed with the footage from his mansion's cameras, Castle uploaded the unedited recordings online. Every moment of Ver's attempted extortion, her incoherent ramblings, and her tantrum after being denied money was laid bare. Jarvis, the ultimate digital manipulator, ensured the clips spread like wildfire.
Within minutes, the internet was flooded with articles titled "The Truth Behind Richard Castle's Racism Allegations." These clips painted a clear picture of the senator's deceit. The blade-punch and women's rights advocates, caught off guard, had no time to spin the narrative.
While Ver was being interviewed on a TV network sympathetic to her cause, the host suddenly received news through their earpiece. With a strange expression, they turned to Ver.
"Senator Ver, are you aware that the day you visited that writer's mansion, you were under constant surveillance? Multiple cameras, capturing sound and video from various angles…"
Though cunning enough to reach her position, Ver's face betrayed her panic. She knew exactly what she'd done. Fueled by Castle's initial silence, she had assumed he lacked evidence to counter her claims. Emboldened, she had blown the story out of proportion with outside support. But now, with the release of the recordings, she was cornered.
"It's fake! It must be fake!" Ver declared emphatically to the host and viewers. "If there were such recordings, why didn't that writer release them earlier to refute me?"
(End of Chapter)
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