While Joe prepared to deploy the age-old American tactic of "righteous lying" to pacify the reporters, she couldn't help but think of the infamous words of Mike Pompeo, former U.S. Secretary of State and CIA Director. In a university speech, Pompeo had proudly declared: "We lied, we cheated, we stole. We even had entire training courses on these. This is the glory of America's constant exploration and advancement."
If such brazen remarks could be met with applause from American university students, then why should Joe, or anyone else on Castle's team, care about the feelings of these uninvited reporters? Besides, it wasn't as if the reporters had been in any real danger. The drone surveillance had already confirmed that the two Japanese men in the van had altered their plan; they no longer intended to fire rockets at the estate immediately. However, the possibility that they might panic and fire on the reporters during an attempted arrest made a preemptive strike the safest option.
Compared to some other military tactics—like certain Russian special forces operations where both hostages and perpetrators ended up dead—this was a far cleaner solution, wasn't it?
By the time federal agents removed the RPG launchers and TOW anti-tank missiles from the van and displayed them on the ground, the reporters' earlier accusations had lost much of their steam. These experienced journalists, who had seen their fair share of conflict, instantly recognized the deadly implications of the military-green crates marked "TOW Anti-Tank Missile."
Now, Joe didn't even need to deploy her "democratic deceit." The reporters' imaginations were already filling in the blanks, convincing themselves that a more direct approach to apprehend the suspects might have resulted in catastrophic consequences. The image of one RPG rocket fired into a dense crowd of journalists was enough to make anyone shudder.
Some reporters even began to shift their tone, internally justifying the FBI's actions. After all, who wanted to risk becoming the unlucky one caught in an explosion?
While Joe handled the press conference at the southern gate, the operation on the water concluded even faster than expected. The four Japanese gangsters aboard the yacht surrendered without resistance after realizing they were surrounded by five Coast Guard vessels and two helicopters. Their complete lack of fight shocked Beckett, who had anticipated a last-stand mentality akin to the mercenaries from the night before.
"So much for honor and courage," Beckett muttered, shaking her head. "These guys don't even have half the spine of their predecessors from WWII."
Meanwhile, back in Castle's estate, the three military officers and the two aerospace executives were glued to the drone footage. Seeing how seamlessly the situation outside had been handled only deepened their determination to secure Castle's cloaking technology. The Air Force officers, in particular, were eager for a hands-on demonstration. They formally requested to see the cloaking system in action on the drone currently operating above the estate. Their intent was clear: verify the technology's authenticity and assess its developmental progress.
Castle, knowing full well that denying this request would only raise suspicion, readily agreed. After all, the officers had come specifically to see the system, and with both Northrop and Lockheed executives present, refusing them outright would only make things worse.
"Harry," Castle said, addressing the chubby technician operating the drone, "bring it down to the backyard lawn. Keep the cloaking system active as it lands."
Moments later, Castle led the group—three military officers, Northrop's CEO, and Lockheed's executive—to the estate's rear lawn. As they approached, all they could see was a faint ripple in the air, like a distortion of water waves hovering above the grass. It wasn't until they were within ten meters of the drone that its presence became truly noticeable.
The demonstration left the Air Force officers visibly thrilled. Even on the ground, and from such a short distance, the cloaking system's effectiveness was remarkable. If the drone could achieve this level of visual concealment at low altitudes, it was reasonable to assume that any aircraft equipped with the system flying 100 meters or higher would be virtually undetectable to the naked eye. The strategic implications were staggering—this technology could revolutionize stealth warfare.
The three officers exchanged glances, their excitement barely contained. For them, this wasn't just a new technology—it was a leap forward in combat effectiveness that could secure America's air superiority for decades.
On the other hand, Northrop's CEO couldn't help but internally berate the shortsightedness of his own board of directors. If those idiots hadn't prioritized quick profits over strategic partnerships, we wouldn't be in this mess! he thought bitterly. Castle would've handed this technology to us on a silver platter if we hadn't damaged our relationship with him. Now, instead of having an exclusive deal, we're stuck fighting Lockheed for scraps.
Castle, standing off to the side, watched the group's reactions closely. Once he was sure they had sufficiently admired the cloaking system, he gave the command to deactivate it. "Harry, drop the cloak."
With a soft hum, the drone's cloaking field dissipated, revealing its sleek design. The process of transitioning from total invisibility to full visibility was as seamless as it was mesmerizing. The Air Force officers' eyes practically lit up with gold, while the two aerospace executives couldn't hide their greedy expressions.
"Castle," one of the officers finally spoke, his gaze still locked on the drone, "you mentioned earlier that this technology is nearly ready for deployment, correct? The main hurdles are industrial-scale production and finalizing some control codes, is that right?"
Castle shrugged. "Pretty much. I was planning to spend the next few weeks finalizing the coding here at home, but after what happened last night, who knows when I'll have the time? You've seen it yourselves—this drone works because it's linked to my estate's supercomputer. Without that computational support, the cloaking system can't maintain operational standards over long distances. And even with the supercomputer, the drone can't stray too far from the estate. The data transfer speed simply can't keep up."
Hearing this, the Northrop CEO saw an opening. Stepping forward, he spoke with urgency: "Castle, we're willing to handle all the fallout from last night's attacks for you. Just consider us when you're ready to license or sell this technology. We've had a good partnership before—any misunderstandings between us were caused by certain short-sighted individuals, and I can assure you that won't happen again."
The CEO's desperation was palpable. After witnessing the cloaking system firsthand, he was convinced that this technology could elevate Northrop's X-47B stealth drone program to unprecedented heights. The X-47B had just completed its maiden flight earlier this month, and pairing it with Castle's cloaking system could make it the crown jewel of next-generation unmanned combat aircraft.
The stakes were too high to ignore. If securing the technology meant outbidding Lockheed, then so be it.
Lockheed's executive, standing quietly nearby, narrowed his eyes as he listened. He knew Northrop was desperate to integrate the cloaking system into their X-47B program. But he also understood that the same technology could further enhance Lockheed's manned fighters, like the F-22 Raptor, or even pave the way for a new generation of stealth aircraft.
Castle, observing the silent tension between the two executives, chuckled inwardly. Let them fight, he thought. The more desperate they get, the better my bargaining position will be.
For now, Castle's priority was to leverage the situation to his advantage—both in terms of securing military support and maximizing the value of his groundbreaking technology.
(End of Chapter)
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