Taking advantage of some free time, Castle carefully reflected on everything that had happened since he crossed over into this world. Apart from John Wick's initial revenge mission and his own subsequent encouragement for Wick to go to France to see Gianna, Castle realized he hadn't exactly followed the path of typical transmigrators. Instead, he felt like a firefighter, constantly putting out fires, which was far beyond his original intentions.
Thinking carefully, he had transformed into a "superhuman" with the system's help, but he had been preoccupied with trivial matters, many of which he didn't genuinely care about. While the occasional side quest from the system wasn't a big deal, Castle found his attempts to create drones and establish connections with the third-largest American defense contractor unnecessary.
The phone call from the NYPD's Chief tonight, warning him about the CIA's potential interest, initially left him dismissive. What had led him to such arrogance? This was the CIA, one of the world's largest intelligence agencies! Although his father wasn't being hunted by the CIA like in the original storyline and had a more prominent status, and Castle himself possessed significant skills, these were not reasons to ignore the CIA.
More importantly, all these distractions had severely delayed his time spent building rapport with Beckett. Was he becoming too complacent? The NYPD Chief's call came just in time, jolting Castle out of his recent indulgence in flaunting his newfound abilities. He remembered his primary goal was not to deal with robbers or con artists or engage in turf wars. His initial dream was simply to use his status as a writer to build a relationship with Beckett and eventually marry her. How had he ended up considering himself a savior, entangled in all these strange affairs?
Startled, Castle realized it was time to lay low. Ever since arriving in this world filled with various TV show elements, he had been overindulging in his newfound power, believing himself invincible. However, it wasn't too late to change course.
According to his system, he was here to enjoy life, not to solve the daily issues of this "free" country. If he needed to help, it should be with Beckett solving murder cases, enjoying the thrill of foreknowledge while also bringing them closer together. Hunting down bank robbers or masterminds of Ponzi schemes should be mere side activities, not his main focus.
With this newfound clarity, Castle felt relieved. How had he gotten so carried away? As a former ordinary person, suddenly granted extraordinary power by the system, he had lost himself in it, believing he could do anything. However, he was reminded that he was not irreplaceable. The negotiations with Northrop Grumman were already entrusted to Moz, and Harry, the chubby kid, was monitoring Vincent's gang.
Realizing this, Castle knew it was time to step back from these distractions and focus on Beckett. He had just helped her and her boss, Captain Montgomery, gain significant recognition. The NYPD Chief had hinted that Montgomery might soon be promoted to Deputy Commissioner, leaving the 12th Precinct's Captain position vacant. If Castle didn't want the department to bring in an outsider, he needed to help Beckett solve a few more high-profile cases quickly.
By doing this, he could help Beckett secure the captaincy of the 12th Precinct earlier than in the original storyline. This would also bring him closer to completing his ultimate system task: marrying Beckett and eventually helping her become a New York State Senator.
To achieve this, Castle realized he needed to stop engaging in unnecessary adventures and return to the precinct, sticking close to Beckett. He couldn't allow the precinct to bring in an outsider; this position needed to go to Beckett. Being the youngest precinct captain in the NYPD would give Beckett a significant advantage, positioning her for future political ambitions.
Castle planned to use his connection with Harry, the hacker, and his relationship with Barry Street's "KING," to justify his intelligence-gathering capabilities to Beckett. This would help mask his foreknowledge without arousing her suspicion.
Castle was also aware of the challenges ahead. New York's current state senators were problematic: William Bracken, who had a deep-seated vendetta against Beckett, and Senator Terrence Pratt, involved in Neil Caffrey's father's framing and eventual murder.
Castle decided to reveal the truth to Neil Caffrey after dealing with Vincent, to prevent Neil from being dragged down by his father's schemes. However, dealing with Beckett's nemesis, Senator Bracken, was more urgent. Castle had already handed over forensic evidence regarding Beckett's mother's murder to Henry, indicating his involvement in the matter.
Castle anticipated that the assassin, Nick Kunan, who had killed Beckett's mother, would soon resurface. When that happened, the case would likely fall to Beckett, meaning Castle might have to reveal the truth to her about her mother's killer.
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