After finally understanding what kind of situation he had gotten himself involved in this time—and realizing that he could personally gain benefits measured in the billions—Admiral Cole immediately sprang into action with incredible enthusiasm.
He didn't even care that there were three major arms dealers and two high-ranking politicians present. After all, no matter how rich the navy was, that money wasn't in Admiral Cole's own pocket. But if he pulled this off, his personal wealth would skyrocket. In a capitalist society, how many times in a lifetime could one encounter such an opportunity?
Besides, who in this room didn't know how the game was played?
The two politicians might not fully understand the tricks of the arms procurement industry, but those three arms dealers? Their businesses thrived precisely because of people like himself and Peterson—figures with massive influence in the military—who helped them manipulate defense contracts.
And wasn't the recently established Huntington Ingalls Industries just a spin-off from Northrop Grumman? It was created so that, under a new independent name, it could establish fresh supply contracts with the navy.
Wasn't the whole point of these maneuvers just about making money?
However, using his position to help arms companies push weapon procurement plans would only bring in a relatively small kickback.
Look at Mr. Writer here—he's offering them cuts where gold is being measured in the dozens of tons! Compared to that, skimming from arms deals was downright embarrassing.
And all he had to do was have the fleet, which was already patrolling the Indian Ocean, move a little closer to the southwestern coast of India, then be ready to provide fire support to Mr. Writer's treasure-hunting operation. That was all. For a four-star admiral, this was ridiculously easy.
Just the preliminary estimate of the treasure's value was at least $20–30 billion. Even with just a 10% share per person, each of them stood to gain several billion dollars. Under these circumstances, who cared about dignity or principles? As one of the iron fists of capitalism, wasn't the navy supposed to bow to capital?
The meeting on how to excavate the treasure quickly reached a consensus once America's first- and second-tier elites agreed to provide full security support.
Now that the biggest security concern was resolved, the remaining issues were trivial. Even when Castle suggested using his personal bodyguard team for the excavation—despite them all being former Russian Interior Ministry special forces—no one objected. These men had followed him for years, and now that they and their families had settled in New York, they were considered trustworthy.
No one had a problem with it. After all, Castle was the one who had invited them in just to share the spoils—why would anyone care if he used his own team to do the digging?
What really puzzled them was that Castle planned to personally oversee the excavation in Sri Lanka and even intended to bring his wife and kids along.
Castle didn't hide his reasoning: "Ever since my son was born, I haven't spent much time with him or his mother. Since we've already solved the biggest security issue, and I have to personally verify the treasure's authenticity at the temple, why not turn it into a family trip to South Asia?"
The CEO of Northrop Grumman, who had the closest working relationship with Castle, laughed: "Rick, I bet you're just sick of us pestering you to develop the next-gen visual stealth system."
Castle admitted it outright: "Well, isn't this perfect timing? Between being stuck in a lab developing something new and going on a fun, exciting treasure hunt worth billions of dollars, which one do you think is more appealing?
Besides, it's not like I need the money."
Everyone burst into laughter. Of course, Castle was notorious for doing whatever he wanted. He had already achieved financial freedom long ago, so it made perfect sense that he had no real motivation for R&D.
Plus, all three aircraft manufacturers in the room had already received technology from him and had secured Pentagon and military upgrade contracts. They still hadn't even finished integrating what they had—why rush him to develop the next generation?
The priority now was to stick to the plan: gather a team, head to South Asia, dig up the treasure, and make money.
That was exactly what the Speaker of the House was thinking.
In a capitalist society, money was everything. Wealth was power. This mindset was on full display here. Once they finalized the distribution and agreed on their individual responsibilities, this elite coalition—comprising three major defense contractors, high-ranking politicians, and top brass from both the navy and air force—efficiently organized everything except the excavation itself.
First, Castle, his wife, their child, and some friends' families would fly to Sri Lanka on a private jet. He would be accompanied by Big Ivan's security team of ten bodyguards. Meanwhile, the little chubby kid and Ramzi's little sister would stay behind at the estate, guarded by ten other Russian bodyguards. After all, they had only recently thwarted an attempt by India, Turkey, and Japan to steal data from the supercomputer lab—there was no way they could afford to let their guard down completely and take the entire family on this "vacation."
Next, the three aircraft manufacturers would provide full logistical support for Castle's trip. Boeing even offered him a 747—identical to the one used as Air Force One—for free. This way, he could travel comfortably with his infant son and also transport personnel sent by the arms companies to assist with the excavation.
Castle had initially wanted Northrop Grumman to bring back Jason and his team to bolster his security detail while giving them a chance to make some money.
Unfortunately, that didn't work out. After reporting back, Jason's team was immediately deployed on a classified Middle Eastern mission with a new recruit, leaving Castle with no familiar DG members to rely on.
However, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman still stepped in to help. Like Boeing, they each sent personnel to Sri Lanka to assist with the treasure's extraction and transport.
They also provided necessary technical support and heavy machinery, including transport equipment.
Although Admiral Peterson had offered to deploy C-17 Globemaster and C-5 Galaxy transport planes for moving the treasure, Castle ultimately proposed that they keep all military involvement off the record. Everyone agreed.
Yes, there would be no official U.S. military personnel involved. Everything would be handled under "private" capacity. Castle was strictly instructed to observe the treasure site briefly, then return to Sri Lanka as quickly as possible to avoid detection by the Indians—who had just recently failed in their conspiracy against him.
This way, the U.S. military and government could maintain plausible deniability. Even if the operation was exposed, they could simply claim that Castle was retaliating against India for their attempt to harm him, and that he had no idea the treasure was so massive.
It was the perfect scapegoat scenario. After all, Castle didn't need to maintain a reputation in India—his books weren't exactly selling in a country with such a high illiteracy rate.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House and another senior politician would handle any political fallout if India caught wind of the operation.
Admirals Peterson and Cole, on the other hand, were responsible for military deterrence and backup in case of emergencies. They wouldn't intervene directly—at least not publicly.
But they were the most crucial part of the plan. The navy's fleet would be stationed nearby to guarantee Castle's safety in Sri Lanka. And if any trouble arose during the excavation, they would ensure absolute security for Big Ivan and the three defense contractors.
After all, what was the point of America having military bases all over the world if not for situations like this?
Wasn't protecting American elites' interests their ultimate purpose?
Yes, Castle had now entered the elite circle that required U.S. global military power for protection.
With experienced politicians handling the politics, military-industrial giants providing technical and logistical support, and elite military figures ensuring security, this was a perfectly structured operation.
And to think—this all stemmed from Castle's simple desire not to make money, but just to mess with India.
His goal? To make sure India knew that even if the U.S. government didn't retaliate for their actions against him, Castle had already taken enough compensation from them.
If you're going to slap someone in the face, you might as well make it hurt and do it in front of the whole world.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.
Every 5 reviews = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.