Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

John McClane thought about it and decided to take action. However, with Castle's call informing him that the NYPD backup was on its way, was he supposed to bluntly refuse? 

He indeed did just that. John McClane was straightforward and had no patience for subtleties. He directly stated his intention to eliminate Simon once and for all.

Surprisingly, this aligned perfectly with what Castle had in mind!

Back when Castle watched movies and TV shows in his previous life, he was extremely frustrated with the protagonists who would constantly let the villains go, only for them to come back and cause more trouble. He knew it was a dramatic device used by writers, but he found it ridiculous. Why let the enemy go when you have the chance to eliminate them?

Take today's situation with Simon, for example. New York State still had the death penalty, but it hadn't been enforced since 1976. Simon might already be on the radar of some US agency, with the CIA at the forefront. If they didn't agree to let John eliminate Simon now, this guy could be taken away by some secret agency dressed in black suits and sunglasses, only to reappear with a new identity.

Moreover, Simon's underling, the genius bomb expert Faris Tago, was the kind of skilled antagonist the CIA loved to recruit for their worldwide operations. Castle had recently heard that the CIA's European division was after a so-called "rogue agent" named Jason Bourne. Castle immediately recognized the name as the famous protagonist from the Bourne series. He even had some spy skills awarded by the System.

Since the System didn't assign any tasks related to Bourne, Castle hadn't planned to interfere. Besides, it was happening far away in Europe. However, Castle knew the CIA was currently in a state of turmoil. Simon's high-profile antics were sure to attract the attention of those foolish CIA agents. Given Simon's German background, the CIA might even consider recruiting him to deal with Jason Bourne in Europe.

No way! Castle couldn't allow it. After all, Officer John McClane had been humiliated by Simon all morning. Letting Simon escape? Absolutely not.

The CIA was notorious for causing problems and often getting in their own way. Don't forget, even in this world, the 9/11 attacks had occurred, masterminded by individuals trained by the CIA. Claiming to invade Afghanistan to combat terrorism? Nonsense. When the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, opium production in the Golden Crescent was eradicated. How many knew that? The United Nations had even publicly praised the Taliban for their anti-narcotics efforts.

But when the US invaded Afghanistan under the guise of fighting the Taliban, the drug trade and poppy cultivation, previously eradicated, resumed at an astonishing rate. The US military was even known to use military planes to smuggle these harmful substances. The US wasn't saving Afghanistan; they were exploiting it.

Back to Simon: Castle was willing to bet that if they let Simon go today, the guy would be picked up by some US secret agency, given a new identity, and sent back out to cause more trouble. Castle couldn't afford to let Simon roam free, potentially becoming a recurring problem.

Castle didn't want to be constantly embroiled in such affairs. More importantly, letting Simon go today would mean losing the advantage of foresight. Who knew when Simon might strike back?

Thus, Castle not only didn't discourage John McClane's idea of eliminating Simon but was also eager to support it.

Castle didn't want to wake up one morning to find Simon causing trouble again while he was still plotting against Vincent Adler. That would drive him insane.

Castle firmly believed in physically eliminating his opponents, as he had done with Adam. There was no reason to spare Simon and give him a chance to strike back later. Supporting John McClane's plan was the obvious choice.

As for Vincent Adler, Castle didn't lack the capability to eliminate him. He was just too lazy to personally search for the submarine. Once Vincent and his men retrieved the sunken German submarine off the New York coast, Castle planned to have Neal take Vincent to the FBI to earn some merit, reducing Neal's sentence. Afterward, Castle would find an opportunity to eliminate Vincent.

For now, Castle needed to help John eliminate Simon and his well-protected gang, including Simon's girlfriend and the crucial bomb expert, Faris Tago, before the NYPD backup arrived.

While Castle could snipe Simon from the abandoned building six hundred meters away, he didn't want to attract unnecessary trouble. With John's anger toward Simon, Castle could stay out of the spotlight and provide fire support. John could then personally take down Simon, making everyone happy.

At that moment, Castle's earpiece crackled with an unexpected communication from the chubby guy, bringing bad news that confirmed Castle's suspicions: the CIA had indeed gotten involved.

The chubby guy informed Castle that the NYPD had just received a communication from the CIA headquarters in Langley. They requested that the NYPD ensure the capture of Simon and Faris Tago alive. According to the CIA, these two held critical classified information. The CIA wanted the NYPD to hand them over for interrogation after capture.

This news cemented Castle's resolve: the CIA was interested in Simon, making it even more imperative that Simon didn't leave New York alive.

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