This explanation finally convinced Peter, who had always harbored doubts about the truth of the matter, to believe Neal's words. Although Peter didn't immediately stand up, the excited expression on his face betrayed the intense mental activity occurring within him. Faced with the explosive news that Neal Caffrey had just revealed, Peter could no longer contain himself. He realized that this was a pivotal moment in his career. If he could leverage this information to locate Vincent Adler, who had long been pursued by the FBI, and simultaneously recover a submarine filled with art treasures looted by the Nazis during World War II, he would receive the most glorious reward of his career.
At this thought, the usually composed Peter Burke couldn't help but want to rush to his superior's office next door to report this shocking news and mobilize a team to launch a massive manhunt for Vincent Adler, hidden somewhere in New York City. Fortunately, his last shred of rationality made him stop in his tracks. He noticed the mocking expression on Neal's face, realizing that he had been too hasty. He quickly sat back down, looking at Neal with anticipation. Peter knew that Neal wouldn't have come to him with such information unless he was highly confident—confident not only in Vincent Adler's plan but also in the fact that without Neal's help, the FBI would never find the well-hidden Vincent Adler.
Peter understood that Neal wasn't just there to inform him about Vincent's plan to kidnap him; he was likely using this information to negotiate with the FBI. This was understandable, given that Neal's recent escape had added four years to his sentence, which now required him to serve four more years under house arrest with a tracking anklet, confined to a two-mile radius centered around Times Square in Manhattan. Neal had been particularly unhappy with this restriction, as it meant he couldn't even visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art without an FBI agent accompanying him.
Now, Neal held a piece of information crucial to the entire FBI, and Peter was certain that Neal would seize this opportunity. Though Vincent's kidnapping threat still loomed, Peter was confident that Neal had already made the necessary preparations. Neal's visit was clearly to negotiate terms using the information about Vincent Adler.
Though Peter had already guessed much of the situation, he felt somewhat powerless. It was obvious that Neal knew the importance of the information he held. He wasn't overly concerned about Vincent's plan to kidnap him, as Vincent needed Neal to help disarm the explosives on the submarine. But this information was of utmost importance to the FBI, which had been hunting Vincent Adler, a notorious Ponzi schemer, for years. And now, Peter had learned that Vincent had secretly salvaged a submarine loaded with valuable artifacts and treasures right under the FBI's nose. If Neal didn't understand how to leverage this situation, he wouldn't be Neal Caffrey.
Peter finally understood why Neal had taken such a roundabout way to get to the point—it was all to make him wait in anticipation. But did Peter have any way to refuse? No, he had to take the bait and follow Neal's lead. Otherwise, Peter was sure he wouldn't be able to get more information out of Neal.
You might ask, what if Peter just left Neal hanging out to dry? That could work, but Peter had chased Neal around half the world back in the day. Relying on the current team to monitor Neal's every move? Not realistic. Besides, if they didn't have Neal's cooperation, Peter suspected Neal might disappear and collaborate with Vincent instead. Realizing all this, Peter looked intently at Neal, who sat calmly across from him, and said, "Alright, name your terms."
Seeing that Peter was quick to grasp the situation and asked for his terms, Neal finally showed a satisfied smile. "My conditions are simple: exchange Vincent's capture for my freedom! I'll help you catch the elusive Vincent Adler, and in return, you must officially pardon the remaining four years of my sentence and ensure I won't be harassed further. If you agree to my terms, I'll fully cooperate with you to capture Vincent Adler, and you'll also gain possession of the recently salvaged World War II submarine filled with treasures."
Peter had already anticipated most of Neal's demands before he even spoke. Now, it was just a matter of confirming that Neal indeed had these thoughts. Honestly, Peter didn't have the authority to make such promises. After careful consideration, he said to Neal, "I'll report this to my superiors right away. Whether they agree to your terms is up to them, but as for me, I agree to your terms. How does that sound?"
Neal shrugged. "Report it if you must, but don't forget—Vincent has his people in the FBI too. If this gets out and Vincent learns about it, he might abandon his plan to kidnap me, and you'll regretfully lose track of him. So I suggest you report this to your superiors in secret. If they agree to my terms, I expect you to promptly prepare the pardon documents. Only when the document is officially signed will I fully cooperate with you."
Peter understood the gravity of the situation. Forget capturing Vincent Adler, who had eluded the FBI for a decade—just the submarine loaded with treasures was enough to make Peter Burke handle this matter carefully. With Neal's reminder, Peter couldn't sit still any longer. He asked Neal to wait in his office and quickly headed to his superior's office next door to report the situation to Hughes.
Watching Peter leave his office as if his seat had caught fire, Neal's face showed a smile of satisfaction, knowing everything was under control.
Meanwhile, at a Long Island estate, Castle was completely unaware of the FBI's internal power struggles. He was sitting in front of Gianna, listening to her recount her recent contact with a certain family in France.
"Castle, the Bernard family is an old family in France. Among the art pieces you brought back, there are two paintings and a sculpture that were looted from the Bernard family by the Nazis during World War II. When I contacted them earlier, I sent them photos of the paintings and sculpture, and they confirmed that these were indeed their family's lost items. They are very grateful that we were able to locate these items.
However, I didn't tell them that we currently have these items in our possession. I only mentioned that we found clues about their whereabouts by chance. They were planning to come to New York immediately, but I convinced them to wait. I wanted to reach a consensus with you before proceeding further."
Gianna sat on the couch, her pregnancy clearly visible, but her presence was still commanding as she spoke to Castle, who was slouched lazily on the couch across from her.
Castle, exuding an aura of laziness, responded nonchalantly to his friend's girlfriend, "You can decide on this yourself. I've told you before, I'm not interested in those paintings and such, let alone some French Bernard family."
Gianna was already well acquainted with Castle's laziness, but this time the situation was serious. She couldn't act independently. Informing the Bernard family about the art treasures was something she had done impulsively out of excitement upon seeing the vast hoard of treasures. Although Castle didn't mind, Gianna quickly realized that those items didn't belong to her, and her actions were inappropriate. If she continued to communicate with the Bernard family without consulting Castle, it would be a serious breach of trust. Therefore, despite having already informed the French family, Gianna felt it was necessary to discuss the matter with Castle before taking any further action.
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