As always, the system's "skill rewards" were incredibly considerate. Not only did they include the ability to pilot aircraft, but they also threw in fundamental tactical flight skills for fighter jets. Concepts such as extreme maneuvering and air combat geometry were all packed into the package. This meant that Castle, who was originally a complete novice in flying, didn't exactly become a top-tier expert overnight, but at the very least, he could now be considered a seasoned pilot.
This made Castle feel incredibly smug. If it weren't for the fact that it would be difficult to explain how he had managed to master such advanced flight techniques in just a few days—potentially raising suspicion—he would have already been showing off his newfound skills.
For now, he had no choice but to temporarily keep it a secret that he could proficiently operate the flight simulator he had built. He needed to first dismiss the technical personnel sent by the three companies and then pretend to go through a period of learning before finally revealing his "rapid progress due to exceptional talent." This way, he could maintain the illusion that his skills were acquired naturally.
Over the next two weeks, Castle once again took on the role of an instructor—just as he had done when explaining the principles of optical stealth technology to several companies. He took advantage of the fact that representatives from all three companies were gathered at his estate, ignoring the diplomatic storm brewing between three nations due to the "spy conflict" he had unintentionally set off in New York. Instead, he focused on playing the teacher, treating the technical directors and engineers from the three companies as his students and fully enjoying his role as an instructor.
While he was indulging in his passion for teaching, the Brits and the Turks were having a terrible time dealing with the wrath of the Americans...
Let's start with the Brits. The U.S. had already been frustrated with this disobedient ally for refusing to align with its national strategy, particularly in stirring up trouble in the Eurozone. But now, things had escalated further. The Brits had secretly deployed MI6 operatives to steal classified intelligence from a well-connected and influential author in the U.S. However, their agent, by a stroke of bad luck, ended up clashing with a Turkish operative who had a personal vendetta against him. The Turkish agent killed the British spy in New York, the operation was exposed, and consequently, Britain's hidden agenda was laid bare.
Now that the U.S. had finally caught the Brits red-handed, there was no way Washington would let them off easily.
Even though the British Prime Minister quickly reached out to President Benjamin Arthur in an attempt to smooth things over, it was futile. The biggest issue wasn't just the White House's reaction but the fury of the U.S. defense industry, particularly major military contractors who had obtained advanced technology from Castle and were determined to protect their interests.
The first to erupt in anger was Lockheed Martin. After receiving a direct complaint from Castle himself, the company immediately verified the situation. Once confirmed, they wasted no time in suspending all British engineers involved in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. Then, Lockheed Martin took an even harsher step—announcing an indefinite suspension of all collaboration with the British side, citing concerns that the British personnel had leaked classified company information and attempted to steal proprietary technology from key personnel.
The fact that Britain had invested a hefty $2.5 billion into the JSF project meant nothing to Lockheed Martin. The Brits were absolutely livid, but they had no recourse—after all, Lockheed Martin was a private company, not a state-owned enterprise. They had no leverage over the defense giant.
Lockheed Martin didn't stop there. They also reached out to U.S. lawmakers under their influence, urging them to apply political pressure on Britain.
And that was just the beginning of the American onslaught.
Castle hadn't merely "reported" the Brits to Lockheed Martin. When he learned that their true objective was to acquire engine modification technology from his collaboration with General Electric (GE) and Pratt & Whitney, he immediately informed both companies.
Now, the three leading global engine manufacturers were GE, Pratt & Whitney, and the UK's Rolls-Royce. Over the past year, GE and Pratt & Whitney, armed with Castle's technological advancements, had been crushing Rolls-Royce in the competition. There was no way they would allow their struggling rival to stage a comeback by stealing game-changing technology.
Capitalists are ruthless when it comes to protecting their interests. Just as they disregard human laws in pursuit of profit, they will do whatever it takes to safeguard their advantages.
Upon receiving Castle's report and verifying that the British had indeed deployed agents to steal technology for Rolls-Royce, both GE and Pratt & Whitney immediately followed Lockheed Martin's example. They suspended all collaboration with the UK and lobbied their political allies—regardless of party affiliation—to go after Britain.
That was just the first wave. Soon, Boeing and Northrop Grumman also jumped in, driven by their own interests. With these five major companies mobilized, plus a furious President Benjamin Arthur (whose political backers had also been targeted), Britain was in for a world of pain.
Not to mention the political opportunists eager to join in on the attack.
Even though the British Prime Minister had tried to defuse the crisis through a direct call with President Arthur, the American leader—well aware of his own country's ruthless political landscape—had no intention of letting them off the hook without extracting a steep price.
After realizing that empty words wouldn't resolve the situation, the British Prime Minister had no choice but to instruct his Foreign Secretary to negotiate directly with the U.S. Ambassador to the UK, seeking to settle the matter by offering real concessions.
Now, let's turn to the Turks.
Their situation was even messier than Britain's.
The U.S. and Turkey already had a strained relationship, largely due to Washington's covert CIA operations aimed at stirring unrest within Turkey. So, when this latest scandal broke, the two nations immediately went head-to-head.
The U.S. accused Turkey of sending intelligence operatives to spy on an American citizen—a renowned author, no less. But Turkey was in no position to defend itself, as the U.S. had captured one of its agents red-handed.
So, what could Turkey do?
Their only option was to retaliate by exposing past CIA activities in their own country.
They publicly accused the U.S. of using intelligence operatives to support opposition forces within Turkey, even revealing classified details of past CIA funding for the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). They further claimed that Washington was targeting them in retaliation for shutting down a U.S. military base on Turkish soil. The Turkish government dismissed the U.S. accusations regarding the New York operation as nothing more than a fabricated smear campaign.
But this was the U.S. we're talking about—the world's biggest bully, known for attacking whomever it pleased and imposing "democracy" wherever it saw fit.
Now that Turkey had been caught red-handed, how dare they talk back and drag past CIA activities into the spotlight?
And to make matters worse, they had actually shut down a U.S. military base and forced American troops to withdraw from their country!
With both old grudges and new grievances piling up, the U.S. government—having already secured its leverage over Britain—turned its full attention to crushing Turkey. Washington's political establishment, for once, was united in its resolve: they weren't going to let Turkey off the hook.
After all, at this point, the entire situation had turned into a massive mess...
Adding fuel to the fire, Britain—having just been humiliated and extorted by the U.S.—decided to jump in and take revenge on Turkey. Since their failed operation had been ruined by Turkish interference, leading to catastrophic exposure and losses, they saw this as the perfect opportunity to kick Turkey while it was down.
And so, with the U.S. leading the charge and Britain following suit, Turkey found itself in an all-out diplomatic and political brawl.
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