I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 168: Aurora Line Initiative

Sentinel BioTech HQ, Manila — Friday, 6:30 PM

The office was quieter than usual. Most of the day staff had already gone home, leaving only the soft hum of the ventilation and the distant rhythm of typing from a few night-shift analysts. The sun had dipped behind the skyline, leaving streaks of amber and violet painting the glass windows of Sentinel BioTech's top floor.

Matthew sat across from Angel in the Situation Room, a corner conference suite repurposed for war-room style planning. A digital map of Luzon was projected across the wall, with portions of Central and Northern provinces highlighted in light blue—land corridors under negotiation.

A second window showed video feeds—one from a closed-door Zoom meeting with JR East's executive delegation in Tokyo, the other from a tablet recording of landowner consultations held in Tarlac earlier that afternoon.

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Angel, tablet on her lap, scrolled through signed agreements and preliminary MOUs. "Thirty-two parcels signed in Tarlac. Nineteen more under review," she said. "Most are cooperative. They want infrastructure, they just don't want to get screwed in the process."

Matthew nodded slowly. "We're going to make sure they don't. Transparency. Full payout within thirty days of signing. Relocation support where needed. This project won't be remembered for displacement—it'll be remembered for opportunity."

Angel gave a small nod of approval. "People trust you. More than I expected. The town mayors in the area even offered to help facilitate talks—with zero demand for kickbacks."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "That's rare."

"It is," she agreed. "They said this was the first time someone spoke to them with a real plan that didn't involve handshakes behind closed doors."

Matthew leaned back slightly, glancing at the paused video feed of their JR East meeting. He tapped a finger against the table. "And the Tokyo side?"

Angel pulled up a transcript. "Preliminary response is very positive. JR East sees this as a prestige project, something they can point to as their Southeast Asia flagship. Their engineering board wants a site inspection team sent next week. Preferably Monday."

"Good," Matthew said. "Prepare the logistics for their visit. Fly them into Clark, we'll stage the tour from there. Include stops in Angeles, Tarlac, and all the way to Lucena. I want them to see our ambition firsthand."

Angel smiled faintly. "You're really doing it."

Matthew looked at her. "I wasn't sure it would get this far. Not with the red tape. But now…" He glanced at the growing map of signed zones. "We're laying the groundwork. Literally."

Angel swiped to a new section of her notes. "We've also been approached by Siemens Mobility. They caught wind of the JR East talks. They want a meeting next week."

Matthew thought about it for a moment. "Line them up—but keep them in parallel lanes. No overlaps for now. JR East gets the priority. They came first. We don't turn this into a bidding war."

Angel made a note. "Understood."

The room settled into silence for a few beats, the glow of the digital maps reflecting off polished surfaces. Then Matthew stood, walking slowly to the window, his silhouette framed by the blinking skyline of Makati and the sprawl beyond.

"I grew up thinking we were stuck this way," he said quietly. "Cracked roads. Flooded terminals. Ferries that break down mid-voyage. I used to believe that was just our fate."

Angel looked up from her tablet, listening.

"But it's not fate," he continued. "It's choice. Or worse, it's apathy disguised as pragmatism. Every generation before us thought this couldn't be done—too big, too complex. So they passed the burden forward."

He turned to face her. "We're not passing it anymore."

Angel nodded slowly. "No, sir. We're not."

Matthew walked back to the table. "Set up a satellite office in Tarlac. Staff it with a local engagement team. I want direct feedback from landowners and mayors. Concerns, ideas, frustrations—let's hear it from the ground."

Angel was already typing. "And legal?"

"Bring in Attorney Hilario's team. They've handled property law cases in Central Luzon. Quiet, efficient, and most importantly, not politically connected."

Angel smirked. "You really don't trust anyone in Congress anymore, do you?"

Matthew's smile was faint. "I trust a few. But I've seen enough to know how things work. This railway has to be bulletproof from Day 1. The moment we allow a corrupt hand to shape it, it stops being for the people."

He paused, then added, "And if this works… if we connect Laoag to General Santos with clean money, good faith, and global tech—what else could we build next?"

Angel tilted her head. "You mean aside from turning the whole country into a modern logistics and mobility hub?"

Matthew chuckled. "Yeah. Aside from that."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Matthew called.

Logan stepped in, slightly winded. "Sorry to interrupt. JR East just sent over a draft framework. Pre-contractual terms. Looks like they're serious."

Angel stood and took the document. "We'll get our legal team to vet this tonight."

Matthew glanced at the clock. "Tell legal to fast-track. I want counter-signatures ready by Sunday."

Logan nodded. "Will do."

As the logistics head left, Matthew turned back to Angel. "You staying late?"

She shrugged lightly. "If you are."

He gave a small smile. "I'll stay until this framework is ready. But after that, I'm calling it a night. You should too."

Angel raised an eyebrow. "Is that an order, Mr. Borja?"

"A strong suggestion," he replied.

She gave him a look, then smiled as she picked up her tablet. "Fine. But only because we're ahead of schedule."

As she left the room, Matthew remained seated, alone once more with the screen and its expanding blue lines—representing cities, dreams, and futures yet to be built.

He picked up the JR East framework and studied the opening clause.

"This partnership shall be based on mutual trust, shared innovation, and the goal of enhancing regional mobility through ethical, world-class engineering."

He smiled slightly.

It was beginning.

Not in a senate hall, not in a TV debate, not with a groundbreaking ceremony led by a dozen politicians who'd never even walked the line.

But here—in an office, under fluorescent lights, with honest paper, real signatures, and the quiet hum of commitment.

This was how nations changed.

One signature at a time.