I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 161: Foundations

Subic Bay Shipyard — Wednesday, 08:00 AM

The early morning sun had just begun to pierce through the thin fog lingering over the coast. A soft breeze carried the briny scent of the sea as light reflected off the rusted hulls of old cranes and unused rail tracks. But today, the dormant shipyard buzzed with the energy of purpose.

Matthew stood at the center of the main hangar—Hangar 4, soon to be the future nucleus of localized Titan production. Beside him, Angel clutched a sleek tablet in one hand and a binder in the other, already scanning and cross-referencing schedules, vendor lists, and construction permits. Around them, a growing crew of engineers, surveyors, and architects moved with intent. The transformation had begun.

Hard hats and utility vests peppered the grounds. Sentinel BioTech's temporary command trailer was already operational, marked by the company's logo beside a Philippine flag. Military officers from the Department of National Defense had also arrived early to oversee planning and offer support.

"This hangar alone gives us more square footage than our Manila R&D floor," Matthew said as he paced slowly along the edge of the hangar. "But we'll need full refitting. Flooring, insulation, reinforcement. The neural testing pods will require zero signal interference."

Angel walked beside him, nodding as she scrolled. "Initial estimates say six weeks for structural conversion. Two more for partial equipment installation. We're flying in half the fabrication tools from Singapore, and the rest from California."

He gave a short hum of approval. "Good. Let's not drag our feet. This needs to move fast."

They stopped as a short convoy pulled in—a pair of government SUVs flanked by military escorts. The DND liaison officer, Colonel Ortega, stepped out, adjusting his cap before making his way over to Matthew.

"Mr. Borja," Ortega greeted, offering a firm handshake. "On behalf of the Secretary of National Defense, I want to thank you again for agreeing to this initiative. This is a major win for local capability."

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"Colonel," Matthew said with a respectful nod. "The pleasure is mine. Our country should be able to manufacture and sustain its own defense technologies. This isn't just about business. It's about sovereignty."

Ortega looked pleasantly surprised. "Well said. Not every private partner sees the bigger picture."

Angel chimed in smoothly, "We've already begun procurement coordination. I'll be sending the DND weekly updates for transparency. If you'd like a dedicated liaison on-site, we'll assign one of our project managers to coordinate with your office directly."

"Please do," Ortega said with a smile. "And Mr. Borja—if you don't mind, we're hosting a press briefing on Friday. The Secretary wants to announce the start of this project with you present."

Matthew gave it a moment's thought. "Alright. Just keep the event focused. No media circus."

"You have our word," Ortega nodded.

After a few more exchanges and a quick walkthrough with the colonel, Matthew and Angel returned to the makeshift command trailer.

Inside, it was surprisingly modern. Flat screens lined one side, already displaying renderings of the new facility layout. On the central table, digital blueprints of the proposed factory were laid out, color-coded by zone—assembly, neural calibration, storage, testing, logistics.

Angel sat across from him and pulled up a dashboard showing progress markers. "Assuming no logistical delays, we could be running low-volume production by Q1 next year. Maybe even earlier if we run two shifts."

"Let's target December," Matthew said. "Before year-end. It'll make a stronger statement."

Angel looked at him for a moment. "You're aiming to show full operational capability before next year's Asia Defense Summit."

He nodded slightly. "I want the global defense market to know the Philippines isn't just a buyer anymore. We're a builder."

She smiled faintly. "Legacy move."

"Exactly," he said.

Their conversation was briefly interrupted by the knock of an assistant entering with coffee and a report packet. Matthew took the coffee with a grateful nod and opened the report. Angel watched him quietly for a few seconds before speaking again.

"You know," she said, folding her hands in front of her. "I've never seen you this focused. Not even when we were racing to finish Titan Mk-I."

Matthew leaned back slightly, sipping the coffee. "Back then, I was chasing validation. Now… I'm shaping something permanent."

There was a pause—soft, reflective. Angel glanced at him, her tone gentler now. "You've come a long way, Matthew."

He looked out the window for a moment, watching the construction teams and engineers move with purpose. "And there's still a long way to go. But yeah… it's different now. I'm not just building machines anymore. I'm building roots."

Angel smiled. "You've earned it."

Manila, Sentinel BioTech HQ — Later that Evening

They returned to the main office just before sundown. The building had thinned out as most employees had already gone home for the night. Matthew and Angel exited the elevator on the executive floor, walking in silence toward his office.

Angel peeled off toward her desk. "I'll send over the updated Subic schedule and the media briefing outline tonight."

"Thanks, Angel," he said, pausing at his door. "Also—good job today. You kept everything moving like clockwork."

She smiled at him warmly. "Always."

Matthew stepped inside his office. The sky outside was streaked with orange and violet, the city below bathed in dusk. He sank into his chair, stretching for a moment before checking his messages. A notification blinked on his screen.

[New Message – Lance Gokongwei]

Looking forward to Thursday. A few interesting people you might enjoy talking to will be joining us. Let's align our visions over dinner. Cheers – Lance.

Matthew smirked faintly and typed a short reply.

Likewise. I'll bring ideas. You bring the wine.

He hit send, then leaned back again, letting the quiet settle over him.

Angel's head poked into the office a minute later. "One last thing."

Matthew turned. "Yes?"

She held up her phone, grinning. "Terence Sy just posted a photo from the party. You're in the background, looking very serious."

He groaned, rubbing his face. "Great. What's the caption?"

Angel read aloud dramatically. "'Titans talking shop. Big moves coming.' Hashtag legacy."

Matthew laughed, shaking his head. "Of course."

Angel chuckled, then turned to leave. "Rest well, sir. Tomorrow, we start laying the foundation."

Matthew looked out over the glowing skyline again.

The foundation wasn't just concrete and steel.

It was power, strategy, and vision.

And it had already begun.