I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 236: The Lines Form

March 30, 2026 — 10:00 AM

Sentinel HQ, BGC — International Relations Suite

The newly furnished International Relations Suite had barely finished installation when the first delegation arrived.

Three diplomats from Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation stood beside a table filled with Aerus design mockups, charts of microturbine fuel efficiency, and a rotating 3D schematic of the Aerus Mark 2 chassis on a vertical display.

Angel Cruz entered in a crisp navy suit, followed by Julian and two legal advisors. Matthew was already there, sleeves rolled up, leaning against the edge of the conference table.

The Indonesian envoy, a sharp-eyed woman in her early forties named Aida Santoso, wasted no time.

"We've reviewed your Singapore metrics," she began. "Public satisfaction scores are impressive. Turbine noise readings show promise even in our mixed-density zones."

Angel nodded. "Aerus was built for exactly that—urban irregularity."

"We want a joint program," Aida said plainly. "No limited test. Not five units. We're thinking fifty. Split across Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "That's a full-scale deployment."

Aida smiled. "We're ready. And we want to license future production domestically by 2027. Indonesian-assembled Aerus units, in exchange for exclusivity in the archipelago."

Angel and Matthew exchanged a look.

Julian leaned in. "That's… bold."

"It's business," Aida replied. "And we want to make history too."

—

March 30, 2026 — 2:45 PM

Sentinel HQ — Situation Room

Back in the nerve center of the company, Angel stood in front of the region map pinned on the wall. Red pins marked regions of interest. Yellow for preliminary contact. Green for formal proposals.

Three new green pins had gone up in the past 72 hours:

Indonesia. Thailand. Vietnam.

Carina joined via video link, voice slightly distorted from a poor signal at the Subic plant.

"Thailand's asking for a closed-doors demonstration next month," she reported. "Wants to test turbine performance at Bangkok humidity levels."

"Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology wants access to our atmospheric intake filters," Julian added. "Not a deal-breaker, but they're hinting at co-development clauses."

Matthew studied the board. "And no interest yet from the West?"

Julian shook his head. "Nothing formal. But I've had two calls from unnamed EU 'consultants' asking for strategic partnerships—code for 'we want to buy influence before the tech spreads.'"

Angel's eyes narrowed.

"Let them wait," she said. "The East believed first. The East gets to lead."

—

April 2, 2026 — 10:30 AM

Hanoi, Vietnam — Ministry of Science and Technology

Angel stood beneath a broad canopy as the Aerus test unit cruised silently into the lot. Around her stood engineers, environmental researchers, and political observers.

The Vietnamese lead minister, Dr. Le Anh Minh, watched the Aerus roll to a stop.

"No emissions," he said, impressed.

"Not even dust," his aide added, pointing to the spotless pavement.

Angel stepped forward with a tablet. "We prepared a data package showing Aerus under tropical particulate conditions. No drop in performance. And the turbine remains stable even in coastal wind bursts."

Minh nodded slowly. "We're prepared to offer tax incentives for full deployment by Q2 2027."

Angel blinked. "You're already setting policy?"

Minh smiled. "The window has opened. We intend to walk through before it closes."

—

April 3, 2026 — 9:00 PM

Sentinel HQ, BGC — Matthew's Office

The glass walls of Matthew's office shimmered faintly from the lights of the city outside. He sat with a glass of whiskey, going over internal expansion forecasts.

Angel entered, exhausted but smiling.

"We're going to need a second plant," she said, dropping a folder on his desk.

Matthew opened it.

Projected Demand: Q3–Q4 2026

Singapore: +30 Units

Indonesia: +50 Units (Initial)

Vietnam: +20 Units + Licensing Option

Thailand: Evaluation Pending

Philippines (Metro Manila): +15 Units, announced by DOTR

He leaned back.

"It's happening."

Angel took a sip from his glass.

"It's accelerating."

He looked up at her.

"You know what this means, right?"

"We're past the tipping point?"

"No," he said. "We've become infrastructure."

—

April 5, 2026 — 8:00 AM

Bangkok, Thailand — Mobility Tech Park

A hush fell over the small test audience as Aerus Mark 1 rolled down the damp test road just outside Bangkok's Smart Corridor Initiative facility.

Two Thai ministers, a Japanese envoy, and three investment fund representatives from Singapore watched as the vehicle stopped silently before them.

One whispered, "It doesn't feel real."

The Japanese envoy, a quiet man from Mitsubishi Mobility Group, said softly, "And that's what makes it dangerous."

The Thai minister turned to his staff.

"Reach out to Sentinel," he said. "Before someone else secures a regional exclusivity clause."

—

April 6, 2026 — 6:30 PM

Sentinel HQ, BGC — War Room

Angel, Julian, Carina (via call), and Matthew reviewed the Southeast Asia map again.

All green.

"All ten ASEAN countries are either confirmed or in discussions," Julian said. "And now… we've got whispers from further west."

He tapped the screen.

India. Saudi Arabia. Brazil.

Angel raised an eyebrow. "Brazil?"

"São Paulo has a turbine co-development grant," Julian explained. "They want to test a high-altitude variant of the Aerus in their sloped city zones."

Carina added, "And India wants one for Delhi's emission zones. They're facing a ban on diesel vehicles by 2030 and are looking for an alternative that doesn't require national charging infrastructure."

Matthew whistled low. "So much for being niche."

Angel nodded.

"We've become the alternative to both the old and the electric."

—

April 7, 2026 — 11:00 PM

Rockwell — Matthew and Angel's Apartment

Aurora was asleep again, her soft breathing filling the nursery monitor.

Matthew stood by the window, holding a late coffee. Angel joined him, barefoot, brushing her hair back.

"Five months ago, we were debating color palettes for the UI display," he murmured.

Angel smiled. "Now we're fielding global mobility strategies."

"Do you think we're ready?" he asked.

She thought about it for a long time.

Then nodded.

"Yes," she said. "Because we built something that works not just in labs or test tracks—but in lives."

Matthew looked at her.

"Then we scale."

She leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Not just scale," she whispered. "We lead."

Outside, the lights of Manila blurred into soft halos.

Inside, the future was no longer a whisper.

It was a voice rising across continents.

And they had only just begun to speak.