Matthew Borja sat at his desk, his fingers drumming against the polished surface as he stared at the Manila skyline. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm glow over the city. The last two weeks had been a blur of acquisitions, negotiations, and planning. Sentinel BioTech was no longer just an idea—it was now an active enterprise.
But the hardest part was yet to co: execution.
A sharp knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Co in," Matthew called.
Angel stepped inside, her usual no-nonsense expression in place. A folder was tucked under her arm, and her tablet was already active. She sat across from him without waiting for an invitation.
"You never call this early unless it's sothing big," she said. "What's on your mind?"
Matthew leaned back, his eyes sharp. "We've set everything in motion, but now we need to ensure we move efficiently. I want updates on every front."
Angel nodded and flipped open her folder. "Let's start with recruitnt."
"We've successfully poached six engineers—top-tier talent from Japan, Germany, and the U.S.," Angel reported. "The first batch will be arriving next week, the second wave in a month."
Matthew nodded. "Do we have accommodations ready for them?"
"Handled," Angel confird. "We're leasing high-end units for now. If we continue hiring at this rate, we might need to build dedicated research housing."
Matthew made a ntal note. "We'll cross that bridge when we scale up. What about startup acquisitions?"
Angel slid a docunt across the desk. "Three companies secured. One focuses on synthetic muscle fibers, another on neural interface systems, and the third specializes in lightweight composite materials."
Matthew scanned the details. "And the teams?"
"They'll be fully integrated into Sentinel BioTech by the end of the month. A few employees might need additional incentives to stay, but that's standard."
He smirked. "Anyone who doesn't want to be part of sothing revolutionary can leave. We'll find people who do."
Angel chuckled. "Figured you'd say that."
Angel moved to the next point. "We've shortlisted three potential sites for our R&D facility—two in Singapore, one in Taiwan. Singapore is still the strongest candidate due to governnt support and its access to world-class talent."
Matthew nodded. "Go with Singapore. Get the contracts signed imdiately. I want that lab operational as soon as possible."
Angel tapped on her tablet, making the necessary updates. "Consider it done."
Angel hesitated for a mont before speaking. "Now, let's talk manufacturing."
Matthew leaned back. "What about it?"
Angel exhaled. "We need to ensure we have the capability to produce exoskeletons at scale. These aren't standard components—they require highly specialized materials, advanced fabrication, and precision assembly. If we don't plan this right, production will bottleneck."
Matthew kept his expression neutral. "And what are our options?"
Angel glanced at her notes. "We could partner with an established manufacturer to start small-batch production. It would be the fastest way to get working prototypes and early models off the ground. But…"
"Loss of control," Matthew finished for her.
"Exactly," Angel said. "Once we depend on an outside facility, we risk delays, leaks, or even theft of our technology. Worst-case scenario, they reverse-engineer the designs and beat us to market."
Matthew drumd his fingers on the desk. "And the alternative?"
Angel took a deep breath. "We build our own fabrication facility. That gives us full control over the production process, eliminates risk, and ensures our tech stays in-house."
"What's the projected tiline?"
"Eighteen months, minimum."
Matthew frowned. That was too long.
Angel continued, "Even if we build, we'll still need an interim solution. We can't afford to sit on our designs for nearly two years."
Matthew considered the options before shaking his head. "We won't need to rely on third parties."
Angel raised an eyebrow. "You have a solution?"
"I'll take care of it," Matthew said simply.
She studied him for a mont, then nodded. "Alright. As long as we have a production plan in place, I won't push."
Angel moved to the next item. "Investors. We've locked in $1.4 billion, but we're still $600 million short of our ideal funding goal."
Matthew didn't look concerned. "Who's hesitating?"
"Two Silicon Valley investors and a European industrial firm," Angel said. "They love the concept, but they want proof of feasibility before committing."
Matthew smirked. "Then we show them proof."
Angel nodded. "A working prototype, even a crude one, will convince them."
"Then we prioritize it," Matthew said. "Once they see it in action, they'll sign the checks."
Angel hesitated. "And what about governnt oversight?"
Matthew's expression darkened. "They're not getting involved."
Angel sighed. "You know that won't last. The mont they realize what we're building, they'll want a piece of it."
"They can want all they like," Matthew said. "We don't take governnt funding. Not yet."
Angel leaned back, crossing her arms. "Alright. I'll secure the remaining investors. But once we go public, they'll co knocking."
Matthew smirked. "Let them knock."
By the ti the eting ended, they had a concrete execution plan.
Over the next six months, Sentinel BioTech would:
Complete the Singapore R&D facility.
Finalize prototype designs with newly acquired engineers.
Lock down production to avoid outside interference.
Secure the remaining $600 million in investnt.
Develop a working prototype for live demonstrations.
Matthew stood, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling window. The city stretched out before him, alive and chaotic, but he could see past it—to what was coming.
"We move fast and silent," he said. "By the ti the world hears about Sentinel BioTech, we'll already be too far ahead for anyone to stop us."
Angel smirked. "I'll get started."
Matthew exhaled as Angel left the room, the heavy discussions of the morning still lingering in his mind. Every step of Sentinel BioTech's developnt was moving like a well-oiled machine, yet he knew the real challenges had yet to co. He had spent weeks pushing forward without rest—negotiating deals, acquiring talent, structuring funding.
His mind was sharp, but his body was beginning to feel the weight of it all.
He checked the ti—still early. With his next set of etings scheduled for later in the afternoon, he had a rare window of free ti. Instead of diving into another stack of reports, he decided to do sothing he rarely allowed himself: relax.
"I'll grab a drink."
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