I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 167: Engaging

Sentinel BioTech HQ / Central Luzon Site Visit — Friday, 9:00 AM

Matthew Borja's Friday began not with a coffee in his office, but with a quiet meeting room on the 38th floor of Sentinel Tower, its walls wrapped in glass, revealing the distant shimmer of Manila Bay. At the head of the conference table sat representatives from East Japan Railway Company—JR East.

Three men in dark suits, immaculate posture, their expressions a calm blend of courtesy and calculation. Across from them, Angel sat with a tablet in front of her and a slight smile on her lips, flanking Matthew, who leaned forward, fingers laced, composed but focused.

"Mr. Borja," said Hiroshi Nakamura, JR East's International Partnerships Director, his English clear and precise, "thank you for reaching out. Your Aurora Line concept is… ambitious."

Matthew nodded slightly. "That's the only kind worth doing. We're not interested in incremental change. The Philippines needs transformation."

There was a pause before Nakamura smiled. "Spoken like a man who builds for the future."

Angel slid her tablet across the table, displaying a series of mock-ups, maps, and environmental overlays. "Our Phase One segment runs from Clark to Batangas, with key stops in Metro Manila. That corridor alone accounts for over 40% of Luzon's daily transit bottlenecks."

"And you're looking for high-speed rail implementation from the beginning?" asked another JR East executive.

Matthew shook his head. "No. The base system should be electrified regional first—double-tracked with allowance for future upgrades. I want modular designs. We grow as needed."

Hiroshi nodded. "That's wise. Japan began in phases as well. The infrastructure must breathe with the economy."

"We need your signaling system," Matthew said. "Your safety protocols, your station design philosophy—especially your zoning integration."

He tapped the map again.

"If we build a stop, it should grow a town around it. Like you've done in Chiba and Sendai. Rail is the spine—but development is the muscle."

Hiroshi leaned back thoughtfully. "And your timeline?"

"Breaking ground in under a year," Angel replied. "Assuming land acquisition proceeds smoothly."

Another JR East official finally spoke, one who had remained silent until now. His name was Koji Yamamoto, head of technical partnerships.

"We will send a survey delegation," he said calmly. "Engineers, soil specialists, logistics planners. But if you're serious, Mr. Borja, we need assurances."

Matthew nodded. "You'll have a clean corridor. No government interference. Full private control. I've already begun land acquisition."

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. "That is unusual."

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Angel smiled. "Unusual is the only way to get anything done here."

The room shared a polite laugh. Then Matthew stood.

"You'll receive a preliminary MOU before the week ends. Our teams will coordinate through Angel and Ms. Fujita, your local rep. Welcome to the Philippines, gentlemen."

The JR East delegation stood in unison, each bowing respectfully.

"Thank you, Mr. Borja," Hiroshi said. "We look forward to this partnership."

As they exited the room, Angel turned to Matthew. "They're interested."

"They're impressed," he corrected. "But they'll test us first. We pass, and they go all in."

Angel nodded, already pulling up messages. "Your helicopter's ready. The landowners are waiting in Tarlac."

Matthew checked his watch. "Then let's not keep them waiting."

Tarlac Province — 1:30 PM

Landowner Meeting, Barangay Hall

The Barangay Hall was humble—concrete walls, white plastic chairs, and two ceiling fans whirring with valiant effort. But the mood was charged with curiosity and anticipation. Around the long fold-out table sat ten landowners—farmers, merchants, retirees. Each one owned a piece of land that sat directly in the proposed path of the Aurora Line's Central Luzon corridor.

Matthew stood at the front of the room, sleeves rolled, collar open. Beside him, Angel held a leather folder filled with property data, compensation sheets, and right-of-way contracts. Across the makeshift presentation board, a map was taped up, marking lots, rice paddies, and irrigation routes in bold red lines.

"I won't take much of your time," Matthew began. "I know you've heard promises before. Roads. Airports. Bridges. And most of the time, they never benefit the people who lose the most."

Some heads nodded slowly.

"I'm not here to take your land without compensation. I'm here to make you partners."

He pointed to the map.

"This rail line will run through your fields. That's true. But for every hectare we use, we're offering three times the current market value. Immediate payment. No waiting. No deductions."

One older man—a farmer in a faded blue camisa—raised his hand.

"And if we don't want to sell?"

Matthew nodded, acknowledging the question. "Then we re-route. Simple as that. I won't force a deal. But I'll be honest—if you opt out, you may lose the opportunity to benefit. We're planning station developments. Commercial zones. Leasebacks."

Another landowner, a woman in her fifties, leaned forward. "Leasebacks?"

Angel stepped in. "If you want to keep your land but lease it to us for the rail corridor, we'll pay you annually instead of buying it outright. That way, you retain ownership but earn revenue."

The room murmured with quiet interest.

"And what about jobs?" someone asked.

Matthew smiled. "We're not flying in laborers from other countries. We build this with Filipino hands. That means thousands of jobs—engineers, welders, technicians, maintenance crews. Your children can work in a world-class rail system."

The tone of the room began to shift—from guarded skepticism to cautious optimism.

"I'm not here with empty promises," Matthew said. "I'm here with paperwork, payment plans, and the will to build something this country has needed for decades. But I won't lie to you—it'll change things. Your land, your view, your way of life."

He paused.

"But it'll also change your children's lives. Give them access to schools, hospitals, cities. That's what this railway is for—not just speed, but connection."

After a long pause, the old man in the camisa stood up slowly. He looked at the map again, then at Matthew.

"My son works in Clark," he said. "Rides two buses, takes four hours one way. If he had this train... maybe he'd be home more."

He looked at Angel, then at Matthew again.

"I will sell."

One by one, other landowners nodded.

Matthew smiled. "Thank you. And I promise—we won't let you down."

Tarlac Helipad — 3:30 PM

As the helicopter blades began to spin again, Matthew and Angel stepped aboard, documents in hand, the first agreements signed and sealed.

"You know," Angel said as they ascended over the flat plains of Central Luzon, "I think this might work."

Matthew looked out the window, watching roads narrow into lines, paddies shrink into grids, and distant barangays cluster like puzzle pieces.

"It has to," he replied. "Because if we can connect this country—really connect it—we don't just move people faster. We move the future closer."

Angel glanced at him, her voice softer. "The people trust you."

He didn't answer right away, just kept watching the land fall away beneath them.

"They're not trusting me," he said finally. "They're trusting the idea that someone can still build something here without asking for anything in return."

He turned to her with a faint smile.

"That's a trust I intend to earn."