I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 183: Beneath the Gridlock, Above the Noise

February 17, 2024 — Sentinel HQ, Manila | 7:00 AM

The city was just waking up when Matthew entered the transit operations floor of Sentinel HQ. Screens lit up one by one as engineers, analysts, and communications staff filtered in with coffee in hand and tablets already buzzing.

A new overlay now dominated the main dashboard: MMSP — Metro Manila Subway Project. A green banner above it read: "DAY ONE — TRANSITION LIVE."

Angel stood near the edge of the digital map projection, already in work mode. Her eyes tracked the incoming telemetry from the tunnel sites, her fingers gliding across a control panel that switched between camera feeds and data overlays.

"Morning," Matthew greeted, setting his coffee down beside her.

She gave a nod, barely pausing. "The Quezon Avenue shaft team just clocked in. Geotech surveyor's confirming borehole alignment, and the structural team from Korea is already on standby for handoff at North Triangle."

"Any public blowback?"

"None. Hashtags are still trending. #BorjaSubway is holding steady. And the app went live at midnight—thirty-seven thousand downloads by sunrise. The public can now track the tunnel progress, boring speeds, and worker shout-outs in real time."

Matthew allowed himself a rare smile. "This might be the most watched hole in the country."

Angel raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Keep saying things like that, and HR's going to call us both."

They turned back to the screen as another progress marker blinked green. One of the tunnel boring machines—TBM Aurora—had begun the first soft turn beneath EDSA.

—Aurora Interchange Station — Quezon Avenue | 9:15 AM

Dust clung to the scaffolding. Below ground, the dig site pulsed with activity. A giant steel ring marked the entry shaft where Sentinel's tunnel boring machine had just activated for the first time. Engineers and project managers stood in safety lines as a mechanical roar echoed beneath the city's crust.

Matthew stood next to the TBM crew chief, helmet on, watching as the machine advanced inch by inch. Behind them, a group of young engineers snapped photos, their faces lit by both artificial floodlights and sheer awe.

"We're calling this tunnel 'Line Zero,'" the crew chief explained. "It'll serve as the backbone. Every other segment branches from here."

Angel arrived moments later, her boots clicking against the steel walkway.

"The news drones are here," she told Matthew. "They're doing a livestream of the first segment break-in."

He didn't look at the cameras. His attention was locked on the sound—the low, guttural grind of steel eating earth. That, to him, was the music of progress.

"We need to name this station," Angel said.

"Call it Central Pulse," Matthew replied. "Because if we get this right, it'll be the beating heart of underground Metro Manila."

—Public Relations Center — 12:00 PM

Angel stood in front of a monitor broadcasting a national press conference. Sentinel's spokesperson outlined Phase One timelines, with firm language, bullet-point milestones, and zero tolerance for delays.

Meanwhile, digital billboards across Metro Manila lit up with a new slogan:"UNDERGROUND. UNDERWAY. UNSTOPPABLE."

At the base of each billboard was a QR code. Scanning it brought up a live 3D model of the subway's progress, a timeline, and a list of every contractor and material supplier involved. Nothing hidden. Nothing vague.

Matthew reviewed the public response with a small team. "Comments?"

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"The youth are eating it up," said the lead from Sentinel's digital marketing team. "We're getting duets on TikTok of people timing their walks to our tunnel boring updates."

"And the critics?" Angel asked.

"Same old crowd. But this time, they're quieter. Nobody wants to be seen rooting against the subway finally being built."

Matthew nodded. "Good. Let's keep it moving. I want community feedback tables set up at every active site by the end of the month. Coffee, snacks, Wi-Fi—the works."

"Coffee?" Angel teased.

Matthew grinned. "If we're digging under their homes, we can at least give them free caffeine."

—Pasig Shaft Development Site — February 20, 2024 | 4:45 PM

Pasig had always been an afterthought in past transportation blueprints, but Matthew was determined to make it a priority. This segment—cutting through layers of dense urban congestion—was one of the most difficult sections of the subway.

Matthew and Angel toured the site, walking past rebar cages and moisture-sealed generators. Locals stood behind safety railings, watching the Sentinel crew lay the first supporting beams.

"Sir," one young man said as Matthew passed, "my father worked on the old LRT extension. Said it was a nightmare."

Matthew stopped. "And what does he say about this?"

The young man smiled. "He says he never thought he'd see anyone try to build under Pasig. He also says you've got balls."

Matthew laughed. "Tell him I've got steel, too. We're laying it down every day."

—Office of the President — February 22, 2024 | 2:00 PM

Inside Malacañang, Secretary Baluyot stood alongside the President's Infrastructure Advisory Council as Matthew and Angel presented Sentinel's 100-Day Subway Integration Plan.

"The tunnels will align with floodplain overlays and seismic buffers. We're installing vent shafts every 500 meters with real-time air monitoring," Angel said, pointing to the projection. "All train units will be retrofitted with regenerative braking, saving 23% energy per ride."

The President nodded. "I want one thing, Mr. Borja. No naming rights. No 'Borja Line' or 'Sentinel Subway.' Keep it public."

Matthew smiled. "I don't need my name underground, sir. I only need it to move."

The room was silent. Then the President spoke quietly. "Then go move mountains. Or in this case, dig under them."

—Sentinel Rooftop — February 23, 2024 | 9:30 PM

The wind was stronger tonight. Below, the city churned forward. Cranes moved. Roads flashed. People pulsed from one station to another, riding on asphalt and hope.

Angel leaned on the railing beside Matthew.

"Four years ago, this was just a concept buried in loan paperwork," she said. "Now we're turning rock into rails."

Matthew looked up at the blinking stars overhead. "One tunnel at a time. One promise made real."

She turned to him. "What happens when we finish it?"

Matthew was quiet for a moment.

"Then," he said, "we build upward."

Angel raised an eyebrow.

"Vertical cities. Elevated freight. Sky lanes," he continued, half-serious. "If we've conquered ground and sea and now the underground… only one direction's left."

Angel laughed. "Then I hope you've got anti-gravity next on the blueprint."

Matthew smirked. "One challenge at a time."

A message buzzed on Angel's tablet.

She checked it. "TBM Aurora just cleared 120 meters. Seventy ahead of schedule."

Matthew gave a quiet, satisfied nod.

"Good," he said. "Let's show them what movement really looks like."

And beneath their feet, the city stirred—with steel, sweat, and certainty—toward a horizon it had once been too tired to dream of.

Tomorrow, the digging would continue.

So would the believing.

4o