I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 233: We are Locked In

December 22, 2025 — 10:15 AM

Singapore — Ministry of Transport, Mobility Innovation Wing

The conference room was made of glass, steel, and stillness.

Singaporean Minister for Transport, Darius Lim, stood with his hands behind his back, watching a silent video loop of the Aerus gliding through Manila streets. The footage played without sound—but that was the point.

No growl. No exhaust note. Just movement.

Across from him, two aides sat reviewing the incoming logistics plan from Sentinel.

"The prototype delivery is confirmed for February 16," one said. "Sentinel's preparing a local service crew. Two engineers. One systems lead. All vetted."

"Good," Lim replied softly. "They'll need clearance for district entry. Background scans."

The aide hesitated. "There's… noise from the Clean Grid Alliance. They're lobbying for Aerus to be classified as transitional tech. Not 'green tier.'"

Lim turned.

"Let them whine," he said.

Then looked back at the screen.

"She fits our city like she was born here."

—

December 22, 2025 — 12:45 PM

Sentinel HQ, BGC — Deployment Logistics Bay

Angel stood with her arms crossed as four custom shipping containers were loaded onto flatbed trucks. Each container was climate-stabilized and equipped with shock suspension—designed specifically for transporting sensitive microturbine assemblies across ocean freight routes.

"This is history in a box," she muttered.

Matthew stepped beside her, glancing at the embossed seal on the nearest container:

AERUS 01 — SINGAPORE.

"You think she's ready for them?" he asked.

Angel exhaled. "It's not the car I'm worried about. It's the expectations."

Julian arrived, holding a slim tablet. "ASEAN Mobility Expo just finalized floor layouts. We're front center—main podium. No one else near us."

Matthew blinked. "That's not a showcase. That's a spotlight."

Julian grinned. "And we just signed up to stand under it."

—

December 24, 2025 — 7:00 PM

Singapore — Jurong Urban Tech Zone

The facility was quiet except for the hum of floor scrubbers and the tapping of stylus pens.

In one of the administrative lounges, three junior analysts from Singapore's Land Transport Authority reviewed the Aerus's specs in silence. After a long pause, one finally spoke.

"You realize this isn't just a car, right?" he said.

"It's a threat?" another guessed.

The first shook his head. "It's a reset."

They all looked at the screen.

No spark plugs. No battery packs. No lithium. No gearboxes.

Just turbines.

And silence.

—

December 27, 2025 — 3:00 PM

Sentinel Subic — Final Prep Floor

Five Aerus units stood in a perfect row, lined up like jet fighters in a hangar. All painted in sleek silver with a light-blue trim along the turbine curve—a nod to Singapore's civic color palette.

Carina strode between them, clipboard in hand.

"Check fuel flexibility ports. All units should be ready to accept kerosene and synthetic blends."

Lara, from Advanced Materials, nodded. "Confirmed. We've also added smart insulation layers to handle Singapore's climate variability." fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Matthew entered from the far side, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Noise dampers recalibrated," he said. "We're shaving another decibel off the start-up curve."

Angel arrived just after him, holding two printed files.

One was a manifest.

The other, a speech draft for the ASEAN Mobility Expo.

She looked at the cars. Then at her team.

"You all ready?" she asked.

Carina grinned. "We were born ready. But this—this is something else."

Angel smiled faintly. "Then let's change the game."

—

January 2, 2026 — 8:00 AM

Singapore — Sentosa Port Entry Terminal

The shipping vessel docked without fanfare.

No parade. No flashbulbs.

Just five sealed containers, five customs officers, and three agents from Singapore's Ministry of Transport standing in the rain with umbrellas.

One of the agents stepped forward as the first container door opened.

And there she was.

Aerus Unit 01.

Still. Sleek. Silver.

The agent adjusted his glasses and muttered, "So this is what all the noise is about."

His colleague corrected him, grinning.

"No. This is what all the silence is about."

—

January 3, 2026 — 5:45 PM

Singapore — Clean Grid Alliance Headquarters

In a high-rise bathed in minimalist design and recycled concrete, five executives gathered behind a long U-shaped table.

At the center was Mei Zhang, known for her polite smile and ruthless efficiency. She set down a printed article from a tech blog titled:

"The Post-EV Era?"

"They're here," she said simply. "Singapore will claim neutrality. But they've already made a bet."

The others murmured uneasily.

"If Aerus succeeds," one of them said, "it will signal that the lithium transition is incomplete. Worse—it will empower turbine hybrids as a new class."

Mei nodded.

"And that's why we move now."

"Smear campaign?" another asked.

"No," Mei replied. "Too crude. We let their success happen… then bury them in policy."

She tapped the table once.

"Whispers. Delays. Environmental technicalities. Push from inside."

One by one, heads nodded.

Singapore was about to showcase a revolution.

But not everyone wanted the world to see it.

—

January 5, 2026 — 6:00 PM

Sentinel HQ, BGC — Matthew's Office

The lights were dim. The skyline outside was bathed in amber as the sun dipped below Makati.

Angel sat on the edge of his desk, legs crossed, reading the latest feedback from Singapore's pre-event test crew.

Matthew poured two drinks—one coffee, one brandy.

"We passed the street-level acoustic survey," Angel said. "96% approval rating. Most people didn't even notice the Aerus until it passed them."

Matthew chuckled. "Exactly how we designed it."

She held up a second sheet.

"But here's the red flag. LTA wants to review our fuel sourcing and transport logs."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "That's new."

"It's subtle," Angel said. "But it's pressure. Someone's trying to stir mud."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Let them try," he said. "We've done everything by the book."

Angel set the papers aside, eyes locking with his.

"This next chapter isn't just innovation anymore," she said quietly.

"No," Matthew agreed. "It's diplomacy. It's geopolitics. It's control of the future."

She took a sip of her coffee.

"Then let's not blink."

Matthew smiled.

"Not even once. We are locked in, my dear."