I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 147: A Plan?

Moscow, Ministry of Defense Headquarters

General Sergei Volkov paced the secure briefing room, hands clasped behind his back. Screens lining the walls displayed real-time updates from joint exosuit trials taking place deep in Siberia. Technicians and analysts exchanged tense whispers, eyes glued to their terminals as they relayed performance data.

Colonel Ivan Petrov stood by Volkov, monitoring the progress.

"How's the integration holding up?" Volkov asked.

Petrov glanced at his tablet. "Better than expected. The Chinese neural interface significantly reduces latency. Our armor and power management systems are compensating for the increased load effectively."

Volkov stopped pacing. "Still, we're behind. How quickly can we reach parity with the Titan suits?"

"Realistically? Within twelve months," Petrov replied, cautious. "But only if we maintain this level of cooperation with Beijing."

Volkov's eyes narrowed. "Ensure we do. Any obstacle, political or technical, needs immediate resolution."

"Yes, General."

Beijing, Central Military Commission

General Wei Lijun stood before a large screen, watching the footage of their hybrid exosuits running combat drills in Siberia. The joint Russian-Chinese unit was efficiently navigating complex obstacle courses, engaging targets, and testing system responsiveness.

"Performance improvements are promising," Lieutenant General Zhang Wei said. "Russia's cooling systems allow our suits to operate longer under stress, and their power cores are significantly more robust."

"And weaknesses?" Wei asked, his voice measured.

"Mobility and weight," Zhang replied. "The suits are still heavier than the Titan Mk-I. Our designs were built for sustained firepower, not agility."

Wei considered this carefully. "Prioritize weight reduction. Mobility will define battlefield supremacy. What about the cyber intelligence operation?"

Major General Lin Xia stepped forward. "We've penetrated deeper into Sentinel BioTech's third-party logistics contractor. Recent logs indicate shipments of advanced servo actuators from Germany. We believe these actuators are critical to Titan's superior agility."

Wei nodded. "Divert resources to secure samples. Reverse engineering these actuators will accelerate our progress."

Lin hesitated slightly. "General, acquiring those components carries risks of exposure."

"Controlled risk," Wei said calmly. "Execute with plausible deniability."

"Understood."

Siberian Training Grounds, Joint Operations Base

Captain Alexei Mikhailov and Lieutenant Wei Chen stood side-by-side, both in exosuits, helmets off, observing engineers making final adjustments to the latest prototype.

"Feels lighter already," Alexei remarked.

"But still far from perfect," Wei Chen added, stretching his limbs. "The Titan suits set a high bar."

"Agreed," Alexei admitted. "But every step we take brings us closer. At least now we're competing, not just chasing."

A Russian engineer approached them, holding a tablet displaying telemetry data. "Suit temperatures stable. Neural interface operating within desired parameters. Ready for another round."

Alexei nodded, placing his helmet back on. "Let's test them again."

Moscow, Intelligence Operations Center

Major Natalia Sokolov reviewed the encrypted dossier sent from Beijing. Details on Sentinel's supply chains, personnel schedules, and manufacturing routines were becoming clearer. A highlighted section caught her attention.

"Interesting," she muttered, leaning closer.

"What is it?" her aide asked.

"Matthew Borja has regular meetings off-site," Natalia explained, pointing to a cluster of data points. "Secure, private locations. Minimal security."

"Vulnerable?" the aide speculated.

"Potentially," Natalia replied. "Alert Beijing. We'll jointly monitor these opportunities. Borja might hold the key to accelerating our timeline."

Beijing, PLA Cyber Division Headquarters

Lin Xia read the incoming Russian communication carefully. "They're tracking Borja closely now," she remarked to her subordinate.

"Should we escalate surveillance?" he asked.

"Yes," Lin decided. "Coordinate cyber and physical tracking. We need leverage. Borja is powerful, but power comes with weaknesses. Find them."

Moscow, Kremlin – Confidential Briefing Room

General Volkov sat across from Russia's Minister of Defense, briefing him on the joint program's progress.

"Are you certain about this alliance with Beijing?" the minister asked, skeptical. "What happens after we achieve parity?"

"We reassess," Volkov admitted calmly. "For now, collaboration is essential. Without it, we're vulnerable."

The minister leaned back, clearly uneasy. "Just ensure we're not building their future dominance at our expense."

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"We won't," Volkov promised, his voice firm. "This is temporary. Once we close the technological gap, we reassert our independence."

Back in Beijing, General Wei stood alone, watching the latest performance trials with quiet satisfaction. The progress was rapid, cooperation fruitful—but he had no illusions.

"Inform the cyber division," Wei instructed quietly to his aide. "Prepare contingencies. Our partnership with Moscow serves its purpose for now. But our true goal remains ahead of them."

"Understood, General," the aide acknowledged.

Wei stared at the screen, eyes narrowing with determination. The Americans had set a new global standard with Titan. Now, it was China's turn to match—and eventually surpass—them.

Shanghai, China – High-Tech Research Facility

Under dim lights and behind heavily fortified doors, the research facility buzzed with controlled urgency. Major General Lin Xia paced calmly through a row of monitors, technicians silent as they watched lines of code race across screens, breaking down layers of encrypted information. A technician handed her a tablet, his eyes nervously flickering toward hers for approval.

"We've isolated the shipment routes for the servo actuators," he said quietly, almost whispering. "They're arriving at the Port of Hamburg in two days. German customs security is tight."

Lin nodded slowly, considering the details carefully. "Use local assets. Keep our fingerprints off this."

"Understood," the technician replied, quickly returning to his seat.

Lin continued walking, eyes narrowed, lost in thought. Every operation carried risks, but the need to catch up was critical. China's pride was at stake—and more than pride, strategic security.

Moscow, Intelligence Operations Center

Natalia Sokolov leaned back in her chair, massaging her temples. The reports from Siberia were encouraging, yet frustratingly slow. Every breakthrough seemed to highlight how much ground remained to be made up.

Her aide interrupted cautiously, handing her a folder labeled "Borja Surveillance."

"What have we learned?" Natalia asked, flipping it open.

"Borja's movements are precise, calculated. Secure vehicles, vetted staff. But there's a weakness—he regularly visits his mother's residence with minimal security," her aide explained.

Natalia paused, glancing upward sharply. "His mother?"

"Yes, she lives just outside Manila. Security presence is minimal, only standard residential coverage."

"Maybe—we can get what we need if we get Matthew himself…"