NOVEL WEB Chapter 237: Factory of the Future
April 10, 2026 — 7:45 AM
Subic — Sentinel Auto Main Assembly Facility
The clamor inside Hall 1 was like a living machine—metal clanging, turbines humming, forklifts weaving through pallets of composite panels. But for all the noise, there was urgency beneath it. The kind that didn't scream, but pressed on the chest like a tightening vest.
Matthew stood on the overhead gantry, arms crossed, surveying the organized chaos below. Five Aerus units—bare frames—were being prepped for Singapore's second batch. Just beyond, Indonesian-marked containers were already lined up, waiting.
Below him, Carina was shouting over the buzz of an exo-lifter.
"We're maxed on CNC hours. We're already 14 days behind Thailand's requested delivery window. If we don't add another machine line, we'll start missing milestones by May."
Matthew didn't argue. He didn't even frown. He simply nodded.
"Then we add one," he said.
Carina turned to him. "We don't have the crew."
Matthew looked at her. "Then we train one."
—
April 10, 2026 — 10:20 AM
Sentinel HQ, BGC — Executive Planning Deck
Angel sat at the center of a planning table surrounded by a dozen department heads—Finance, Procurement, Logistics, HR, Legal, and R&D. The projector above them flickered with the latest operational forecast.
"We have 103 confirmed orders in the pipeline," Anton from Legal said. "Fifty for Indonesia. Twenty for Vietnam. The rest split between Singapore's second wave and internal DOTR requests."
"And Brazil?" Angel asked.
"They want ten demo units," Julian replied. "With full-scale orders contingent on emissions certifications. India just submitted a request for a test fleet of fifteen."
Angel tapped her tablet. "That's 128 units in eight months. Our current facility in Subic can produce—what? One a week?"
"One and a half with rush protocols," Carina corrected, joining the call virtually. "But that's assuming we don't fry the assembly teams."
Angel leaned back. "Then we need a second plant."
Dead silence.
Then Finance spoke up.
"We haven't even broken even on Aerus yet. The Singapore and Indonesia deals cover R&D, yes, but full return requires scale."
Angel looked at him.
"This isn't a product anymore. It's infrastructure. We don't wait for break-even—we expand ahead of it."
She turned to Julian.
"Find industrial zones. Luzon, Visayas, or even Mindanao. I want locations scoped by Friday."
Julian blinked. "Friday is—"
"Friday," Angel repeated.
Then stood.
"Everyone in this room wanted to lead the future. Now it's arrived. Let's move like we belong here."
—
April 11, 2026 — 5:00 PM
Subic — Employee Quarters Cafeteria
The break room was loud with conversation, but under the surface was something else—fatigue.
A group of machinists sat huddled over lukewarm coffee, rubbing their temples and massaging their wrists. At a table nearby, two turbine specialists muttered over a diagram, trying to troubleshoot a repeated vibration issue.
Lara, head of Advanced Materials, entered quietly. She watched for a few moments before walking over to the shift supervisor.
"We need another five intake shells by Wednesday," she said.
The supervisor sighed. "You'll get three. Maybe four."
Lara frowned. "We're already behind schedule."
He looked at her.
"We're behind on everything."
She didn't argue.
Because he wasn't wrong.
—
April 12, 2026 — 9:00 AM
Sentinel HQ, BGC — HR Department
Mira Reyes, head of Sentinel's internal wellness office, sat across from Angel, her tone gentle but insistent.
"We've had twelve formal burnout reports in the last three weeks," she said. "Two engineers collapsed from fatigue. One supervisor quit without notice. These people aren't machines."
Angel pinched the bridge of her nose.
"We're running two wars, Mira. One against time, the other against the global status quo."
"I know," Mira said. "But if the people building the future collapse before it arrives—what then?"
Angel looked up slowly.
"What's your recommendation?"
"A second site," Mira said. "Not just for production. For relief. Split the pressure. Offer rotations. Let people breathe."
Angel nodded once.
"Okay."
Mira looked surprised. "Just like that?"
"No," Angel said. "Not just like that. Because you're right."
And then she stood, already drafting the memo in her mind.
—
April 13, 2026 — 3:30 PM
Metro Cebu — Southern Industrial Tech Zone
Julian stood beneath a wide open sky, clipboard in hand, as an estate broker guided him through a vacant industrial lot. Forty hectares. Formerly used for textile logistics, now sitting empty.
"The buildings need retrofitting," the broker explained. "But the power infrastructure's intact. Local government is very… eager."
Julian surveyed the grounds.
He could already picture it.
Aerus Plant 2.
Southeast production line. Direct sea access. Regional redundancies.
He pulled out his phone.
Angel answered on the second ring.
"Found it," he said.
"Start the paperwork," she replied.
No hesitation.
Just momentum.
—
April 15, 2026 — 8:30 AM
Sentinel HQ — Joint Team Assembly Hall
Two hundred employees stood shoulder to shoulder, some fresh hires, some veterans from Subic.
Angel stood on the stage with Matthew at her side.
"We're expanding," she said simply. "Not just because demand is growing. But because your work—your hands, your time, your ideas—are building something that matters."
Matthew stepped forward.
"You've made the impossible real. Now we make it reliable. Repeatable. Relentless."
The room was quiet.
But not tense.
Energized.
They were being asked to go further.
And they would.
Because no one had come this far just to stop now.
—
April 16, 2026 — 6:00 PM
Subic — Assembly Floor
The very first "dual-shift" operation began.
Two sets of teams. One for daytime. One for late-night.
Turbines were calibrated even at 2 AM. Composite frames molded at sunrise. The facility never went dark.
The lights stayed on.
So did the work.
So did the future.
—
April 18, 2026 — 10:45 PM
Rockwell — Matthew and Angel's Apartment
The windows were open. The city below buzzed faintly.
Angel was reviewing expansion blueprints on her tablet when Matthew placed a cup of chamomile tea beside her.
"Two shifts now," he said.
She nodded.
"A second plant underway."
"Logistics headaches across six countries."
Angel smiled faintly. "And yet…"
"And yet," Matthew agreed, "this is what we wanted."
She set the tablet down and looked at him.
"Did you think it would hurt this much?"
"Not like this," he said. "But I also didn't think it would feel this worth it."
They clinked mugs, quietly.
Outside, the city kept breathing.
And in two places—Subic and Cebu—machines kept humming.
A car that didn't roar had started a movement.
And now, to build that movement...
They had to move faster than ever.