CHAPTER 52: CTO ACQUIRED

"I can agree with that, Mr. Guerrero," Akira said. "And I want to ask you first before we can proceed with your business of yours. What do you know about the automotive market?"

"Am I the one being interviewed? I thought I was the one who are doing the interviewing," Timothy said, his brows narrowing.

"I want to know if you are adept in the field you are entering, and there’s still doubts in me about your capabilities and the prospect of your startup."

"Well that’s we haven’t got into that part which we are supposed to be doing now. Look, I know this is not the usual thing that happens when a young man owns a startup company that will rival big corporations like Tesla or Toyota or BYD. But I have a weapon in me that can put me on top of the list. So, I know the business I am entering and I am committed to my goal of becoming the world’s largest automobile company in the next ten to fifteen years.

And since I am already talkative, yes I know about the market, the world is shifting towards green energy. There are timelines set by countries to reduce greenhouse emissions. Europe wants all combustion engines phased out by 2035. California is pushing for 2030. Even China is aggressively subsidizing EVs. Billions are being poured into green initiatives, and automakers who can’t keep up will be left behind."

Dr. Sato leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together. His expression remained unreadable, but his eyes never left Timothy.

Timothy pressed on. "Tesla might be leading, but they’re not invincible. They’re stuck with limitations in batteries, supply chains, and scaling. BYD has numbers, but their tech doesn’t match their volume. Others like Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai, they’re all scrambling, but none of them have the breakthrough needed to dominate the next decade."

He tapped the folder beside him—the schematics from the reconstruction system.

"That’s where I come in. My edge is the battery. A design that triples energy density, charges in under ten minutes, and lasts fifteen years without degradation. It’s not fantasy. I already have the prototype."

For the first time, Dr. Sato’s expression shifted, his brows raising slightly. "Triple energy density, fast charging, long-lasting. Can I see it?"

"Of course, I’ll send you a digital copy of it."

Timothy dragged the schematics into the Zoom window and shared his screen. A full 3D model of the Lithium-X Composite Battery appeared—layered cross-sections showing the graphene-ceramic separator, the high-density anode and cathode stacks, and the intricate cooling system woven seamlessly into the pack.

Dr. Sato leaned forward instantly. His eyes widened, his fingers tightening around the edge of his desk as the images rotated slowly on the screen.

"This... this is..." His voice trailed off.

Timothy clicked to the next file, the EV sedan prototype. A sleek model filled the screen, with highlighted notes on its dual-motor AWD system, AR heads-up display, and ultra-fast charging port.

Dr. Sato’s breathing quickened. "This is not a mere concept drawing. These are engineering-ready schematics. The tolerances, the layering, the heat dissipation model—it’s flawless. Who... who designed this?"

"I did," Timothy replied simply.

"That’s impossible," Dr. Sato muttered, trembling slightly as he enlarged the blueprint of the battery pack. "No company in the world has solved this. We’ve struggled for decades with dendrite formation on the anode during fast charging, and yet your design eliminates it. How? Did you create a new electrolyte?"

Timothy leaned back in his chair, calm. "Not a new one. A hybrid composite electrolyte. Stable under extreme conditions, non-flammable, and efficient in ion transfer. That’s why there’s no thermal runaway and no degradation even under fast-charge conditions."

Dr. Sato shook his head in disbelief. "But the solid separators... they shouldn’t be this flexible. In every experiment we conducted at Panasonic, they fractured under repeated cycling. And yet your model shows perfect structural stability."

Timothy smiled faintly. "That’s because the material is reinforced with graphene layers at the microscopic level. Strong enough to withstand thousands of cycles. I have a working prototype running in Manila right now. It powers a sedan with over 1,000 kilometers of range."

Dr. Sato’s jaw dropped. He removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes before leaning forward again. "If this is true... Mr. Guerrero, you are holding what the entire industry calls the Holy Grail."

"Holy Grail huh?" Timothy repeated, chuckling. "You can say that. Now do you see the future of what I am making here? With this battery technology, we will be years ahead of what’s currently available on the market."

"Still, I don’t know how you were able to design and create one...You don’t have an academic background..."

"But I have an actual product and that’s the most important thing right?" Timothy interrupted.

Akira was silent for a moment, probably thinking. And then, moments later, he spoke.

"I will join your company," Akira declared.

"So with just the technology, I was able to make you join me huh?"

"Well I am intrigued by your technology, Mr. Guerrero. I can be your Chief Technical Officer."

"Okay, would you like to discuss how you want to get paid?"

"C-executives are not like middle managers, Mr. Guerrero. We are hired to steer the direction of an entire company, and compensation reflects that. In my previous role at Panasonic, my annual package was close to USD 1.2 million—base salary, bonuses, housing, travel allowances. If I were to accept a CTO position in a new venture of this scale, it would need to be comparable. Perhaps higher, given the risks of a startup."

Timothy leaned back, unsurprised. He had anticipated numbers like this the moment Ms. Lim mentioned headhunting.

"I see. And what’s your expectation?"

"Base salary of USD 1.5 million annually," Akira said firmly and continued. "And stock options. No executive of my level joins a high-risk company without ownership. I would want at least two percent equity in TG Mobility Holdings, vested over five years."

"Okay, how does three percent sound to you?"

"Three percent?" Akira repeated, then pondered for a moment. Moments later, he spoke. "I’m fine with three percent."

"Good! Then welcome aboard, Mr. Akira."

Once the call ended, Timothy sighed in relief. He now has the CTO. Now there’s still but technically, there’s only three. He doesn’t need the CEO candidates, he will be the CEO.