CHAPTER 54: FINALIZING THE EXECUTIVES AND THEN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

December 18th, 2025. San Marina Tower 1.

The next day came quickly. Timothy woke early, spent a short time reviewing notes on his MacBook, and prepared himself mentally for what was ahead. It wasn’t just about ideas anymore; today he had to convince the rest of the candidates to join him.

By nine in the morning, his phone buzzed with Ms. Lim’s text. She had arranged the meetings—separate calls for each candidate. Timothy straightened his collar, sat by the window where the morning sun poured in, and clicked into the first video call.

Mei Ling Tan, the CFO candidate, appeared on screen. Her voice was clear and direct as she asked about finances and capital backing. Timothy answered with confidence, explaining the funds he already had, the freeport advantages of Subic, and the breakthrough of Lithium-X. She listened, nodded slowly, and finally said.

"I like clarity. And you’ve shown me enough. If you want me, I’ll join as your CFO."

Next came Robert Vaughn, the operations man from Tesla Shanghai. He grilled Timothy about gigafactory timelines and manpower. Timothy outlined his Subic plans—the land, the incentives, the logistics. Vaughn leaned back, smirked, and said:

"Alright kid, you’ve done your homework. I’ll take COO."

The last was Angela Cruz, the marketing strategist. She was enthusiastic, speaking about how the Philippines and Southeast Asia could be prime grounds for branding TG Mobility. And she couldn’t even believe that a fellow Filipino has a fund to construct a gigafactory for a startup automotive company.

"I’m in. Let’s build this brand from the ground up."

When it was over, Timothy exhaled deeply. CTO, CFO, COO, and CMO secured.

He dialed Ms. Lim immediately.

"They’re all on board," Timothy said. "All of them accepted."

"That’s excellent news," Ms. Lim replied. "But, Mr. Guerrero... you haven’t spoken about a CEO candidate yet. May I ask why?"

Timothy hesitated only a moment before answering firmly. "Because I’ll be the CEO. It’s my vision. I don’t need someone else steering the company away from it."

There was a pause, then Ms. Lim chuckled softly. "Fair enough. You’ll be CEO then. If that’s your decision, I’ll respect it."

She added, "Now, I’ll need you at Raffles tomorrow. We’ll draft the contracts and complete the onboarding paperwork for your executives. Once signed, TG Mobility Holdings will officially have its leadership team."

"Understood," Timothy replied. "I’ll be there."

December 19th, 2025. Raffles Place, Singapore.

The following morning, Timothy arrived at Raffles Place dressed in a fitted navy suit. He wasn’t used to this kind of attire, but he knew he had to look the part.

By the time he reached Ms. Lim’s office, she was already waiting. Calm as always, she gestured for him to sit.

"Good morning, Mr. Guerrero. I trust you’re ready?" she said, sliding a neat stack of files across her desk.

Timothy nodded. "Let’s finalize everything."

She opened the top folder. "We’ll begin with compensation. As we discussed preliminarily, C-level executives won’t come cheap, but you must understand—they are the backbone of scaling your company. Their networks, their expertise, their credibility. Without them, you’d be running blind."

Timothy leaned forward. "I understand. Lay it out for me."

Ms. Lim’s tone remained steady as she read off each file.

"Dr. Akira Sato, CTO. His expected package is 1.2 million SGD annually, plus stock options amounting to 2% equity, vested over five years. Considering his background and what he’s already seen of your technology, this is a modest ask."

Timothy nodded firmly. He needed Akira more than anyone else to scale Lithium-X.

"Next, Mei Ling Tan, CFO. 900,000 SGD yearly, 1.5% equity. She specializes in structuring billion-dollar deals, and her local regulatory expertise is unmatched."

Timothy smirked. "She’ll make me back ten times her salary."

"Robert Vaughn, COO. 1 million SGD. 2% equity. He’s blunt, but he knows gigafactory operations inside and out. Efficiency is his specialty."

"Angela Cruz, CMO. 750,000 SGD, 1% equity. She’s asking less, but her strength lies in branding and consumer trust. You’ll need her to sell TG Mobility as not just another car company but a revolution."

Timothy skimmed the documents. The numbers were high, but not impossible. He had billions—this was an investment, not an expense.

Ms. Lim folded her hands. "That leaves you. As founder and CEO, you can choose whether to draw a salary or live off dividends and equity. Most founders take a modest salary for optics. What’s your preference?"

Timothy thought for a moment. "I’ll take the minimum. I don’t need it. My focus is growth."

Ms. Lim allowed herself a small smile. "Spoken like someone who understands scale." She tapped the contracts. "Once you sign, I’ll notify each candidate. Then, tomorrow, we’ll arrange for them to meet you in person here at Raffles for formal onboarding."

"So how much am I going to pay you for your service?" Timothy asked.

Ms. Lim adjusted her glasses, her smile faint but professional. "My firm charges a retainer fee for executive placement, two percent of each executive’s annual package. That comes out to approximately 84,000 Singapore dollars for the first year. After that, we only charge for additional placements or replacements. Considering the caliber of talent we’ve secured, I would say it’s a fair arrangement."

Timothy nodded. "That’s reasonable. Send me the invoice; I’ll settle it today."

"Of course," Ms. Lim replied, making a quick note on her pad. She was about to continue when a soft knock echoed at the office door.

Timothy glanced at it, then back at her. "Expecting someone?"

"Yes," she said, almost amused. "It’s personal business. Would you be comfortable if they came in? We’ve more or less finished our business for today."

Timothy leaned back in his chair, curiosity sparking. "No problem. Go ahead."

Ms. Lim pressed a button on her desk phone. "Come in."

The handle turned, and the door opened slowly. Timothy shifted slightly in his seat, wondering who would step through. After all, in a place like Raffles, anyone walking in could be a potential investor, client, or partner.

Then, a woman stepped inside, and Timothy’s eyes widened.

It was her.

The same girl who had bumped into him outside Yardbird last night, only now, she wasn’t dressed in modest cream lace and a brown skirt. She wore a black off-shoulder dress with golden ruffled patterns across the chest, the fabric hugging her form with a kind of refined elegance. A slit on the side revealed just enough of her legs to catch the eye, while golden earrings and a slim bracelet added a shimmer to her appearance.

Timothy was momentarily starstruck. He had told himself after their brief encounter that he might never see her again, yet here she was, standing in Ms. Lim’s office like it was the most natural thing in the world.

The girl blinked, equally surprised. Her lips parted slightly as recognition dawned.

"You..."

Ms. Lim tilted her head to the side, flickering her gaze between Timothy and the girl.

"You two met before?"

The girl simply nodded. "Mmm."