Chapter 157: Pressure Beneath Progress
The city woke to sunlight again, but the calm from the previous day didn't feel as comforting anymore.
Momentum had returned.
And momentum had weight.
From the high windows of the operations center, the skyline looked almost peaceful. Construction cranes moved slowly above unfinished buildings, and trucks rolled steadily along the widened logistics corridors. The city looked productive.
But inside the system, the pace was climbing.
Marcus noticed it before anyone else.
At 6:40 a.m., he stood in front of the primary system dashboard with a cup of coffee he had barely touched. The display showed a steady stream of numbers—construction output, supply deliveries, infrastructure inspections, healthcare integration metrics.
Every indicator was trending upward.
Which meant one thing.
Demand was growing faster than supply.
Marcus sighed.
"That didn't take long."
He tapped the screen and expanded the workforce utilization chart.
