The mess in the neighboring cabin was beyond words. Underwear and bras were scattered all over the place, with no two being the same. The sheer variety of styles was enough to make one's head spin—lace panties, exotic designs, and everything in between. It was as if they had been abandoned, carelessly tossed into every corner of the cabin.
As for the Middle Eastern men in their traditional white robes, the situation was even more comical. Since they all wore identical Arabian thobes, when they woke up, no one could tell which one belonged to whom. They had no choice but to grab whatever fit them best, figuring they could change later at the hotel, where they had spare clothes.
However, there was one small issue—body odor. Everyone had their own unique scent, with some being stronger than others. If someone with a mild scent ended up wearing the clothes of someone with a more overpowering one, the result was pure misery.
"Brother Mavi, do you have any spare clothes? I need to change," asked one of the shorter men, unable to bear the lingering odor on his borrowed thobe. He regretted drinking so much the previous night, as he was still feeling dizzy.
"I've got clothes," Mavi replied, looking around the chaotic cabin. Some were searching for their clothes, others for their underwear. The stark contrast between this disaster scene and the glamorous party from the night before was almost comical.
The Russian women they had invited were in no better shape—makeup smudged, lipstick smeared, and hair tangled in a mess over their shoulders. Their post-drinking, half-dazed expressions, combined with their throbbing headaches, killed any lingering desire to continue the fun.
Once the yacht docked, the Middle Eastern men returned to the hotel to rest for two days before heading to Moscow with Mavi for more adventures.
During their time there, they expressed interest in visiting Mavi's luxurious mansion in the city center. However, what truly left them in awe was his underground steel-fortified garage.
Rows of custom luxury sports cars, walls lined with privately owned weapons, and the bunker-like construction—it was clear that an immense amount of money had gone into it.
Over the next five days in Russia, the Middle Eastern men had an incredible time. Not only did they contribute $36.88 million in revenue to Mavi's Northern Shipyard, but upon returning home, figures like Haman and Amur eagerly shared their experiences with friends.
They raved about the stunning Russian women and, more importantly, discussed the Russian naval refitting business—Mavi's operation.
When it comes to business promotion, nothing beats word-of-mouth recommendations. A single referral from a trusted friend carries more weight than a hundred self-promotional claims.
As a result, over the next few weeks, Mavi's Northern Shipyard received several additional orders for ship modifications. These came from countries like the UAE, Malaysia, and India.
Altogether, these new deals brought in at least $22 million in revenue. This prompted Mavi to expand his efforts, sending people to negotiate the acquisition of more retired Russian naval vessels at low prices.
At the Northern Shipyard, the factory director, Mikhail, and his leadership team were utterly baffled.
A total of $60 million in orders?
From their perspective, it was unimaginable that retired warships could be repurposed so profitably.
One could only feel sorry for the shipyard's former chairman. Just a little over a month after selling the business, the company's fortunes had turned around completely.
But then again, it was better for the shipyard to be in the hands of someone capable of revitalizing it rather than letting it rot under poor management. At least he could take comfort in knowing that the Northern Shipyard was thriving—unlike the French company Vivendi, which lacked such integrity.
"Chairman Mavi, two-thirds of the shipyard's former employees have returned, bringing our workforce up to 4,600. The entire operation is running smoothly and efficiently," Mikhail reported excitedly over the phone.
"Good. Keep recruiting more workers and engineers. If skilled workers from other shipyards are available, bring them in too. Expand the workforce to 7,000 laborers and 1,500 engineers," Mavi instructed. His plans were just beginning, and he needed a massive team of technical talent to execute them.
"Oh! Understood, Chairman! I'll have HR handle it immediately!" Mikhail obeyed without question. Even though the recruitment targets far exceeded the current workload demands, he never doubted Mavi's decisions.
What Mikhail didn't know was that Mavi's proposal—submitted through Colonel Yevgeny—to fund the development of a next-generation frigate under Russia's Central Naval Equipment Design Bureau had already entered the approval process.
Following bureaucratic procedures, the proposal was expected to be officially greenlit in about a month.
Once Mavi began funding scientists to develop this new frigate, the subsequent international orders would dwarf the earnings from ship modifications.
After all, ship refurbishments were a private business, but manufacturing advanced warships was a matter of national defense—an entirely different level of profitability and influence.
Of course, by that point, Mavi's name would already be on the radar of the newly installed leader, "XXX." As long as he stayed clear of sensitive issues, the cash-strapped Russian government would more than welcome an entrepreneur so committed to national defense.
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Since the new frigate project would take a month to gain approval, Mavi had time to consider his next move. Meanwhile, the down payments from recent ship modification contracts had already brought in nearly $27 million.
After deducting material costs, labor, and taxes, a staggering $19 million in net profit had been deposited into his bank account. And that was just the deposit—an additional $33 million would come upon project completion.
Mavi looked at his Citibank account balance: $247 million.
Spending money felt like rowing against the current—he had barely hesitated to invest $42 million in the shipyard, yet in the blink of an eye, nearly half of it had already flowed back.
"The Russian military-industrial sector shouldn't be acquired too aggressively—it needs to be done gradually. So, where should I spend my money next?"
As a reborn entrepreneur, Mavi believed that failing to reinvest wealth was a waste of opportunity.
To borrow a Russian phrase: 'Not spending all my money just feels uncomfortable-ski.'
Considering his existing ventures—military industry, e-commerce, video streaming, search engines, PC gaming, and real estate—he decided to expand into an entirely new field: film production.
Not only would this further solidify his entertainment empire, but it would also bring a refreshing change of pace to his investments.