Thick black smoke, mixed with shrapnel and the wreckage of the battleship, filled the sky. The scene was shocking—almost as if witnessing the end of the world...
Three full seconds had passed since the explosion, and only then did the deafening roar reach Mavi and the others' ears.
"Boom!"
As the thunderous explosion echoed through the air, Mavi and his team could clearly see a shockwave expanding from the battleship's epicenter, rippling across the ocean at a visible speed. The waves churned, forming white frothy crests—a visually stunning yet incredibly dangerous sight.
Any marine life caught within the shockwave's radius had little chance of survival. Most were instantly stunned, while those closest to the blast suffered internal ruptures, floating belly-up within moments.
The supersonic cruise missile had obliterated almost the entire forward deck of the battleship. Seawater poured relentlessly through the gaping wounds. Before long, the ship's bow, weighed down by the flooding, began to sink at a slow but steady rate.
Within five minutes, nearly half of the Soviet-class battleship had submerged. Due to the angle of descent, the stern jutted straight up, forming a 90-degree angle with the ocean surface—eerily reminiscent of the Titanic's final moments.
The only difference was the massive whirlpool that had formed around the sinking vessel, dragging dead fish, shrimp, and other marine debris into the depths...
Inside the captain's cabin, the Indian Navy officers watched in stunned silence. The sheer power of the Russian Navy's supersonic cruise missile had completely overwhelmed them.
A 55,000-ton sea fortress had been sent to the ocean floor in mere moments. To say this was a shocking spectacle would be an understatement—it was the first time any of them had witnessed such devastation firsthand.
"So, Admiral Suni Bal, what do you think of this welcome ceremony from our Russian Navy?" Mavi, still in awe himself, turned to the Indian admiral. Even in military documentaries, he had never seen such a complete and dramatic destruction—experiencing it in person was beyond words.
"I am extremely impressed!" Admiral Suni Bal replied. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he continued, "By the way, Mr. Mavi, earlier you mentioned that if we purchase six frigates at once, we could receive a 10% discount? And that the first three ships could be delivered within the first year?"
After witnessing the devastating power of the missile strike, Admiral Suni Bal had made up his mind—India must acquire these 3,000-ton Talwar-class frigates. Bringing these six warships back home would significantly strengthen the Indian Navy and serve as a powerful deterrent to neighboring countries, ensuring they wouldn't dare challenge India's maritime security.
"That's correct, Admiral Suni Bal. However, there is one thing I must clarify beforehand..."
Based on his past-life knowledge, Mavi knew exactly what the Indian Navy needed—and he also knew that, in the end, they would indeed finalize a deal with Russia.
To expedite the process, he proposed a solution: Russia had three outdated Sarych III-class border patrol ships from the 1980s, each with a full-gas turbine propulsion system. By upgrading these ships with an eight-cell vertical launch system for Moskit supersonic anti-ship missiles and equipping them with a Shtil medium-range surface-to-air missile system, they could be transformed into fully capable Talwar-class frigates.
This upgrade would immediately cut the delivery time from four years to just one. The remaining three ships would be built according to the original schedule, with a construction timeline of one ship every four years.
After careful consideration, Admiral Suni Bal accepted the proposal. The Indian Navy simply couldn't afford to wait 24 years for six ships. Even a four-year wait was pushing their limits—their fleet still relied on steam turbine propulsion, after all. And when it came to military acquisitions, obtaining the latest technology was always nearly impossible. That was just the reality of international arms deals.
"Mr. Mavi, I sincerely appreciate your hospitality. By the way, does your shipyard have the capability to build aircraft carriers or nuclear-powered submarines? In a few years, the Indian Navy may have such requirements." Admiral Suni Bal asked seriously—it was clear he was considering future business deals with Russia.
"Don't worry, Admiral Suni Bal. Aircraft carriers will be available, and so will nuclear submarines." Mavi responded vaguely, avoiding a direct answer.
At present, his Beihai Shipyard lacked the capability to construct aircraft carriers. But that wasn't a major issue—nearly all Russian shipyards were in the same situation.
The only facility with the expertise to build aircraft carriers was the Black Sea Nikolaev Shipyard in Ukraine, which had been separated from Russia after the Soviet Union's collapse. China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, had originated from that shipyard.
### A Multi-Billion-Dollar Deal
After wrapping up negotiations with Admiral Suni Bal, Mavi prepared to return home.
Following three weeks of discussions, the Indian Navy officially decided to purchase six 3,000-ton Talwar-class stealth frigates from the Russian Navy. The total contract price: $972 million.
Since the Indian Navy couldn't pay the full amount upfront, they secured a government-backed loan from Russia, agreeing to repay the principal and interest over ten years.
However, these financing details had little impact on Mavi's Beihai Shipyard. According to the contract terms, India would provide a 50% down payment—$486 million—immediately, with the remaining balance paid in installments during the construction process.
With a unit cost of just $12.8 million per frigate, this deal meant an enormous profit—nearly $900 million in net earnings!
Of course, Mavi couldn't pocket all of it. The Russian Navy also had a stake in the deal, and part of the order would be distributed among military-owned shipyards.
Still, even after profit-sharing, Beihai Shipyard was making a fortune. Between this contract, orders for modifications from Middle Eastern clients, and additional projects for the Northern Fleet's Grisha-class frigates, the shipyard was operating at full capacity. Even with a workforce exceeding 8,500 employees, they were struggling to keep up.
### Expanding the Business
One evening, inside Mavi's luxurious residence in downtown Moscow, his butler Ivan knocked on the door and entered.
"Young Master, the order volume at Beihai Shipyard is reaching saturation. Should we consider acquiring additional shipyards?"
"Yes, go ahead and make inquiries," Mavi nodded. "And don't limit our search to Russia—reach out to shipyards in neighboring countries as well, such as Ukraine."
From his past-life knowledge, Mavi knew that in the year 2000, it wasn't just the Indian Navy seeking warships—Malaysia, China, and several other countries also had growing demands for naval vessels. Some nations were even looking to purchase aircraft carriers, deals that involved far larger sums of money.
However, in this alternate timeline, for some unknown reason, Asian countries seemed oddly quiet on military procurement.
Would that change soon?
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(End of Chapter)