The seeds that were sown will inevitably bear fruit. Mavi's generosity today is sure to be repaid in the future—whether in political or economic terms, he will certainly reap the benefits.
Moreover, the Second Chechen War was of immense importance to Russia. If they suffered another defeat and were forced into submission and compromise with the rebels, the consequences would be dire. Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan would undoubtedly secede from the Russian Federation and declare independence.
This would, in turn, spark a wave of separatist movements across the entire North Caucasus region and other ethnic republics and border provinces within Russia. The "Chechen independence" movement would inspire other regions to break away or seek semi-independence, leading to unimaginable consequences.
Furthermore, the oil reserves in the Caspian-adjacent Caucasus and Central Asia regions range from 50 to 200 billion barrels, with natural gas reserves of at least 9 trillion cubic meters. At 2001 prices, this was worth approximately $3.3 trillion, and there were still numerous oil and gas pipelines to be constructed. These resources were far too important to Russia to fall into the hands of the rebels...
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After concluding the Ministry of Defense meeting, Mavi dialed Sheknia's number as soon as he left the building.
"Hello? What's up?" A familiar voice answered after three rings.
"What do you think? I just walked out of the Ministry of Defense building," Mavi rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. He had just pulled out every trick he knew during the meeting.
"Oh? And?" Sheknia replied in an official, businesslike tone, pretending to know nothing.
"I called to thank you... for all the 'good deeds' you did for me, making me stand out in front of the Minister of Defense..." Mavi deliberately left the sentence unfinished. A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the ocean—he could never quite figure out what was going on in their minds.
"In front of the Minister of Defense? What? Nothing bad happened, right?" Sheknia's tone carried a hint of concern.
She wasn't teasing Mavi on purpose. She was merely returning a favor for the assistance he had given to Ukraine. That's why she had passed on the tactical strategies Mavi had previously mentioned to her father, General Petrovich, who then relayed them to Defense Minister Grilov. She hoped this would help Mavi gain more recognition within the Russian military.
After all, in Sheknia's eyes, Mavi's strategic analysis was incredibly insightful and could be instrumental in the Chechen campaign.
"No, nothing bad happened. It's just that..." Mavi hesitated mid-sentence.
"Just what?" Sheknia pressed in a softer voice.
"It's just that... if you're going to pull something like this again, could you at least give me a little heads-up?" Mavi knew that Sheknia wasn't trying to make things difficult for him. It was simply her military upbringing and strong-willed nature—when she made a decision, there was no room for negotiation.
Hearing that Mavi was unharmed, Sheknia was slightly relieved. Her tone immediately became cold again. "Oh, if there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
Mavi was at a loss for words when faced with the beauty's hot-and-cold demeanor. However, just when he thought the call had ended, Sheknia suddenly added, "Mavi, I'll give you a heads-up now—next Wednesday, I might be coming to Moscow. Get ready."
When she said, "Get ready," her tone was noticeably different. It was obvious she was implying that she would be coming to "collect her dues"...
"Next Wednesday? Alright, I'll prepare," Mavi did a quick mental calculation. The next two days, he had to fly to the U.S. to meet his goddess, Jennifer, for a little reunion. And while he was at it, he planned to unlock some new "moves" with her—maybe something with the mouth or the chest, for instance...
With this schedule, he'd have enough time to recover before Wednesday.
"Okay, that's all. Bye." Sheknia, ever the military officer, hung up without hesitation.
Mavi sighed helplessly. Sometimes, having too many women in his harem wasn't necessarily a good thing. As he got older, one day, he would surely—...
"Looks like I need to ask the chef to prepare some seafood and ginseng in advance to boost my stamina," Mavi mused to himself in the car.
---
With Mavi providing a complete tactical plan, Defense Minister Grilov and the top Air Force and Army generals took less than two days to finalize the strategy and report it to the Russian President.
"Good. Proceed with the plan," the Russian President nodded at the conference table.
"Oh, by the way, Mr. President, the Mikoyan family is also willing to donate $50 million to our military—free of charge—to be used for post-war casualty compensation and reconstruction," General Grilov added. He was a man of integrity and never took credit for something that wasn't his.
"Oh? That Mavi again?" The Russian President raised an eyebrow. He had heard the name "Mikoyan" and "Mavi" multiple times recently.
"Yes, Mr. President. It's Mavi from the Mikoyan family. I believe this young man is a valuable asset—loyal to the country, unlike those financial oligarchs who bleed the people dry," General Grilov said. Given his own strong-willed and authoritative nature, he carried significant weight in the President's eyes.
The Russian President nodded slightly. He had been meaning to speak with Mavi regarding another matter—the Ulyanovsk-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier currently docked at the Black Sea Shipyard in Ukraine.
If possible, he wanted Russia to purchase it, put it into service, and have it participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercises two years later.
After all, letting the U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups steal the spotlight every time wasn't the Russian way.
RIMPAC was the largest multinational naval exercise in the world, aimed at ensuring the security of maritime routes along the Pacific Rim and conducting joint counterterrorism operations.
The scale and lineup were nothing short of spectacular—enough to make any military enthusiast's blood boil...
---
Two weeks later, in the dead of night, the Chechen campaign erupted under the cover of Russian Air Force bombardments! T-90 tanks, guided missiles, and anti-aircraft artillery took turns striking Chechen militant positions.
The entire campaign lasted just over five months and ended in a decisive Russian victory, eliminating the terrorist leader Baligov and his key followers.
Compared to the previous timeline, when the war dragged on for nine months, this was four months faster. Additionally, casualties were reduced by one-third, making it a considerable success.
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(End of Chapter)