Back in the day, with the help of Country Z, Vietnam successfully defeated two Western powers—France and the United States. However, Vietnam's ambitions soon swelled, and it boldly proclaimed itself as the "Little Overlord of Southeast Asia" and the "World's Third Strongest Military Power."
Following this, Vietnam gradually extended its claws toward Country Z, the very nation that had once aided it. This led to a border conflict that lasted over a decade. It wasn't until 1993 that Vietnam finally backed down, having gained nothing from the prolonged skirmishes.
But this did not mean that Vietnam's ambitions had been extinguished. From his knowledge of the past, Mavi knew that this cunning nation had eyes only for profit. It cared nothing for past favors—biting the hand that fed it was second nature.
Now, Vietnam had come to Russia to purchase military equipment, clearly intending to strengthen its forces and gain the confidence to challenge its neighboring countries.
Fortunately, the Russian military had appointed Mavi to handle the negotiations for this deal. In short, this small Vietnamese nation had fallen right into his hands. There was no way he would let them walk away smiling—they were going to leave in tears.
If someone else had been in charge of the reception, Vietnam might have ended up leaving "fully loaded" and ready to cause trouble.
Before the meeting, Mavi carefully considered his "battle plan." The reality was that Vietnam had money and wanted to buy military equipment. So, the business deal had to go through. Otherwise, if Vietnam turned to the Americans for aircraft and submarines, it would be a wasted opportunity.
(Even though the U.S. had once waged war against Vietnam and killed many of its people, Vietnam later welcomed the U.S. Navy for visits, much like how Japan did in the past—classic behavior of a nation that bullies the weak and submits to the strong.)
With these points in mind, Mavi decided to refurbish and sell Vietnam the outdated or soon-to-be-retired Russian military equipment at high prices. As for the pricing? Naturally, he would sell them at the cost of cutting-edge weaponry. Treating them like fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered—delightful!
---
Time flew by, and soon it was Tuesday at 11 a.m. A Boeing 737 landed at Moscow International Airport, carrying the Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyễn Phi Anh, along with representatives from the army, navy, and air force.
Mavi, who was in charge of receiving them, was already waiting at the tarmac. However, the fleet of vehicles he had prepared for the Vietnamese "guests" consisted of nothing more than the most basic, outdated military jeeps—without air conditioning and with seats so hard they could give someone back pain.
As Prime Minister Nguyễn Phi Anh and his military entourage stepped off the plane, they briefly wondered if they had accidentally flown back to Vietnam, given that their own military vehicles were of the same old-fashioned design.
Despite the underwhelming reception, Nguyễn Phi Anh dared not complain. After all, Vietnam was just a small country. Even in its most ambitious days, it had only ever dared to claim the position of the world's third-strongest military, never challenging Russia's dominance.
"Hello, Prime Minister Nguyễn Phi Anh," Mavi greeted them with a lukewarm attitude.
Many foreigners often mistook Vietnamese people for Chinese, believing they looked similar—both having yellow skin, black hair, and brown eyes, with similar-sounding names.
But to Mavi, distinguishing between the two was effortless. Just like in many comic book depictions, Vietnamese people had a waxy complexion and shifty eyes that exuded cunning rather than honesty.
"Hello! You must be Mr. Mavi. I've heard a lot about you, even in Vietnam," Nguyễn Phi Anh said with a smile, shaking Mavi's hand.
Compared to his previous receptions, this was by far Mavi's most perfunctory. He smiled, acknowledged the Vietnamese Prime Minister's flattery, then withdrew his hand without a trace of warmth, signaling them to board the vehicles.
Next, Mavi "dutifully" took the Vietnamese guests on a tour of Russia's army and air force bases. However, he intentionally left out the naval base.
He knew that if Vietnam were to acquire Russian Kilo-class submarines, Grisha-class frigates, or even Sovremenny-class destroyers, they would likely deploy them in the contested South China Sea, sparking conflicts. After all, Vietnam's territorial waters were small—once they sailed out, they would be in disputed waters.
Selling them advanced warships would be like arming a tiger—or in this case, not a tiger, but a jackal at best. It would be like feeding a wolf.
After finishing the tours of the two military bases, Mavi remained indifferent, though the Vietnamese visitors—especially the representatives from the army and air force—were visibly thrilled.
After all, Russia's heavy weaponry, Soviet-era fighter jets, MiG aircraft, and T-90S main battle tanks were precisely what Vietnam needed.
"Mr. Mavi, if I may ask, how much do your country's Su-37 and MiG-29 fighter jets cost per unit?" the Vietnamese air force representative inquired eagerly.
Mavi didn't even hesitate before replying with feigned regret, "I'm sorry, but Russia's Su-37 and MiG-29 fighter jets are not available for sale at this time. If you want to buy something, we can only offer MiG-21s, a second-generation fighter jet."
The Su-37 was a fourth-generation jet with formidable combat capabilities—there was no way Mavi would sell that, not even for profit. At most, he would let Vietnam purchase second-generation jets, which were still far superior to their outdated aircraft.
"Then, Mr. Mavi, how much are you selling the MiG-21s for?" the Vietnamese air force representative asked patiently, showing no signs of dissatisfaction.
His attitude stemmed from both Russia's overwhelming military strength and Vietnam's "small-nation mindset." The more assertive and difficult Mavi was, the more the Vietnamese would perceive it as normal.
On the contrary, if Mavi had been too accommodating, they might have taken advantage of his kindness.
"The MiG-21s are priced at $36 million each," Mavi stated flatly.
He had shamelessly priced a second-generation jet higher than some fourth-generation models.
"$36 million? Mr. Mavi, if we buy in bulk, will there be any discounts?" the Vietnamese air force representative asked, carefully probing.
"There will be no discounts. Aside from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand are also looking to purchase fighter jets. Russia's two major design bureaus can only produce a limited number of aircraft per year—so tell me, which country should we prioritize?" Mavi replied, smoothly manipulating the situation.
The countries he mentioned were all Vietnam's neighbors, a deliberate tactic to pressure the Vietnamese government and military.
(End of Chapter)