After listening to Mavi's words, diplomat Park Min-ho and Admiral Oh Sung-joon were left speechless with rage!
Before coming to Ukraine, the European Union had assured them that the Russian government didn't have the capability to compete for the aircraft carrier. But who could have expected Mavi to come out of nowhere and interfere? The worst part was that he was half-owner of the Black Sea Shipyard! Who does business like this—competing with customers to buy their own products?
"You just wait! Everything you just said—we will report it word for word to the Ukrainian government!" Park Min-ho, who had extensive diplomatic experience, had never encountered someone as "unruly" as Mavi. What was supposed to be a serious and formal diplomatic occasion had turned into complete chaos, filled with tension and frustration.
"I don't care. Say whatever you want. If you can't afford it, then there's nothing to talk about. When the time comes, who do you think the Ukrainian government will favor?" Mavi held the absolute advantage—he had the shipyard and the money, making him unbeatable.
That was why he dared to toy with the South Korean representatives so freely. Worst case scenario, he'd spend $5.5 billion to buy the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier himself. After taxes, 50% of that money would flow right back into his pocket, meaning he'd effectively be paying only around $3.5 billion.
Then, he could trade the aircraft carrier with the Russian government for $1.2 billion worth of oil, plus 8 million tons of discounted crude oil annually. Getting into the energy business would be an incredibly lucrative move—there was absolutely no downside.
The South Korean delegation was completely outmaneuvered by Mavi. Their only option was to return to their government and request a larger budget to outbid him. Otherwise, they would have no way to recover from this humiliation.
After "sending off" the South Korean representatives, they predictably stormed into the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, causing a huge commotion. They reported all of Mavi's "outrageous behavior" to the Ukrainian government.
Deputy Prime Minister Sniezhana, upon receiving the news, hurried over to Mavi to check in on the situation.
"Mavi, I just heard from the Prime Minister's office that the South Korean diplomats are furious. They're also claiming that you personally offered $5.5 billion to buy the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier from the shipyard?" Sniezhana was shocked by Mavi's bold move.
She had been wondering what strategy he would use to dismantle the European Union's scheme. She hadn't expected such a simple, brutal approach—just throwing money at the problem! It was truly eye-opening.
"Not exactly," Mavi replied casually. "If South Korea is willing to offer a higher price, then I'll let them have it."
Hearing this, Sniezhana was momentarily confused. What kind of play was this? If South Korea bid higher, he would let them take it? Shouldn't he be trying to outbid them instead?
She stared at Mavi in disbelief, her gaze uncannily similar to that of her daughter, Leoxia.
"Ahem! Don't look at me like that, Deputy Prime Minister Sniezhana. I'm being serious. If South Korea offers $5.7 billion or $5.8 billion, then they can have the Ulyanovsk carrier. Worst case, my Black Sea Shipyard will just build a brand-new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for the Russian government. As for the construction timeline, that's up to us."
As soon as Mavi finished speaking, Sniezhana immediately grasped his true intention—if South Korea was foolish enough to overpay, he would gladly let them. Meanwhile, his shipyard would build a brand-new aircraft carrier for Russia, ensuring an even more lucrative deal.
And when it came to construction timeframes, it was obvious—South Korea's delivery would be slow, while Russia's would be expedited. The only question was whether the South Koreans were willing to spend a fortune on a 13-year-old Ulyanovsk carrier.
"Mavi, you're unbelievably cunning! No wonder the South Koreans are losing their minds over you." Sniezhana's eyes sparkled with admiration. She couldn't begin to fathom how his mind came up with such ingenious schemes.
"Am I really that cunning...?" Mavi muttered, but in his heart, he couldn't help but think—if Sniezhana ever found out about his relationship with her daughter, that would be the real definition of cunning...
---
### Two Weeks Later
Much to Mavi's surprise, South Korea's government was stubborn enough to go all in—they actually offered $5.8 billion to buy the Ulyanovsk, a 13-year-old nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Truly, the Republic of Korea never ceased to amaze!
(In this alternate timeline, there was no Cold War, so South Korea's relationship with the United States was much weaker. Additionally, the U.S. refused to sell its nuclear aircraft carrier technology, leaving South Korea with no choice but to place its hopes on Ukraine.)
However, Mavi had set a trap for the South Koreans in the delivery terms—the delivery period was set at six years and eight months, with no guarantees regarding quality. If the nuclear reactor had issues, they would only be responsible for repairs or overhauls, with maintenance costs charged separately.
Meanwhile, the new aircraft carrier being built for Russia would be delivered in just four years, with all brand-new equipment. Of course, the South Korean public had no idea about this arrangement, and their government would never admit to such a humiliating deal.
It wouldn't be until four years later, when Russia's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier had its maiden voyage, that the truth would come to light. By then, the South Korean public would be outraged at their government for making such an embarrassing decision—just like in the previous timeline with the THAAD missile defense system, blindly allowing themselves to be manipulated by a major power.
And the worst part? They gained absolutely nothing from it.
Each nuclear-powered aircraft carrier cost around $6.5 billion to build, but the profits were enormous. South Korea had already paid a 50% deposit—$2.9 billion. After subtracting costs, roughly half of that money flowed directly into Mavi's personal accounts.
At that moment, his bank balance soared past $1 billion, reaching a staggering $1.36 billion! And with the additional $1 billion in military supplies gifted by Vietnam, Mavi's total assets surpassed $1.5 billion, breaking his personal rule of keeping his cash holdings under $1 billion.
"Hmm, what should I invest in next? Oil? Renewable energy?" Mavi pondered in his hotel room in Ukraine.
Given how much he had done for the Russian government, breaking into the energy sector shouldn't be too difficult. All he needed to do was establish an energy company, get government authorization (and a government stake to turn it into a state enterprise), and start extracting crude oil.
After all, the Caucasus region had $3.3 trillion worth of oil reserves, and Russia's existing energy companies alone couldn't possibly develop them fast enough.
However, just as Mavi was deep in thought, an urgent phone call came through from the Kremlin in Russia.
(End of Chapter)