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 governnt didn't have the capability to compete for the aircraft carrier. But who could have expected Mavi to co 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 custors to buy their own products?
"You just wait! Everything you just said—we will report it word for word to the Ukrainian governnt!" Park Min-ho, who had extensive diplomatic experience, had never encountered soone 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 ti cos, who do you think the Ukrainian governnt 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, aning he'd effectively be paying only around $3.5 billion.
Then, he could trade the aircraft carrier with the Russian governnt 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 governnt 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 stord into the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, causing a huge commotion. They reported all of Mavi's "outrageous behavior" to the Ukrainian governnt.
Deputy Pri Minister Sniezhana, upon receiving the news, hurried over to Mavi to check in on the situation.
"Mavi, I just heard from the Pri 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 sche. 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 montarily 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 like that, Deputy Pri 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 governnt. As for the construction tiline, that's up to us."
As soon as Mavi finished speaking, Sniezhana imdiately grasped his true intention—if South Korea was foolish enough to overpay, he would gladly let them. anwhile, his shipyard would build a brand-new aircraft carrier for Russia, ensuring an even more lucrative deal.
And when it ca to construction tifras, 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 ca up with such ingenious sches.
"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 governnt 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 tiline, 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.
anwhile, the new aircraft carrier being built for Russia would be delivered in just four years, with all brand-new equipnt. Of course, the South Korean public had no idea about this arrangent, and their governnt 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 co to light. By then, the South Korean public would be outraged at their governnt for making such an embarrassing decision—just like in the previous tiline 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 mont, 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 governnt, breaking into the energy sector shouldn't be too difficult. All he needed to do was establish an energy company, get governnt authorization (and a governnt 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 ca through from the Kremlin in Russia.
(End of Chapter)
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