Mavi knew that dealing with someone like this required directness—there was no point in beating around the bush. So, he got straight to the point and said to the man, "Colonel Yevgeny, the reason I'm here today is to offer your fleet free warships."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yevgeny's eyes flickered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. As a soldier, he couldn't afford to react like an ordinary civilian. Even if he found Mavi's proposal surprising and intriguing, he wouldn't let it show.
"Providing free warships? Why?" Colonel Yevgeny asked, both wary and intrigued.
The Northern Defense Fleet's warships were mostly remnants from the Soviet era. Though they had a large fleet, many of their ships were either nearing retirement or had already been decommissioned. Finding replacements for them was proving to be a headache.
Mavi was well aware of the fleet's predicament—on top of receiving no funding, they were facing budget cuts. So, he answered frankly, "No particular reason, Colonel Yevgeny. As a citizen of this country, isn't it my duty to support national defense?"
The moment Mavi spoke these words with such calm confidence, Colonel Yevgeny raised an eyebrow—a rare reaction from him. He was genuinely surprised by the businessman's "sense of duty." In all his years with the Northern Defense Fleet, he had rarely encountered a businessman with such a high level of patriotism.
Mavi, however, remained unfazed, carefully observing Yevgeny's expression. Supporting national defense was certainly one reason for his offer, but another reason was to build a good relationship with the military.
And the third reason? He had his eyes on those decommissioned warships and submarines.
From his past life's knowledge, Mavi knew that Russia's retired warships and submarines were often abandoned in naval graveyards, left to rot under the elements. Instead of letting them go to waste, why not acquire them at rock-bottom prices, refurbish them, and sell them at a premium?
Even if the military stripped the ships of their automatic weapons and radar systems, Mavi had ways to make them valuable again.
Colonel Yevgeny stared directly into Mavi's eyes, trying to determine whether his intentions were genuine.
Under the colonel's intense gaze, Mavi—who had lived through two lifetimes—remained completely unfazed. He met Yevgeny's stare with unwavering confidence.
After about three seconds, Colonel Yevgeny gave a slight nod and asked, "Mr. Mavi, what type of warships are you offering?"
Having somewhat changed his perception of Mavi, Yevgeny even added "Mr." to his name as a sign of respect.
"Two Grisha-V class frigates. How does that sound, Colonel Yevgeny?" Mavi asked casually.
Colonel Yevgeny thought for a moment before extending his right hand and saying, "Thank you, Mr. Mavi. On behalf of the Northern Defense Fleet, I appreciate your generous support."
"You're welcome. It's my duty," Mavi replied, shaking the colonel's hand.
The Grisha-V class frigate was a light frigate with a displacement of 1,050 tons. Each ship cost around $3.2 million to build, making the total value of the donation $6.4 million.
For the underfunded Northern Defense Fleet, $6.4 million was a significant sum. But for Mavi, it was nothing—especially when he could turn it into a fortune, many times over.
Mavi's generosity came at a crucial time for the fleet. They had numerous aging frigates and destroyers on the verge of retirement but lacked new ships to replace them. This made joint military exercises with other nations rather embarrassing, as some of their warships were so poorly maintained that they had started to rust.
"By the way, Colonel Yevgeny," Mavi continued, "the Grisha-class frigates are based on Soviet-era designs. Have you ever considered developing Russia's own modern frigates?"
Mavi wasn't just offering the ships to gain favor with the Northern Defense Fleet or acquire decommissioned warships. His ambitions were much bigger. He had recently purchased the Northern Shipyard and needed the support of the Central Naval Equipment Design Bureau.
Only with that support could he participate in the development of more advanced frigates, destroyers, and possibly even aircraft carriers.
"Develop new frigates?" Colonel Yevgeny asked, clearly intrigued. Mavi had touched on a sore spot. The Russian Navy had long been frustrated by its reliance on outdated Soviet-era ships.
During joint military exercises with other nations, their frigates and destroyers were all relics from the Soviet era. Outsiders might not realize just how old and outdated these warships were—some were even rusting!
While the Russian Navy never admitted it, deep down, they envied other countries' modern warships. After all, a warship was the soul of the navy, a comrade-in-arms. Every sailor wanted to command a vessel that was powerful, intimidating, and superior to those of other nations.
Seeing Yevgeny's interest, Mavi pressed on, "Exactly. If possible, my Mikoyan family is willing to invest additional funds to support the research and development of new warships."
As the saying goes, you have to spend money to make money. Mavi knew that the Russian Navy was severely underfunded. If they could connect him with the scientists at the Central Naval Equipment Design Bureau, his knowledge from his previous life would make designing new warships incredibly efficient.
Once a new warship was successfully developed and entered service, the flood of orders that followed would instantly revive the Northern Shipyard—ensuring its prosperity until at least 2029!
"Mr. Mavi, this proposal isn't something I can decide on my own," Colonel Yevgeny admitted. "But I will report it to my superiors. Once again, thank you for your support of the Northern Defense Fleet."
After their conversation, Yevgeny's impression of Mavi had changed drastically.
To a soldier, patriotism and the defense of the people were paramount. Mavi's generosity, his support for national defense, and his proposal for warship development made Yevgeny see him as a kindred spirit.
"You're welcome, Colonel Yevgeny," Mavi said with a smile.
Though he was a wealthy businessman, he was nothing like Russia's notorious oligarchs, who hollowed out the country's economy and profited off the people's suffering.
The Mikoyan family's wealth hadn't come from privatization schemes or overnight fortune-grabbing. They stayed out of politics and focused on low-profile development.
So, no matter how flamboyant or high-profile Mavi's actions seemed, he wouldn't be targeted. In fact, there was a good chance the government would view him as a financial model for Russia—perhaps even as a national treasure.
(End of Chapter)