Making so much money made Mavi feel a little guilty. However, he didn't have complete control over the pricing. He had already negotiated it down to the lowest possible within his capabilities...
Regarding the distribution of order profits, aside from Mavi's Black Sea Shipyard, two military shipyards under the Ukrainian Navy would also need to take a share.
The Russian Navy had contributed significantly, so diverting some orders to them was also necessary.
When it came to profit distribution, Mavi was smart—he didn't say a word. In any case, with 50% ownership of the Black Sea Shipyard, he was bound to make a fortune...
Right now, aside from preparing for the destroyer orders, Mavi also needed to get ready for the aircraft carrier orders. To express his gratitude and ensure long-term development, he planned to persuade the Ukrainian government to secretly send two scientists and engineers to the East to assist in the independent development of aircraft carriers.
This move would benefit both sides. Since the initial alliance had already been formed, it was crucial to strengthen each other as quickly as possible.
…
After handling Ukraine's nuclear disarmament resolution, Mavi took a two-day break in Russia. During this time, he did nothing but eat, watch TV, and play with little Winnie the bear and the small tiger cub.
The two little ones were growing rapidly, especially the tiger cub, who loved to drink milk. If he was out of sight for a while, he'd already be the size of an adult Husky.
As for Winnie the polar bear, she had now become Mavi's personal cushion. Lying on her was like resting on a warm, fluffy blanket. The best part was that Winnie was well-behaved—she remained still, letting Mavi lean on her, as if she also enjoyed these intimate moments with her owner…
However, leisure time was always short-lived. Before Mavi could fully enjoy his break, a call came from China. More precisely, it was from Alibaba's Boss Ma—something had happened, and it seemed serious!
"Hello, Mr. Mavi, I'm really sorry to bother you! Recently, we at Alibaba have encountered a major problem—eBay China has started interfering in the domestic B2B market…"
Boss Ma wouldn't have called for help unless something serious was going on. In the six months since the investment, this was the first time he had contacted Mavi for assistance.
"eBay China?" Mavi sensed that something was off. In his previous life, eBay announced its withdrawal from the Chinese market in 2006.
Yet, in this timeline, it had taken an entirely different approach—entering the B2B sector and competing directly with Alibaba. What was going on?
B2B refers to business-to-business online transactions, while C2C refers to consumer-to-consumer online transactions.
As he spoke, Mavi turned on his computer and checked the major shareholders of eBay in the U.S. To his surprise, he discovered that Vivendi was among the top ten shareholders!
Vivendi was a French company from which Mavi had previously acquired Blizzard Entertainment. And France was a member of the European Union… The underlying implications were clear—this was likely a retaliation from the EU aimed directly at him!
"Yes, Mr. Mavi," Boss Ma said over the phone, confused. "eBay China originally focused on C2C, and we at Alibaba had no conflicts with them. But for some reason, they suddenly decided to compete with us in B2B…"
Given Alibaba's current strength in China, Boss Ma didn't think they were a major threat to eBay—at least not yet. (In Mavi's past life, Taobao wasn't founded until 2003, and eBay dominated the Chinese market before that.)
Boss Ma couldn't understand why such a huge American company, worth billions of dollars, would suddenly target his $30 million startup. This was like pushing a small business to the brink of collapse!
After hearing Boss Ma's concerns, Mavi understood the real reason behind it—this was the EU's retaliation!
Damn! That was fast!
He had barely rested for two days, and now he was being dragged back into the battlefield…
"There's no need to panic. If eBay U.S. wants to steal Alibaba's business, then Alibaba can fight back and force them out of the Chinese market," Mavi said calmly over the phone.
As a reborn individual, he knew exactly why eBay had failed in China in his past life.
The moment he finished speaking, Boss Ma suddenly had an epiphany!
Previously, he had only thought about how to defend his market share. It hadn't occurred to him that Alibaba could go on the offensive and fight back.
However, expanding into the C2C market would require a massive amount of capital and an effective market strategy. Otherwise, it would be impossible to shake eBay China's existing dominance…
"Um… Mr. Mavi, if Alibaba is going to expand into the C2C market, I'm afraid we'll be quite short on funds…" Boss Ma said hesitantly.
Just a few months ago, he had raised $25 million from Mavi. Now, before Alibaba had even fully taken off, he had to ask for more money. It felt a bit embarrassing.
"There's no need to worry about funding. If eBay wants a war, then let's give them a war…"
This thought crossed Mavi's mind—a popular phrase from the internet—but he refrained from saying it out loud. It sounded too dramatic and didn't fit his current image.
"Ahem, don't worry about the funds. I'll be flying to China in the next two days. We'll discuss everything then."
Mavi wasn't the type to provoke trouble, but if trouble found him, he wouldn't back down.
"Alright, Mr. Mavi, we'll be waiting for your updates!" Boss Ma said excitedly. With Mavi's support, Alibaba could finally catch a break.
### …
Three days later, in the afternoon, Mavi's private jet landed at Hangzhou International Airport.
Since this was a business trip rather than an official visit, he hadn't notified the military. The last thing he wanted was a grand reception with armed security, military vehicles clearing the roads, and a full escort. That would be way too much trouble.
He only informed the Russian Consulate in China to help coordinate his travel arrangements.
Once his plane landed safely, Mavi got into a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG armored vehicle and headed toward Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou.
There, Alibaba's founder, Boss Ma, along with the "Alibaba Eighteen Arhats" (the company's eighteen co-founders), were already waiting for him.
An hour later, outside Alibaba's headquarters, a slender man in a black suit walked out of the building with his team. Judging by their demeanor, they were waiting to welcome an important guest.
Fifteen minutes passed… yet no car was in sight.
…
(End of Chapter)