"Minister Grilov, Mr. Mavi's idea is truly excellent. Not only will we be able to threaten Japan with it in the future, but all those countries in Europe will also be within Russia's attack range."
"But back then... we also destroyed the production equipment for medium-range missiles. If we were to rebuild that, the funding... would probably be much more expensive than just deploying intercontinental ballistic missiles, right?" a Ministry of Defense official in a suit asked the Minister of Defense, looking troubled.
Funding issues had always been Russia's biggest challenge. It wasn't that they lacked technology or scientists, but the military industry was simply too expensive!
Minister Grilov fell into thought after hearing this. This year's Ministry of Defense budget only had 230 million US dollars left available. Money was needed for many areas, and there wasn't much they could allocate, making things quite tight.
"Developing medium-range missiles, plus building the production lines, requires a considerable investment. It's estimated to cost at least 800 million US dollars or more. This amount... even including next year's budget, probably won't be enough..." Minister Grilov said with a sense of helplessness.
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions gradually dimmed. 800 million US dollars might not be much for some economically developed countries, but in Russia, it could absolutely break a person.
However, just as everyone fell silent, Mavi, seated at the conference table, suddenly spoke up. "Minister Grilov, regarding the development of medium-range missiles, I believe I have a solution."
As soon as he spoke, the high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Defense turned their gaze back to Mavi. "Mavi, what solution do you have? Please tell us."
At this point, Mavi took a deep breath and continued, "Actually, we can go to Ukraine and purchase their missile production lines and research institutes. Then, we can improve the missile's range, performance, and other specifications based on the existing foundation. I believe the money needed should be significantly reduced."
Before coming, Mavi had already thought of a basic strategy. Last year, he had disrupted the EU's overt plan to destroy Ukraine's nuclear weapons. Therefore, Ukraine's warehouses were currently stacked with a large number of nuclear warheads, intercontinental missiles, and almost-废弃 (meaning 'discarded' or 'obsolete') missile production lines and research institutes.
Following the "buy two get one free" approach he used last year with Soviet-era fighter jets, Mavi believed that Ukraine wouldn't charge too much for this missile business. Besides, they had already become good friends, so the price would naturally be even lower...
When Mavi presented his plan, Minister Grilov, the Army General and head of the Russian Ministry of Defense seated before him, along with the surrounding high-ranking officials from various defense departments, instantly had their eyes light up and broke into looks of delight.
They hadn't expected that a problem they saw as difficult would be so easily resolved by Mavi... This guy was practically a prodigy...
Actually, it wasn't that Mavi was a prodigy, but rather that Russians, in general, weren't very skilled when it came to business acumen. They were great at fighting, waging war, and facing challenges head-on. But when it came to doing business and crunching numbers, it was truly a bit challenging for them...
Moreover, this was still 2001; people from over 20 years ago had simpler ways of thinking.
"Mavi, thank you so much for this!" Minister Grilov happily stood up from his seat and shook hands with Mavi to express his gratitude.
"You're welcome, Minister Grilov. Contributing to national defense is my duty as a Russian citizen!" Mavi said with great "awareness" in the conference room.
Having gone through the baptism of the large-scale naval battle between Russia and Japan, Mavi deeply realized how important national strength was. Even if he had a lot of money in his pocket, if the country was weak, it was useless. Sooner or later, all the money earned would be lost...
Since Mavi was the only person among those present who had the best relationship with the Ukrainian government, the task of acquisition and negotiation also fell upon him.
Three days later, Mavi arrived at the Ukrainian International Airport in his Bombardier Global Express jet. He looked out through the aircraft window.
He saw a whole row of familiar Dongfeng Mengshi military vehicles neatly parked on the airport tarmac. These vehicles were a "welcome gift" Mavi had casually given to the Ukrainian armed forces previously. They had now become standard Ukrainian military vehicles, and Ukraine had even specifically ordered these Dongfeng Mengshi vehicles from China. Clearly, their cost-effectiveness was significantly higher than that of military Hummers.
As Mavi stepped off the plane, he saw Lieutenant General Denikins, wearing a Ukrainian Army uniform, warmly stepping forward to welcome him. "Hello, Mr. Mavi! Good afternoon, I am Lieutenant General Denikins from the 32nd Army Base. Welcome to Ukraine!"
Ever since he had secured several large orders for the Ukrainian Navy last year, revitalizing the Black Sea Shipyard and saving them from the nuclear destruction crisis, Mavi had been exceptionally welcomed by the Ukrainian armed forces. This was because whenever he appeared, good things were sure to follow. Therefore, when the Ukrainian Army Headquarters learned that Mavi was coming to visit, they were naturally a hundred percent welcoming of his arrival.
"Hello, Lieutenant General Denikins, thank you for the hospitality from your military," Having gone through numerous arms deals, Mavi could now be considered Russia's King of Arms. However, he didn't get rich through war; arms were just a hobby for him...
"Mr. Mavi, I heard that you are somewhat interested in our Ukrainian medium-range missile research institute and missile production lines?" Lieutenant General Denikins' reception this time came with a mission. The higher-ups had instructed him to ensure the transaction with Russia went through.
After all, the Ukrainian Navy was slightly wealthier now, and the Air Force was also becoming more comfortable. Only the Ukrainian Army was still pinching its budget and tightening its belt every year. The maintenance and storage costs for intercontinental missiles and nuclear warheads were major expenses.
"I'd say I'm somewhat interested, Lieutenant General Denikins. However, as you know, Russia has signed the INF Treaty with the United States. So there's a certain risk in buying this equipment back," Mavi said calmly. Although his relationship with the Ukrainian government was good, this was his first time dealing with the Ukrainian Army. Therefore, many details were not convenient to disclose, lest he accidentally get "cheated," for example, by being charged an intentionally high price...
Lieutenant General Denikins fell silent for a moment after hearing this. He knew about the INF Treaty and understood that Russia couldn't possess medium-range missiles. However, their Ukrainian Army was truly short on money and couldn't worry about "INF Treaties" or "Long-Range Treaties." Anyway, selling something was better than nothing; keeping them was useless.
"Mr. Mavi, please rest assured on this matter. Regarding your government's purchase of medium-range missile equipment, we in the Ukrainian military will absolutely keep it confidential for you!" Lieutenant General Denikins guaranteed solemnly.
(End of this chapter)