read lots story at patreon
always update and finish
belamy20
"Very well, Lieutenant General Samonovs, then let them take responsibility for it," Mavi said calmly over the phone. He knew the Koreans would probably be able to handle the nuclear reactors.
Back in the 1970s, South Korea and France had collaborated on atomic weapons development and made significant progress. According to a presidential secretary's memoir, the government had planned for South Korea to detonate its first atomic bomb in 1983. However, after the Korean president's death, the new leader, under international pressure, put an end to all nuclear-related research programs.
So, while South Korea might not have nuclear weapons, they did have the technology to dismantle nuclear reactors from their research with the French. And if that failed, they could always ask France or the US for help. After all, a nuclear leak is a global humanitarian concern, and no one would take that lightly.
"Understood, Mr. Mavi," Lieutenant General Samonovs said. After the call, he feigned following orders from a superior and approached the Korean delegation. "Mr. Roh Won-ki, Admiral Andres of our Baltic Fleet is very interested in your proposal. He'll set up a time to meet with you."
They had to play the part to make the Koreans truly believe it.
After hearing the Lieutenant General, Roh Won-ki and the other Korean representatives exchanged glances, a look of delight in their eyes.
"That's great, Lieutenant General Samonovs. It would be our honor to meet with Admiral Andres!" Roh Won-ki said with a smile.
Twenty minutes later, the "big boss" in Mavi's plan, Admiral Andres, made his grand entrance. After a detailed negotiation that lasted two weeks, the Russian Baltic Fleet finally agreed to sell two decommissioned 971-class attack submarines for $1.8 billion.
They were "decommissioned" because, according to procedure, a nuclear submarine had to be officially retired before it could be sold.
As per the contract, the $800 million cost of dismantling the nuclear reactors would be handled by the South Korean government. In total, the Koreans spent $2.6 billion to buy two incredibly expensive pieces of junk and two nuclear reactors that would be a major headache for any country.
This time, on Mavi's advice, Russia hadn't completely stripped the nuclear submarines. Instead, they were more selective, only removing the crucial core technology. In other words, all the technologies the Koreans lacked and wanted to study were selectively removed. What was left was just ordinary components and a complete, but useless, shell.
The benefit of this approach was that the Russians could deliver the submarines without the Koreans noticing anything was wrong.
When the Korean scientists eagerly boarded the submarines to study them, they would likely be so shocked their eyes would pop out.
"Mr. Mavi, the Koreans have paid us in full. Now we're just waiting for their semi-submersible ship to come to our base and tow the two submarines back home. As a token of our gratitude, our Baltic Fleet has decided to order one Sovremenny-class destroyer and six Sovremenny-class frigates from your Northern Shipyard..." a Baltic Fleet officer enthusiastically told Mavi over the phone.
A semi-submersible vessel, also known as a heavy-lift ship, adjusts its ballast to submerge its cargo deck, allowing it to transport specific items like drilling platforms and nuclear submarines.
Only the brilliant and cunning Mavi could have come up with such a scheme. If it had been the Russian Navy, they would have likely rejected the Koreans' proposal from the start. They would have just thrown the two retired submarines into a "warship graveyard" and waited until they had the money to dismantle the reactors.
So, in short, Mavi turned a deal that would have resulted in an $800 million loss into a $1.8 billion profit! This one transaction brought $2.6 billion in revenue to the Russian Navy without damaging Russia's reputation.
After all, the Koreans were the ones who came to them, offering to help Russia deal with its retired nuclear submarines and dismantle the reactors. They were the ones who started with "devious schemes," so it was only fair that Russia's counter-move was justified.
"Thank you, General. I appreciate your military's support!" Mavi said in thanks over the phone. The arms business was so easy—not only did it solve the nuclear reactor problem, but it also brought a new order to his shipyard.
The news that South Korea had bought two retired nuclear submarines from the Russian Navy for $1.8 billion quickly spread. Many experts, scholars, and military enthusiasts on TV and online began to share their opinions on the matter.
For example, a Korean military expert on a TV show said with excitement, "By purchasing these two 971-class attack submarines from the Russian Navy, we are essentially helping Russia through their nuclear leak crisis. We know that with their current economic situation, they can't dismantle the reactors in a short time, so they should be thanking us..."
The Koreans were incredibly sanctimonious. There were many comments like this all over Korea, aiming to show that their government had done a great deed and wasn't taking advantage of the situation or trying to steal Russia's nuclear submarine technology.
Some netizens online couldn't stand the Koreans' shamelessness. "Those Koreans are so shameless, aren't they? They get two almost-retired nuclear submarines from the Russians for such a cheap price and then act like they're so noble. India spent $2.8 billion recently! I wonder what the Russians are thinking. Is this some kind of secret deal with Korea?"
"It's over, now Korea has nuclear submarines, and they're Russian-made. With how arrogant the Koreans are, they're definitely going to be insufferable now. They'll become the 6th country in the world to own nuclear submarines. And after they buy them, they'll just steal the technology to develop their own military industry. That $1.8 billion was well spent."
Whether it was the opinions of experts or netizens, the general consensus was that South Korea had hit the jackpot. With their current shipbuilding capabilities, this was a heaven-sent opportunity. And the Russians were foolish, selling their core technology just because they were short on cash. Didn't they know the Koreans were ungrateful backstabbers?
When the time was right, they would definitely turn on Russia.