After both aircraft purchases were finalized, Jennifer sent her father a text message:
"Dad, remember that young man you met at the party last time? Well, today he bought a Bombardier Global Express XRS..."
"Oh, and also an Airbus A380."
She deliberately sent the messages separately, hoping to see how her father—who had been indifferent toward Mavi at the party—would react now that he was clearly soaring to success.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before her father called her.
"What's going on with those two messages? Is this for real?"
Even as the chairman of Marriott Group, he was stunned by the idea of someone casually spending $100 million on private jets. Especially since this young man was someone he had met just a few months ago. How could he have risen to such heights so quickly?!
"Absolutely true. I'm standing right next to him," Jennifer confirmed.
She had sent the texts precisely to prove Mavi's worth to her father. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to message him.
After Jennifer finished speaking, her father remained silent on the phone for a long time. Spending $100 million so effortlessly—nearly 10% of his own net worth—made him realize that he needed to reassess his opinion of Mavi.
---
After hanging up, Jennifer was practically chirping with joy. She was smart enough to know that her father's impression of Mavi had definitely changed. After all, we were talking about a Bombardier Global Express and an A380! Even among the world's wealthiest elites, very few people bought both at once.
"What's making you so happy?" Mavi asked, amused. He still didn't get Jennifer—she had the option of flying on a private jet anytime she wanted, yet she refused. Now, here she was, beaming like a four-year-old. But maybe that's what made her so special.
"Can't I just be happy? Or do you want me to sulk all day?" Jennifer teased, her smile unwavering.
"Of course not, it's just…" Mavi hesitated. He still didn't know what gift to give her since she had refused to accept a private jet.
"Just what?" Jennifer asked curiously.
"I finally figured out what to get you. It's a gift with real sentimental value." Mavi grinned. He was sure Jennifer wouldn't refuse this time.
"Oh? What kind of sentimental gift? Spill it!" Jennifer playfully hooked her finger, signaling him to continue.
"A while ago, I bought two plots of land in Shanghai. I need to hire a design firm soon, so why not let you decide the design style? That way, when you're an old lady, you can proudly tell your grandchildren…"
Before Mavi could finish his sentence, Jennifer's delicate fist landed right on his chest.
"Oof!" He almost coughed up blood.
At first, Jennifer had been delighted with the idea. But as soon as she heard "when you're an old lady", she was fuming! She clenched her teeth in frustration, resisting the urge to bite Mavi.
"Well, it's a great gift. I'll take it!" Jennifer smirked, playfully tracing her finger across his chest. She loved the sentiment behind the gift—just not the "old lady" part.
"If you like it, then why did you hit me? I wasn't even done talking!" Mavi grumbled.
"No need! I know you well enough to guess it wouldn't be anything good!" Jennifer huffed.
She was right. The last part of Mavi's sentence was supposed to be: "You can proudly tell your grandchildren—'I want the whole world to know that your grandma owns these two plots of land!'"
Since his joke had fallen flat, Mavi just shrugged. Instead, he took Jennifer to a few design firms so she could choose a style she liked.
Three days later, after much deliberation, they selected Bechtel Corporation as their design partner.
The project included a luxury waterfront villa community and a high-end shopping center, with a total design cost of $7.5 million. The fee covered on-site supervision and coordination with local construction teams, ensuring that every aspect of the build adhered to the original design.
After paying for the design fees and the private jets, Mavi's Citibank account still had $485 million remaining. Now, he just had to finalize the acquisition of Ukraine's Black Sea Shipyard.
---
Three weeks later, while Mavi and Jennifer were vacationing in Hawaii, he suddenly received a call from Ukraine.
"Hello, Mr. Mavi, after careful consideration, our military has decided that we're open to working with you to co-manage the Black Sea Shipyard. When would you be available to return to Ukraine?"
Mavi, lounging on the beach and soaking up the sun, took a sip of his drink before replying via satellite phone.
"I'll be there in a couple of days. I'll give you a call when I land."
"Understood. We'll wait for your update. Goodbye."
"Bye."
After hanging up, Jennifer handed him an ice-cold fruit juice and asked, "Another business deal?"
"Yeah, and it's a big one." Mavi took a refreshing sip.
Ever since Jennifer told her father about Mavi's aircraft purchases, her father had taken a keen interest in his business ventures. He frequently asked Jennifer about Mavi's latest projects and whether he needed investors.
Jennifer, however, ignored him entirely. They say daughters are raised for someone else's family, and in this case, it seemed true. She had no intention of "selling out" Mavi or interfering with his work.
"So, you're flying off again?" Jennifer looked at him with reluctant eyes, her gaze filled with unspoken emotion.
"Flying off, but I'll always fly back." Mavi pinched her cheek, smiling. As much as he cherished their time together, business was business—he couldn't let emotions get in the way of important deals.
"Alright then," Jennifer pouted.
She still remembered the old Chinese saying Mavi had told her in Beijing:
"If love is meant to last… then…"
And once again… he was taking off.
At Honolulu International Airport, Mavi sat on his plane, waiting for takeoff.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Black Sea Shipyard still had two unfinished aircraft carriers that had been left in limbo due to lack of funding:
One was the Varyag, and the other was the Ulyanovsk, a nuclear-powered carrier.
Given their value, Mavi figured it might be time to reach out to some countries in need of an aircraft carrier.
It was time to talk business.
(End of Chapter)