Just as Sheknia was feeling irritated, the satellite phone on her desk suddenly rang. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was her father.
Sheknia immediately picked up the phone, intending to tell her father everything that had happened today in full detail. But before she could even speak, she heard her father's extremely cheerful voice on the other end:
"Well done this time! And please pass along my thanks to Mavi!"
Hearing her father's words, Sheknia was completely stunned! To be precise, she was utterly shocked. She had no idea what had happened.
After some questioning, she finally learned from her father that just moments ago, the Ukrainian Navy Headquarters had received an invitation for negotiations from another country. The topic? The Varyag aircraft carrier, which was 67% complete at the Black Sea Shipyard!
The moment she heard the news, Mavi's face flashed in Sheknia's mind. She had no idea when or how he had managed to get this done.
After ending the call with her father, Sheknia quickly put on her military jacket and rushed to the Northern Defense Fleet, intending to apologize to Mavi for what had happened earlier that evening.
### Meanwhile…
Inside the banquet hall, Mavi sat in the front row, right in the center, appearing completely at ease as he watched the performances of the military entertainers on stage.
Surrounding him were high-ranking officers of the Northern Defense Fleet, including decorated military leaders with impressive battle records.
"Mr. Mavi, are you enjoying the performance by the female military entertainers?" Wu Kai asked in a low voice during the welcoming banquet.
If it weren't for the military's strict prohibition on drinking alcohol during work hours, the hospitable Wu Kai would have surely invited Mavi to drink with him for hours.
"It's quite good," Mavi replied with a smile.
Sitting in the center of the crowd, Mavi could feel the occasional glances directed his way from all around him. Even the performers on stage, despite focusing on their routines, would frequently steal glances at the distinguished Russian guest.
His presence had already been widely discussed among the naval officers and sailors, and during the banquet, most of their conversations revolved around him.
"Hey, did you guys hear? That Russian guest sitting at the head table in the front row—he's supposedly a big deal!" a sailor whispered to his tablemates.
His comrades, unimpressed, shot back, "Anyone sitting in that seat has to be a big deal. Just spill what you know already—stop keeping us in suspense!"
"Alright, alright! I heard he's from the Ukrainian Black Sea Shipyard. You guys know that place, right? They have two aircraft carriers there, and one of them is nuclear-powered! Pretty impressive, huh?"
The soldier clearly loved drawing things out, and his tablemates immediately started speculating wildly.
"Aircraft carriers?! So you're saying our fleet might be getting one? No way—is that real?" one excited sailor asked.
Back in the year 2000, only a handful of countries could build aircraft carriers—and even by 2019, that hadn't changed. To own an aircraft carrier was every naval officer's and sailor's dream—it was the pinnacle of pride and glory.
"Wow, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier! Imagine being assigned to serve on it—that would be incredible!" Some of the sailors were already fantasizing about working aboard the carrier, a testament to how much they longed for such an opportunity.
"I heard about it, but nothing's confirmed yet! So don't go spreading rumors, alright? And if you do, don't say it was me who told you!"
### Back at the Banquet
Mavi understood every single word of their conversation. Everyone assumed he was a foreign guest who couldn't understand Chinese, but in reality, he was following everything clearly—he simply pretended not to notice.
Twenty minutes later, the welcome banquet officially ended. Wu Kai personally escorted Mavi to a Red Flag limousine, ready to send him back to the hotel for a shower and some rest.
But just as Mavi was about to get into the car, a military jeep suddenly sped up and came to a screeching halt in front of the limousine. The door swung open, and a striking woman in a crisp Ukrainian military uniform quickly stepped out and walked toward him.
"Sheknia?" Wu Kai was visibly surprised to see the female major. Hadn't she said she wasn't coming? Why was she showing up now, after the banquet had ended?
Unlike Wu Kai, Mavi immediately understood the reason—Ukrainian Navy Headquarters had clearly received the negotiation invitation.
"Mavi, I came to apologize to you. And to you as well, Major Wu Kai—I sincerely regret what happened earlier," Sheknia said. As a female officer in the Ukrainian military, she had none of the coy, delicate mannerisms of ordinary women. When she made a mistake, she admitted it, apologized, and corrected it—no pretense, no excuses.
"It's no problem, Miss Sheknia," Wu Kai responded graciously, considering his hosting duties had gone smoothly in the end.
Standing by the Red Flag limousine, Mavi's silhouette was cast long by the car's headlights. He wasn't one to hold grudges over minor matters, so he simply tilted his head toward the car and gestured to Sheknia.
"Get in."
Sheknia looked at Mavi gratefully. She suddenly realized that aside from his mysterious nature, he was actually quite a decent person.
The two got into the limousine one after the other, and the car pulled away from the venue, heading toward the hotel.
### On the Way to the Hotel
As they drove, fatigue began to creep up on Mavi. He leaned against the seat and gradually drifted off to sleep. Meanwhile, Sheknia, sitting in the back seat beside him, gazed absentmindedly out the window into the night.
Reflecting on her earlier outburst, she felt a wave of embarrassment and warmth creep up her face. She realized she had been too impulsive and resolved to change that in the future.
Just as she was lost in thought, the car made a slight turn, causing Mavi's head—previously resting against the seat cushion—to tilt sideways. It landed near Sheknia's right shoulder, though not quite touching it.
Sheknia glanced at him and noticed his awkward sleeping posture. If he stayed like that for too long, he'd likely wake up with a stiff neck or a muscle cramp.
Not wanting to disturb his rest, Sheknia bit her lip and made a decision. Gently, she raised her hand and guided Mavi's head onto her shoulder, allowing him to rest more comfortably. At the very least, this could be her way of making up for what had happened earlier.
The car continued down the road for another ten minutes, with Mavi resting against her the entire time. Fortunately, he didn't drool in his sleep—otherwise, getting her military uniform wet would've been another headache altogether…
(End of Chapter)