There seemed to be an underlying desire to confide in someone or to vent emotions. Perhaps life in the military had been too long and too stifling…
"Are you okay? If you keep drinking like this, you won't even be able to get out of bed tomorrow," Mavi said, taking a sip of his red wine. This amount of alcohol was nothing to him.
"If I can't get up, then I can't get up. Worst case, I'll just sleep in your room tonight," Sheknya said with a slightly intoxicated expression, her gaze carrying a suggestive undertone that didn't seem like a joke.
Mavi was momentarily stunned by her direct words. A woman like Sheknya—who possessed beauty, courage, a stunning figure, and an impressive background—was considered the dream woman of most men in the military.
Perhaps because of her status and exceptional qualities, no one had ever been worthy of her. That might be why she felt particularly empty, unable to find someone to rely on. On top of that, her father had raised her in a strictly militarized manner since childhood, leaving her with little experience in romantic relationships…
"You can sleep here if you want. Which room do you prefer?" Mavi said nonchalantly. The suite had multiple rooms, so having one more person staying over was no issue for him.
"Which room are you sleeping in?" Sheknya asked, her cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol.
"I'm in the one across the hall," Mavi said, pointing to the right side of the living room.
Before he could even lower his hand, Sheknya suddenly smiled and said, "Then I'll sleep in the one across the hall."
With that, she tilted her head back and downed another full glass of red wine. The way she drank made it clear that she was trying to release long-suppressed emotions.
Mavi looked at this seemingly strong yet emotionally fragile woman and could only shake his head helplessly.
However, what he didn't expect was that as soon as Sheknya finished her drink, she didn't even have time to put the glass down before her head tilted to the side, and she fell asleep on the spot…
Mavi was completely caught off guard by the sight.
Seeing that the Ukrainian female major had already dozed off, he carefully took the wine glass from her hand and carried her to a room.
---
By the time morning arrived and Mavi woke up, Sheknya was already gone.
All that remained was a neatly written note on a white piece of paper:
"Mavi, I'm heading back to Ukraine first. Goodbye."
There were no extra words—just like Sheknya herself. Decisive and efficient.
Mavi stared at the note, lost in thought.
After wrapping up his trip to China, Mavi used a satellite phone to call the Ukrainian Navy.
"Hello, good morning, Admiral Petrovich. I have something I'd like to ask for your help with."
"What is it? Please, go ahead, Mr. Mavi. There's no need for formalities between us," Admiral Petrovich said, delighted to receive Mavi's call.
Indeed, agreeing to cooperate with Mavi had been an extremely wise decision. It hadn't been long, yet he had already found a reliable buyer. His efficiency was truly outstanding.
"It's like this, Admiral Petrovich. I heard that your country has been looking to sell a batch of military weapons. I was wondering if there's an opportunity for me to be introduced to the right people—I might be interested in purchasing some."
The military weapons Mavi was referring to were part of the vast arsenal Ukraine had inherited after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
This included a significant number of strategic missiles, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, long-range missiles, and medium-range missiles. These were not just tactical missiles—they were equipped with nuclear warheads, with a range of over a thousand kilometers.
Beyond the devastating strategic missiles, Ukraine also possessed nuclear-powered submarines, aircraft carriers, several main destroyers, Tu-160 supersonic bombers, Tu-22 supersonic bombers, MiG-29 fighter jets, Su-27 fighter jets, the An-225 super transport aircraft, and much more.
These were assets left behind after the Soviet Union split up. Many nations could research for 10 or even 20 years and still never reach such a level of military capability.
Simply put, whatever weapons and technology Russia had, Ukraine had most of them as well. In fact, many of the critical military production lines were located in Ukraine. Militarily, Ukraine was second only to Russia.
"Mr. Mavi, are you looking to purchase our Ukrainian military weapons? What specifically? It wouldn't happen to be nuclear warheads, would it?" Admiral Petrovich asked over the phone.
(End of Chapter)