"Oh my god! The fifth prize at the Ma V Group's annual meeting is an 88-day round-the-world trip, and it's even paid leave?! Our company's fifth prize at the annual meeting was a thermos! This difference is so huge, it makes me not even want to go to work next week!" exclaimed one netizen, clearly hit where it hurts and instantly losing all motivation to work.
"Now that's what you call an annual meeting for 'other people's companies'! I totally get it now. All the prizes at our annual meeting combined probably don't even add up to the value of just their fifth prize! I swear this year, I'm going to find a way to get into the Ma V Group, even if it's just an internship, I'd be willing to do odd jobs!" In the eyes of netizens, the Ma V Group could already be considered a dream workplace for employees.
Anyone working in related industries or fields connected to the group would make the Ma V Group their top choice for a job. Unfortunately, due to the intense competition, they only hire elites and even use a performance-based elimination system. To put it simply, they don't keep unproductive people; you can only survive based on your ability.
But even with those strict conditions, there are still countless men and women sending in resumes and job applications every single day. This keeps the HR department endlessly busy with screening and interviewing.
Based on their past experience, in the two months after this year's annual meeting ends, the department will receive a staggering one or two times more resumes than they did in August or September! It's all thanks to the big boss's incredibly attractive annual meeting.
Meanwhile, back with Mavi, after finishing his money-spending spree, he enjoyed a few days of lazy life at home. That's when India called him, complaining bitterly. The reason was those 35 Su-series fighter jets Russia sold to Pakistan last year. They had instantly boosted Pakistan's air force capability by several levels. (The Su-30 is considered a 3.5 generation fighter, but available stock was limited, hence the small number sold).
Because of this, India's supposedly "ace" planes, which they were so proud of, had essentially become useless. Every time they encountered the Pakistani air force in the air, they would be chased and heavily attacked by the enemy. This caused the crash rate of their ace planes to increase even more dramatically! On average, out of ten planes, six would eventually end up crashing to the ground.
"Mr. Mavi! I would like to ask, is it possible for your country to sell us India your fourth-generation fighter jets? We are willing to pay any price! Could you please perhaps try to persuade your country's government? Or maybe help us get an introduction to your country's air force?" the Indian Ministry of Defence representative said to Mavi over the phone, completely out of options.
Before contacting Mavi, they had sounded out the Americans. But ever since the trade incident last time, the Americans simply couldn't be bothered with India. They didn't really need India's money anyway. So, forget about fourth-generation fighters, they wouldn't even sell third or second-generation ones.
After being shut down by the Americans, the Indian Ministry of Defence then approached the French. They wanted to buy their Mirage 2000 fighters at a high price. However, the French were also unwilling to sell. This was specifically because India was just too shrewd, and also very arrogant, claiming to be the third strongest military power in the world. This basically meant they didn't show any regard for the UK or France.
So, after going back and forth, the Indian Ministry of Defence, out of helplessness, could only turn to Mavi, who had sold fighter jets to Pakistan. They hoped to buy higher-performance fourth-generation fighters from him to properly take on Pakistan. If that wasn't possible, a 3.5-generation fighter would also be acceptable.
"Our Russian government will absolutely not sell 4th generation fighters; there's no one you can ask about this that will change anything. It's impossible, even at an astronomical price," Mavi stated bluntly on the phone, refusing the request.
Fourth-generation fighters have extremely high agility, stealth, and short take-off/vertical landing capabilities. Their supersonic cruising ability is something third-generation fighters lack, including multi-target attack capabilities and internal weapons bays. If sold to India, considering the distance from India to Russia, India could completely use the purchased fourth-generation fighters to threaten Russia in return.
Good grief, this isn't just about money anymore!
Hearing Mavi's decisive refusal on the phone, the Indian representative actually knew that their desire to buy 4th generation fighters was wishful thinking. So, their real target was actually set on Russia's 3.5 generation fighter, the MiG-33!
"Then, Mr. Mavi, is it convenient for your country's air force to sell the MiG-33 fighter jet? I heard it seems to have been put back into mass production?" the Indian Ministry of Defence representative asked Mavi on the phone.
Speaking of the MiG-33 fighter jet, it was intended as a replacement for the MiG-29. The first prototype flew on April 25, 1986. In 1991 and again in 1995, there were plans to put it into mass production as Russia's first standard multi-role fighter, but both failed due to financial difficulties.
It wasn't until Mavi intervened and allocated a sum of money to the Mikoyan family that they were able to mass-produce this transitional model between third and fourth-generation aircraft, also commonly known as 3.5 generation.
The MiG-33 is a multi-role fighter. Originally, due to the Soviet Union's backward electronic technology, it was impossible to install enough combat equipment on a single-engine light fighter to achieve the beyond-visual-range combat and multi-role capabilities required for modern warfare.
However, this technical challenge was perfectly overcome by the design bureau. This allowed this airborne eagle, which had previously been shelved, to see the light of day again.
Hearing the Indians ask about the MiG-33, Mavi understood their real intention. So, he simply and directly told the Indian representative, "Our Russian government hasn't decided yet whether to include the MiG-33 fighter jet on the list for trade. After all, its performance is second only to 4th generation fighters. So, even if it were traded, I'm afraid the price would be very expensive. And there would also be a minimum quantity requirement."
Mavi played the part of the cunning businessman, listing the fighter jet that could potentially be traded as 'pending transaction' military equipment. This way, the price would naturally increase. He wasn't afraid that the Indians would buy it; he was afraid they couldn't afford it.
"Based on your estimate, Mr. Mavi, roughly how much would one aircraft cost? We are sincerely looking to purchase," the Indian representative asked, catching the hint in Mavi's words. Their air force desperately needed high-performance 3.5 generation fighters to counter Pakistan's Su-27s, MiG-29s, and their limited number of Su-30s.
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"Regarding the price and the transaction, that's not something I can decide. So, I still need to ask the Air Force headquarters about their stance," Mavi deliberately kept them in suspense, not revealing the price.
Currently, the Russian side holds all the advantages. If he delays them for three, five, or even ten days, the Indians will be incredibly anxious. When that time comes, he can simply inflate the price, and they're guaranteed to make a killing. This is the so-called "hunger marketing"... It's all because the Indians have no other choice; the planes they build themselves are simply too poor.
(End of this chapter)