A week later, the Royal Malaysian Air Force responded, expressing interest in visiting Russia for a tour and discussions regarding a fighter jet purchase.
Upon receiving the news, Mavi immediately arranged for someone to contact the 1564th Russian Air Force Base—the same base where he had previously filmed The Avengers trailer and had them blow up an airstrip for him.
Understanding the power of mutual interests, Mavi would never monopolize opportunities for himself, especially when dealing with the military. Keeping everything to himself would only lead to destruction.
Just like his cooperation with the Russian Navy, he planned to act as a mediator between the two air forces and profit from the deal. Making money from selling fighter jets was secondary; building strong connections with the military was his real goal. That way, he could secure a powerful backing.
While coordinating with the Russian Air Force, Mavi also scheduled a meeting that afternoon with a Hollywood film producer and director from the United States.
Unlike before, when his status was lower and he had to travel all the way to the U.S., this time, he simply waited in Russia while they came to him.
Even the reception didn't need to be extravagant—a couple of BMWs or Mercedes would suffice. After all, countless film companies were eager to collaborate with Marvel, not just Disney. Almost all of Hollywood's "Big Eight" studios wanted a piece of the pie.
"Young Master, the American producer and director have landed. They should arrive in about forty-five minutes," Mavi's personal bodyguard reported after receiving an update from the team.
"Got it," Mavi replied casually.
At that moment, he was bottle-feeding a baby tiger. Nearby, Winnie, his little polar bear, pawed anxiously at him, clearly wanting some milk too.
"Don't rush, it'll be your turn soon, you little glutton!" Mavi chuckled, playfully tapping Winnie's nose. The ticklish bear sneezed immediately.
Forty minutes later, two black Mercedes-Benz sedans pulled up in front of Mavi's luxurious mansion. The car doors opened, and two American men in their forties stepped out.
One of them, dressed in a khaki suit, was the renowned Hollywood producer Joe Elvo. He was a major driving force behind Hollywood's blockbuster era, with notable productions including Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and The Matrix. He was, without a doubt, a gold-standard producer.
Walking beside him was Sam, director of the Evil Dead series. Compared to Joe Elvo, Sam's status in the film industry was much lower. He wasn't sure why Marvel had reached out to him, but he saw this as a golden opportunity—one he was determined to seize.
"Mr. Elvo, Mr. Sam, please follow me. The young master is resting upstairs and will be down shortly," said Ivan, the butler, as he greeted the two American guests.
He led them into the lavishly decorated living room and instructed the servants to serve them black tea.
"Thank you!" Joe Elvo and Sam expressed their gratitude.
It was their first time visiting a Russian tycoon's residence. Joe Elvo, being perceptive, immediately noticed the mansion's opulent interior—the expensive paintings on the walls, the exquisite chandeliers on the ceiling. Every detail screamed wealth and status.
Feeling slightly uneasy, the two men sat in the living room, waiting for Mavi to appear.
About five minutes later, a young Russian man in a black shirt descended the grand staircase.
He looked astonishingly young. If not for the uniformed servants standing attentively around him, Joe Elvo and Sam would have never guessed that this young Russian was actually the chairman of Marvel Studios—Mavi!
"Hello, Chairman Mavi! It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Joe Elvo, a Hollywood producer," Elvo said, immediately standing up with a smile to shake Mavi's hand.
"Hello, Mr. Mavi, I'm Sam..." The director, slightly nervous, stammered as he introduced himself. Compared to Mavi, a billionaire and a major player in the film industry, he was just a small-time director.
"Please, have a seat," Mavi said calmly.
Though young, his experience dealing with various military officials had given him a commanding presence that demanded respect.
"Thank you, Mr. Mavi."
"Chairman Mavi," Elvo started after settling back into his seat, "I heard from your staff that you're planning to officially start filming Marvel movies. May I ask how much you intend to invest in the project? And which Marvel hero will be the first to hit the big screen?"
As he was speaking, he suddenly caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye—a small, furry creature with tiger stripes darting down the stairs.
Chasing right behind it was a pure white polar bear, clearly engaged in playful mischief.
"A... tiger? And a polar bear?!"
Joe Elvo was stunned. While it wasn't unheard of for Americans to keep tigers as pets, a pet polar bear? That was practically unheard of.
Mavi also noticed the two troublemakers causing chaos in the house. He shot a glance at a nearby servant, signaling them to stop the animals before they wrecked the place.
The servant quickly rushed after Winnie and the baby tiger.
Clearing his throat, Mavi returned his attention to the guests. "Ahem. As for the Marvel movies, we'll start with Spider-Man. Given the current state of special effects, making Iron Man or The Avengers would still be too challenging."
"And regarding the budget... well, this is Marvel's first attempt at a major film, so we won't invest too much. Let's start with $200 million."
As soon as Mavi casually dropped that number, Joe Elvo and Sam were momentarily speechless, unable to process what they had just heard.
"Wait... didn't you just say you wouldn't invest much?!" Joe Elvo was stunned.
Back when he produced The Matrix, Warner Bros. had only given him a budget of $63 million. Compared to Mavi's proposed $200 million, that amount was peanuts.
"Uh... Chairman Mavi, can I confirm something?" Joe Elvo asked hesitantly. "When you said '200 million'... did you mean U.S. dollars? Or... um... rubles?"
If Mavi had meant rubles, then that would only be about $2 million USD…
(End of Chapter)