"Hmm, you've returned from the Presidential Palace?" A deep, aged voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Yes, I'm back," Mavi replied calmly and respectfully.
"Deputy Minister Pavel was the one who received you?" Anatoly asked Mavi directly, clearly already having gathered some information.
"Yes, Lord Anatoly," Mavi responded, unsurprised. In fact, if Anatoly hadn't known anything, that would have been truly odd.
"Hmm, you handled yourself well this time. If you ever run into any difficult situations in the future, feel free to come to me," Anatoly said flatly. His words made it clear that he thought highly of this grandson of his third son.
"I understand, Lord Anatoly," Mavi replied, feeling quite fortunate to have been reborn into such a family. If it had been one of those selfish, backstabbing aristocratic families constantly engaged in internal power struggles, his life would have been much harder. There would always be someone trying to trip him up.
After finishing the call with his esteemed grandfather, Mavi finally relaxed, slumping onto the sofa. He had been under a lot of pressure today and had broken out in a cold sweat more than once. He needed to take care of himself—maybe eat some bear paw…
Oh, wait—ever since his family had gotten a pet polar bear, he had stopped eating bear meat. He couldn't stand the way Winnie, the bear, would look at him afterward with those small, pitiful eyes.
"Ivan, contact Lamborghini and set up a meeting. See when we can arrange a time to talk," Mavi instructed. He was incredibly diligent—he had just returned from the Presidential Palace and was already diving into negotiations to acquire Lamborghini.
Indeed, hard work was ingrained in his blood. Even in a new body, his soul just couldn't rest.
"Young Master, Chrysler has suggested meeting next Tuesday at Lamborghini's headquarters in Italy, if that works for you," the butler reported after receiving a response.
"Next Tuesday? Got it, make the necessary arrangements." At that moment, Mavi was lying on his bed, watching TV. Having traveled back from the future to the year 2000, he found himself quite frustrated with the outdated electronics around him.
Phones—forget about touchscreen displays—weren't even smart yet. LCD TVs had just come out, but their resolution was awful by modern standards.
If he had more funds on hand, he would have loved to pour money into fast-tracking the development of smartphones and Android systems. If he needed LCD display technology, he'd buy out Sony and Sharp. If he needed processors, he'd partner with Intel or AMD to develop them…
"Understood, Young Master, I'll take care of it right away," Ivan said respectfully. His admiration for Mavi was growing. After all, Mavi was one of the few members of the Mikoyan family who had ever been to the Presidential Palace. Even the head of the family had called to check in on him, which spoke volumes about Mavi's rising status.
---
### Tuesday, 10:00 AM – Italy, International Airport
Mavi's Gulfstream G200 private jet landed smoothly on the tarmac.
Meanwhile, outside the airport terminal, five Lamborghini Diablo sports cars were neatly lined up on the driveway, seemingly waiting for someone's arrival.
Fifteen minutes later, a young Russian man in a gray casual suit appeared at the terminal entrance, surrounded by black-suited bodyguards.
Standing beside the Lamborghini Diablo cars was a tall Italian man in a suit and polished leather shoes. He stepped forward and greeted Mavi with a polite smile.
"Hello, are you Mr. Mavi from Russia? I'm Stephan Winkelmann, the CEO of Lamborghini. Welcome to our company!"
The Italian man was quite tall, just slightly shorter than Mavi. He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with neatly combed hair and an imposing presence at first glance.
"Hello, Mr. Stephan." Mavi signaled his bodyguards to make way, then stepped forward to shake hands with Lamborghini's CEO.
Lamborghini had gone all out by dispatching five Diablo sports cars to greet Mavi. The reason? Under Chrysler's ownership, Lamborghini had been struggling badly. There was little funding for research and development, few resources allocated, and a severe lack of capital to create new concept supercars.
Mavi's arrival represented a beacon of hope for Lamborghini—a chance to break free from its struggling parent company and embrace the wealth of a Russian billionaire.
However, despite the impressive sports car lineup, the Diablo—an iconic supercar from 1993—was beginning to show its age by the year 2000.
Many airport passengers only gave the five Lamborghinis a passing glance. None stopped to admire them, let alone take pictures.
Then, out of nowhere, two Ferrari 360 Modena sports cars appeared and gracefully parked in front of the Lamborghini lineup. Their arrival seemed almost intentional—perhaps a subtle attempt to show off or spark a comparison.
With the Ferraris now in view, the attitudes of the passing travelers changed dramatically. Eyes shifted toward the sleek red sports cars, drawing admiration and attention. The contrast in reactions was striking.
Seeing this, Stephan Winkelmann quickly turned to Mavi with an apologetic look.
"Ahem… Mr. Mavi, I apologize for any lack of hospitality. These are the best cars we could arrange for your welcome," Stephan said, his tone bitter.
Lamborghini and Ferrari were both Italian supercar manufacturers, headquartered just 100 kilometers apart. Yet, by this time, Ferrari was still thriving, releasing one legendary car after another.
Meanwhile, Lamborghini was struggling to keep up, falling further behind each year.
Just as Stephan was explaining the situation to Mavi, the doors of the two Ferrari 360 Modenas swung open. Two young Italian playboys stepped out, dressed in flashy, attention-grabbing outfits.
They glanced at Mavi and Stephan with an amused smirk, their expressions practically saying:
"Seriously? You're still driving these outdated cars? What is this, 1990?"
However, just as they were about to revel in their moment of superiority, something happened that wiped the smirks right off their faces.
A sleek, light-gray supercar made entirely of carbon fiber appeared, rolling up with the presence of an F-22 Raptor fighter jet roaring down the runway!
Its aggressive design, razor-sharp lines, and massive air intakes exuded an aura of cutting-edge performance.
The roofline and rear aerodynamic elements resembled the layered flaps of a fighter jet. The rear LED taillights, centrally mounted oversized exhaust, and a massive rear diffuser all hinted at the monstrous power lurking beneath its shell.
The moment this futuristic carbon-fiber supercar appeared, the two Italian playboys went silent. Their jaws dropped as they stared at the vehicle in disbelief.
They had never seen anything like it before.
One thing was certain—their Ferrari 360 Modenas had just been utterly outclassed.
(End of Chapter)