"Anyone capable of pulling off such an extravagant setup must have deep connections with the Russian government and military, right?!"
...
Compared to everyone else's shock, Boss Ma himself was equally astonished. Before coming to Russia, he had mentally prepared himself, knowing that this annual conference would be on a grand scale.
However, what he never could have imagined was just how astonishingly extravagant Mavi had made this event! Even the Russian police and military were involved! How much influence did this guy have?!
What Boss Ma and the others didn't know was that Mavi had never requested military involvement—he hadn't even mentioned it.
It was entirely the Russian government's enthusiastic response, wanting to express gratitude for his assistance in helping their brother nation, Ukraine, through the nuclear decommissioning crisis.
Claiming it was for Mavi's personal security and to protect foreign guests from any violent attacks, they arranged this grand display. Otherwise, according to Mavi's original plan, simply hiring two security teams to pick up guests at the airport would have sufficed.
And it wasn't just Boss Ma and his Chinese delegation receiving such high-level hospitality. The teams from Google, VK, Blizzard Entertainment, Marvel Comics, and other American companies were all warmly welcomed by the Russian military.
Everyone involved was completely overwhelmed, caught between excitement and intimidation! The sheer scale of this event was enough to make anyone break out in a cold sweat…
This massive corporate annual conference was unlike anything Mavi had ever experienced before. Nervous? Not really. After all, ever since his rebirth, he had weathered many storms, even clashing with the European Union twice. Over time, he had developed an unshakable composure.
At 8 PM, hundreds of guests gathered at the most luxurious five-star hotel in Sochi. As the host of this grand celebration, Mavi stepped onto the stage in the hotel's banquet hall, dressed in an impeccably tailored top-tier suit.
From the audience, hundreds of company executives, presidents, and employees all turned their eyes toward him in unison. From their expressions alone, it was clear—they not only respected him but even admired him.
Whether it was Google, once an unknown small company, or Blizzard Entertainment, which had suffered under its previous owner's exploitation, both had risen rapidly after encountering Mavi.
Although Mavi had simply taken inspiration from others, for this timeline's Google, Blizzard, Alibaba, and Marvel Comics, his influence was undeniable—his contributions were real and massive.
Under the spotlight, Mavi walked steadily to the front of the stage. Gazing at the hundreds of business elites seated before him, he lightly cleared his throat before speaking in a calm tone.
"Thank you all for traveling from far and wide to Sochi, this beautiful coastal city of eternal spring, to attend the annual conference of Ma V Group!"
As soon as his words fell, the room erupted in enthusiastic applause.
Boss Ma from Alibaba also clapped warmly. He had been invited to sit at the main table, surrounded by industry giants.
Among them were Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos, as well as Google's co-founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Chatting with such pioneers of the internet industry was a valuable learning experience for Boss Ma, and he was genuinely grateful for Mavi's thoughtful arrangements.
Once the applause subsided, Mavi, still smiling, continued, "I'm not one for long speeches—eloquence isn't my strong suit. So let's get straight to the point.
This year's annual conference will feature six prize draws: Fifth Prize, Fourth Prize, Third Prize, Second Prize, First Prize, and the Grand Prize."
As soon as Mavi skipped straight to the lottery segment, the employees in the audience immediately perked up, their anticipation soaring. They were eager to see what kind of prizes the chairman had prepared.
At that moment, several Russian bodyguards wheeled out carts covered with black cloth onto the stage. Clearly, whatever was beneath the covers was related to the prize draw.
Just as the hundreds of employees were curiously speculating, Mavi didn't keep them waiting. In his usual composed manner, he announced,
"The Fifth Prize will be awarded to 15 winners. The prize is nothing too extravagant—just a small cash bonus of $300,000 per person."
The moment Mavi finished speaking, the Russian bodyguards swiftly unveiled the first cart, revealing a mountain-like pile of $4.5 million in cash!
For a few seconds, the entire audience was frozen in shock.
"$4.5 million?! And he calls this a 'small' prize… $300,000 per person—that's almost three years of my salary! Our chairman is on another level!" exclaimed a Google software engineer, completely stunned by the Fifth Prize.
"$4.5 million?! And this is only the Fifth Prize? What kind of insane rewards are waiting for the First and Second Prizes?!"
As realization sank in, more and more employees gasped in disbelief. Compared to other companies' annual conference prizes, Mavi's generosity was simply unmatched.
Fifteen winners, each receiving $300,000, totaling $4.5 million—equivalent to 36 million Chinese yuan. And Mavi had the audacity to call this a "small" prize? It was downright terrifying!
The eighteen co-founders of Alibaba were at a loss for words, overwhelmed by Mavi's sheer extravagance…
And this was just the Fifth Prize. The murmurs of discussion swept through the audience. If this was just the beginning, what kind of explosive reactions would follow once he announced the First and Grand Prizes?
"Ahem! That was the Fifth Prize. Now, for the Fourth Prize, which will be awarded to 10 winners. The prize is also fairly ordinary—each winner will receive a gold bar worth $500,000."
As soon as Mavi finished speaking, the bodyguards quickly unveiled the second cart, revealing a dazzling pile of gold bars stacked neatly on top of each other. The brilliant golden glow was so overwhelming that many people felt as if they were about to faint from excitement.
"Holy crap! A whole cart of gold bars! This is insane!"
"How does this look ordinary at all?! Maybe we're just too simple-minded, but this is the most tempting thing I've ever seen!"
"My god… This is the most beautiful sight I've ever witnessed. I'll never forget this moment!"
...
First, a mountain of $4.5 million in cash. Then, a cart filled with gold bars worth $5 million. And this was just the Fourth and Fifth Prizes! Even some of the company's top executives couldn't help but feel a little tempted.
Mavi had no qualms about spending lavishly on the annual conference.
For one, his companies had made him a fortune this year.
And two, with the immense growth potential of these businesses, it wouldn't take long before he earned back every penny he was spending tonight.
(End of Chapter)