Pudong International Airport, which opened on September 16, 1999, was still in its first phase of construction and did not have a designated area for private jets.
As a result, the convoy the butler had arranged for Mavi couldn't drive directly to the private terminal. Just like his trip to Beijing, the vehicles had to wait outside the main passenger terminal.
Mavi didn't mind. Stretching his legs a bit was no big deal.
As he and his bodyguards prepared to walk through the terminal, a long-haired woman wearing sunglasses emerged from the gate, surrounded by her own bodyguards. She appeared to have arrived on a flight from Hong Kong.
Mavi found her face familiar. She seemed to be a TVB actress from Hong Kong who had starred in several well-known productions. Her stage name was something like Wu Xiya?
When their eyes met, Wu Xiya glanced at him expressionlessly, then turned her head away with an air of superiority, continuing on as if she hadn't noticed him.
Although Wu Xiya wasn't considered a top-tier actress in Hong Kong's entertainment industry—hovering somewhere around the second tier—she certainly acted the part of a diva. She was particular about many things: the reception at the airport had to be grand, with lots of fans and reporters, to maintain the impression that she was a major celebrity on the mainland.
In truth, though, Wu Xiya didn't like the mainland very much. Like some other Hong Kong and Taiwanese celebrities, she often made disparaging comments about mainlanders while eagerly coming to the mainland to cash in.
Mavi recalled reading reports about her in his previous life and knew she was exactly that type of person. But it wasn't his concern—after all, he was a Russian citizen now.
As they walked, almost everyone around them focused their attention on Wu Xiya, discussing her appearance. Some even tried to approach her for an autograph but were coldly turned away by her bodyguards.
Compared to the attention he received during his previous trip to Beijing, Mavi was largely ignored this time. Or rather, Wu Xiya had stolen the spotlight. Not that he cared about such trivial matters.
When Mavi and his bodyguards reached the terminal exit, Wu Xiya, still putting on a grand display, followed closely behind.
"My apologies, young master," the butler said with a hint of remorse. "Due to a sudden change in the flight route, the vehicles have not yet arrived. They're handling it now, but it will take about ten more minutes."
"That's fine," Mavi replied calmly. Inwardly, though, he sighed at not having any property in Shanghai. If he did, he could store a few sports cars in a garage and avoid such inconveniences.
While he was lost in thought, he overheard a woman nearby speaking loudly in a heavy Hong Kong accent to another woman.
"How do you mainlanders manage things? Do you even understand punctuality? The car should have been here by now! What if this delays the schedule? Who will be responsible for the loss?"
The aggressive speaker was Wu Xiya's assistant, and the girl being scolded was the one assigned to pick her up. Although Wu Xiya herself was angry, she left the dirty work to her assistant to maintain her public image.
"I'm so sorry! Really sorry!" the girl apologized profusely, her posture as submissive as could be. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, even though the delay was the driver's fault, not hers.
Mavi heard every word. Normally, this wasn't something he would bother with. But as luck would have it, he actually recognized the girl being berated. In his previous life, they had even shared a meal together, and she had left a good impression on him.
He leaned toward his bodyguard and whispered a few instructions. The bodyguard, accompanied by a translator, immediately walked toward the distressed girl.
At almost the same moment, a bright yellow Ferrari Enzo, leading an entire convoy of supercars, roared up to the terminal entrance.
Vroom!
Vroom!
Right behind the Ferrari Enzo was a silver-gray Porsche Carrera GT—two cars widely regarded as "unbeatable classics." Even billionaires would struggle to acquire them due to their rarity.
Following the Porsche were other legendary cars like the McLaren F1, the Jaguar XJ220, and the Ferrari F50. This extravagant lineup was the pinnacle of automotive luxury in China at the time.
In 2000, many supercar manufacturers had yet to explore the Chinese market, making such vehicles a rare sight.
The sudden appearance of this dazzling convoy stunned everyone at the terminal. Most travelers had never seen a supercar up close, let alone an entire fleet of them.
"Whoa! What kind of cars are those?" a man exclaimed. "BMWs? But the logo doesn't look right. They must be expensive—at least one or two million yuan."
A nearby car enthusiast, barely containing his excitement, corrected him, "One or two million? You're way off! The first one is a Ferrari Enzo! It sells in U.S. dollars, which means it costs over five million yuan. And there isn't even a single one available in China right now—not even for the richest tycoons!"
"And the second one is a Porsche Carrera GT! It's over six million yuan! I can't believe my luck, seeing one here at the airport. I wish I had brought my camera. Ugh, who owns these cars? I'm so jealous!"
Hearing this explanation, many onlookers shook their heads in disbelief. "Six million yuan for a single car? Even winning the lottery wouldn't be enough to buy one! Does it drive on gold or diamonds?"
The murmurs and exclamations didn't escape the ears of Mavi and Wu Xiya. Even Wu Xiya, despite being accustomed to luxury, couldn't help but wonder who could command such an extravagant fleet. None of the wealthy heirs she knew had such a collection.
Noticing the bodyguards emerging from the supercars, Wu Xiya quickly connected the dots. They seemed to be from the same nationality as the ones guarding the young foreigner nearby.
Her heart skipped a beat as she turned her gaze toward Mavi. Sure enough, the spectacular convoy belonged to him, freshly shipped from Russia.
"Young master!"
"Young master Mavi, the vehicles are ready," the line of Russian bodyguards announced in unison, drawing everyone's attention.
Only then did the onlookers realize that the owner of the extraordinary car fleet was none other than the foreigner standing calmly before them.
(End of Chapter)