After lounging around at home for a while, Mavi turned on his computer to check online discussions about the highly anticipated release of Spider-Man 1.
Mavi, well-versed in the art of promotion, had done an outstanding job of building up anticipation before the movie's release. Online excitement for the film had reached a rating of 9.0. Now, all that was left was to wait for its global premiere next Tuesday!
> "It's finally about to be released! I'm so excited—I'm planning to stay up all night with my friends to watch the premiere!"
>
> "Spider-Man 1's trailers look amazing! The plot and special effects seem great too. This should be worth the ticket price!"
As Mavi scrolled through the online comments, he noticed that many Marvel fans were extremely excited about the movie. A lot of people were planning to pull an all-nighter just to catch the midnight screening.
As an investor in the film, Mavi had already seen it in his past life and knew the plot inside and out. After all, in this life, he had personally hired someone to write the script.
However, next Tuesday and Wednesday, his focus would shift to tracking Spider-Man 1's global box office performance. The success of this film would directly impact Marvel Comics' stock price and merchandise sales.
In short, failure was not an option—only success would do.
Just as Mavi was relaxing at home and browsing online comments, an unexpected phone call came from Ukraine.
"Hello, Mavi? Do you have time next Tuesday? I'm coming to Russia to visit you! I heard Spider-Man 1 is about to be released!"
The caller was Leoxia, the daughter of Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister. Mavi had thought that the things he overheard at her house were just casual talk, but to his surprise, Leoxia was really coming to Russia to see him. Was she determined not to let him off the hook?
"I think I might be busy that day," Mavi responded evasively.
But Leoxia immediately saw through him and playfully called him out. "Mavi, you're lying! My mom said you just finished hosting some guests from China, so you shouldn't have anything important to do in the short term."
Dealing with the daughter of a Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister was certainly different from dealing with an ordinary person—she had his schedule down to a T.
"Alright, fine, come if you want," Mavi finally gave in. It felt ridiculous to keep refusing—anyone else would be overjoyed if a beautiful girl was flying over just to see them. He really didn't know how lucky he was…
"Great! See you then!" Leoxia cheered over the phone.
Last time, Mavi had managed to slip away from her. But this time, the little troublemaker had come well-prepared—she was eagerly looking forward to their meeting next Tuesday.
---
Time flew by, and soon it was the premiere day of Spider-Man 1.
If there were two words to describe the movie's popularity, they would be: absolute blockbuster!
Not only was the midnight premiere completely sold out, but morning, afternoon, and even screenings for the next few days were all booked solid.
In Moscow, Russia, Mavi had already acquired several movie theaters as part of his entertainment empire. So, while everyone else was scrambling to get tickets, he had no problem reserving an entire theater for himself.
At 1:10 PM, Leoxia, accompanied by her Ukrainian bodyguards, arrived safely at Moscow International Airport on a private jet.
As the "host" in Russia, Mavi naturally had to go pick her up—he didn't want to risk her running back to her mother, Deputy Prime Minister Snezhnana, and complaining about him. That wouldn't be good…
"Mavi!"
As soon as she got off the plane, Leoxia ran straight toward him, bouncing with every step. The way her curves moved made Mavi quickly avert his gaze—he didn't want to be mistaken for a pervert…
However, just as he turned his head slightly, Leoxia suddenly lunged forward and hugged him tightly. Even without looking, Mavi could feel just how… overwhelming the embrace was.
Today, Leoxia was wearing a black pleated skirt with black stockings, paired with a light green fitted sweater and a white down jacket. Ukrainian girls really weren't afraid of the cold—spring hadn't even arrived yet, and she was already wearing a skirt.
Was this what people meant by "beauty at the cost of warmth"?
"Ahem! Public place—no hugging! You're the Deputy Prime Minister's daughter, you need to be mindful of your image," Mavi said, gently pushing her away.
But before he could apply any real force, Leoxia pressed her cheek against his chest and whined, "No~!"
She was as clingy as Mavi's pet polar bear, Winnie…
"If you don't listen, I won't take you to the movie. I'll send you straight back on a plane," Mavi threatened. Having lived two lifetimes, he knew how to deal with mischievous girls.
Hearing that she might be sent back, Leoxia immediately let go and gave him a pitiful glance.
> "Mavi, I flew all the way here just to see you, and this is how you treat me…" she said with an expression so convincing that Mavi almost fell for it.
"Alright, enough acting. If you keep this up, you might as well audition for the female lead in Spider-Man 2!" Mavi said bluntly, remembering how crafty she was last time.
Seeing that her "performance" had been exposed, Leoxia pouted and crossed her arms. "Hmph! Bullying a young, innocent girl like me… so unfair!"
Dealing with this four-dimensional Ukrainian girl was truly exhausting. Not only did she have the beauty of a comic book heroine, but her jaw-dropping figure made other women feel insecure just looking at her…
"Alright, get in the car. I won't tease you anymore," Mavi said, signaling his bodyguards to open the door of his armored Mercedes. He then ushered Leoxia inside.
As the car drove toward their private theater, Leoxia suddenly leaned in close and whispered into Mavi's ear, "Mavi, I have a little secret to tell you… actually, I turned 18 two weeks ago."
Mavi looked at the Ukrainian girl in front of him, completely clueless about what was going on in her mind.
By now, they had entered the darkened theater. Other than the dim lighting, there was not a single person around—it was completely empty. They could do whatever they wanted, and no one would interfere…
"So? You're 18 now. And?" Mavi asked, still unsure of what she was getting at. He had a feeling she was planning something.
"Well… how about we play a game, Mavi?" Leoxia said mischievously.
She unzipped her backpack and pulled out a pair of toy handcuffs—the kind you could buy at any convenience store.
---
(End of Chapter)