"The Russian Army Colonel, looking stern, said this." He then pointed to the Hongqi HQE bulletproof car behind him, signaling for Stephen Chow to ride in that vehicle alone.
Hearing that the Russian soldiers, standing at attention and looking ready for anything, were actually sent by none other than Mr. Mavi to welcome them, Stephen Chow and the Xinghui Company employees standing there instantly showed even more obvious expressions of shock than before!
"What? These Russian soldiers were sent by Mr. Mavi? Just who is he? He can actually mobilize the Russian military..." a male senior executive from Xinghui Company exclaimed, dumbfounded, in the crowd.
"No wonder that Hongqi HQE bulletproof car is here; it seems the chairman of that Marvel company is a really big deal! A Russian guy can actually get his hands on a limited edition Hongqi HQE, one of only 5!" the male employee who knew a lot about cars said with a hint of realization.
In everyone's eyes, they had originally just thought of the Marvel Studios chairman as simply a big shot who invested in and filmed movies (information was relatively limited back in 2001). But they never expected him to have such deep connections in Russia! Even the military was giving him face by sending people to greet them.
And the key point wasn't even that they were greeting Mavi himself, but his guests from Hong Kong... This completely changed the nature of things.
"Sent by Mr. Mavi?" Stephen Chow looked a bit stunned at the luxury Hongqi car and the Russian soldiers in front of him.
Although he hadn't met this "legendary" Mr. Mavi yet, just based on the power he was displaying, Stephen Chow had to take this business visit much more seriously.
In fact, from a certain perspective, this couldn't even be considered a regular business visit anymore, but rather a higher-level negotiation and visit with an air of honor.
With Mavi providing such a high-profile reception, the first thing the Xinghui Company executives did wasn't getting into the cars. Instead, they quickly had their subordinates take out cameras to take photos with their boss in front of the motorcade. The background of the photos, of course, was Moscow International Airport.
This photo was later widely reported by journalists and the media. It also became a widely circulated story online, turning into a popular anecdote.
The general gist of it was that when Stephen Chow was in Moscow back then, he received a grand reception from a certain Russian magnate, who sent the only 5 Hongqi HQE bulletproof cars in the country, plus a Kombat T98 armored vehicle, making for an incredibly luxurious lineup. It truly brought honor to the Chinese people... It was rumored that the Russian magnate was the chairman of the Ma V Group, currently Russia's most formidable arms dealer and an oil tycoon...
This report was all later news, of course. However, the influence and sensation it caused were significant. Especially in the Hong Kong area, many celebrity friends called Stephen Chow after seeing the reports, wanting to know exactly what happened.
...
The Hongqi motorcade, escorted by the Russian Army, set off grandly from the airport and headed towards the filming location arranged by Mavi.
There, Mavi would be filming promotional trailers for the three movies: X-Men, X2, and X-Men: The Last Stand. As for the filming style, it definitely wouldn't be the traditional methods that Stephen Chow and the Xinghui Company employees were familiar with. Instead, it would be a Russian style – rugged and artistic.
It's believed that when everyone sees it, they'll be so surprised their eyes will literally pop out.
Besides inviting Stephen Chow and the others to the filming location, Mavi had also invited the lead actor of X-Men, Hugh Jackman, whom netizens affectionately call "Uncle Wolf." He was there to participate in the filming of the X-Men trailer.
At this time, Uncle Wolf had just started out, having only appeared in one TV series and one American musical. He hadn't touched movies at all. So when Mavi offered a sky-high contract to sign him as a Marvel Studios artist and cast him as Wolverine, Uncle Wolf found it completely unbelievable. He was so excited he couldn't sleep properly for several days...
An hour later, when Stephen Chow and his company employees arrived at the filming location arranged by Mavi in their luxury cars, they saw four or five American M1A1 main battle tanks already parked on the massive concrete platform!
Speaking of the M1A1 main battle tank, it ranks among the top five tanks in the world. Especially its performance during the Gulf War, to be honest, completely surpassed Russia's T-72 main battle tank. This is also why the Vietnamese army back then specifically wanted to buy the Russian army's earlier model T-55 tanks instead of the T-72s.
Seeing these tanks on the platform, Stephen Chow and his company employees were all momentarily stunned.
Everyone got out of the cars with bewildered expressions, completely clueless about what Marvel Company's chairman, Mavi, was planning...
"Mr. Chow, what is Mr. Mavi doing with so many tanks at the filming location? They look like real ones, don't they?" a male senior executive from Xinghui Company asked Stephen Chow hesitantly.
Tank battles in movies are usually made using simulated models. But the five M1A1 main battle tanks parked in front of everyone right now were clearly real tanks that could go into battle. This was just baffling.
However, just as the male executive was asking this, the car picking up Uncle Wolf also arrived at the platform. Then, out of the car stepped a man with a sturdy build, a peculiar hairstyle, and three silver claws extending from his hands...
This "bizarre" sight made the Xinghui Company group involuntarily take a step back, keeping their distance from the fierce-looking Uncle Wolf.
Almost at that exact moment, a pure black Rolls-Royce Phantom presidential-level bulletproof car slowly drove in through the main gate. A pair of Russian bodyguards quickly stepped forward and opened the car door. Then, a Russian young man wearing a black T-shirt stepped out of the car with a very cool demeanor.
Looking at his calm composure, it was likely the chairman of Marvel Studios, Mr. Mavi.
"Boss."
"Boss Mavi." The bodyguards respectfully greeted Mavi.
"Mm." Mavi nodded casually, then he saw the two familiar faces from his previous life: the King of Comedy, Stephen Chow, and Uncle Wolf, who played Wolverine.
Seeing the stars he only knew from the screen meet in reality gave Mavi an indescribable sense of familiarity. Especially since he grew up watching Stephen Chow's movies, it suddenly gave Mavi a feeling as if he had stepped into a different era.
"Hello! Chairman Mavi! We are Xinghui Film Company from Hong Kong. This is our Mr. Stephen Chow, Chairman Chow." A male senior executive stepped forward and introduced them in English.
Those familiar with Stephen Chow knew that he was relatively introverted and tended to keep a certain distance from people he met for the first time.
In contrast, Uncle Wolf on the side was completely relaxed and open. He was seen smiling and stepping forward, wanting to shake hands with Mavi. But wait! The steel claws attached to his knuckles clearly wouldn't allow him to do that. Because if he shook hands, the claws could easily stab the person in front of him...
(End of this chapter)