Mavi sat inside a Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, looking through the glass at the crowd of tourists gathered inside the terminal, staring at his convoy.
He remembered that in his past life, he had been just like them—standing on the streets, enviously watching the wealthy drive luxury cars and embrace beautiful women.
Now, with his status reversed, Mavi found it hard to adjust. Every morning when he woke up, he needed a moment to process everything, to confirm that this wasn't just a dream.
At the airport in Russia, Mavi had his own private jet and crew. His plane was stationed at a separate terminal, away from the commercial airlines.
As the convoy continued forward, they arrived at a spacious tarmac. Sitting in the back seat, Mavi spotted a sleek, all-white private jet parked nearby.
This aircraft was one of the most luxurious business jets of the year 2000—the Gulfstream G200, a twin-engine turbofan executive jet.
"Young Master, the plane is ready for you. The captain and flight attendants are also in position," his butler, Ivan, said respectfully.
"Mm," Mavi responded, rubbing his temples before stepping out of the car as Ivan held the door open for him.
Previously, when looking at pictures online, Mavi had always thought that private jets were much smaller compared to commercial airliners. But as he stood before the G200, he realized his perception had been wrong.
With a fuselage over 20 meters long and a wingspan of more than 17 meters, the jet made a 5.7-meter-long Tiger armored vehicle look like a child's toy in comparison.
"Good afternoon, Young Master Mavi!"
To the left of the jet's staircase, two stunning Russian flight attendants bowed politely to greet him.
Mavi had personally selected these flight attendants. Their figures and looks were exceptional. Even the captain standing beside them was someone he found visually agreeable.
"Good afternoon, Young Master Mavi," the Caucasian captain said, removing his white cap and giving a respectful salute.
"Mm," Mavi replied indifferently, keeping in line with the original owner's demeanor. This aloofness also conveniently masked his unfamiliarity with flying on a private jet for the first time.
Security checks for private jets were merely a formality, nowhere near as strict as those for commercial flights. Baggage restrictions didn't apply either—after all, the plane was his. He could bring as much as he wanted as long as it fit.
With bodyguards escorting him, Mavi ascended the stairs and boarded the jet.
The interior of the G200 was spacious and luxurious, with custom-designed furnishings that exuded opulence. The high-end leather seats were even more extravagant than first-class airline seats—they were Maybach S-Class aviation seats, handcrafted with impeccable detail, radiating an undeniable aura of wealth.
Mavi chose a seat that he found comfortable. Shortly after, one of the uniformed Russian flight attendants approached with a warm smile, gracefully fastening his seatbelt for him.
About ten minutes later, Mavi felt the G200 begin to taxi slowly.
Private jets shared runways with commercial airlines. Through the cockpit window, Mavi could see a Boeing 747 taking off ahead of them.
Looking at the massive rear of the 747 and its enormous fuselage, Mavi thought to himself that one day, when he had enough money, he would buy an Airbus A380 and convert it into the most luxurious airborne hotel. That would make traveling even more extravagant and stylish.
An A380 cost around $300 million in 2006. Given Mavi's current financial standing, buying one now would nearly deplete his entire fortune.
That meant he needed to work even harder to make money—leveraging his knowledge from being reborn, he had to invest in future high-value companies. That was the only way to afford such luxuries.
Speaking of investments, Mavi had scheduled a meeting with Amazon at its original headquarters building. At this point in time, Amazon hadn't yet built its new $25.3 billion headquarters, making it the perfect opportunity to buy in.
As for the meeting date, Mavi had deliberately chosen March 16th—the fifth day after the dot-com bubble burst. The reason was simple: when the industry was booming, every internet company thought they were invincible.
It was only when they hit a wall that they became more humble…
---
The flight from Moscow to Washington was relatively short. Mavi slept comfortably on the plane, and by the time he woke up, they were approaching Dulles International Airport.
His butler, Ivan, had already arranged for vehicles at the airport and booked a hotel. Everything was set for the negotiation.
On the afternoon of March 16th, at 2:00 PM, outside an unremarkable office building in Washington, a tall, thin, middle-aged Caucasian man in a navy-blue checkered suit stood anxiously as if waiting for someone.
His name was Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. At this moment, he stood at the entrance with several Amazon executives, preparing to greet an incoming investor.
Rumor had it that the investor was from Russia and came from a family in the arms trade.
Moments later, one of the senior executives pointed toward the intersection ahead.
"Boss, I think they're here."
Jeff Bezos looked up and saw three all-black Cadillac sedans approaching from the distance.
About thirty seconds later, the three luxury vehicles pulled up smoothly in front of Bezos and his team. The doors of the front and rear cars opened, and several burly Russian bodyguards stepped out.
Each bodyguard looked imposing, their serious expressions making a businessman like Jeff Bezos instinctively nervous.
Then, the guards moved in unison, forming a neat formation around the middle Cadillac. The car door opened, and a young Caucasian man wearing sunglasses stepped out with an air of authority.
"Hello! Are you Mr. Mavi?" Jeff Bezos asked, forcing a smile as he stepped forward. Even without confirmation, the sheer presence of the arriving entourage made it obvious who the VIP was.
"Hello, Mr. Bezos," Mavi replied calmly.
There was no doubt—his timing for this negotiation had been impeccable. Had he arrived a week earlier, things would have been different. But now, nearly all of Amazon's top executives had come out to greet him personally.