After a week-long renegotiation, the Japanese government ultimately decided to release the 18 Russian citizens they had detained—who happened to be Mavi's bodyguards.
As for the footage recorded by the anti-explosion film crew, which captured the surface-to-air missile striking the Gulfstream G200 private jet, it was returned to Mavi intact.
To compensate his subordinates for their ordeal, Mavi rewarded each of them with triple their regular salary and granted them time off. However, the bodyguards only accepted the vacation and declined the extra pay.
In their words:
"Honestly, our time in the Japanese prison wasn't bad at all. We had food, drinks, and didn't have to worry about our safety. (Let's be real—working for Mavi, who's always dealing with arms, is way riskier than staying in a Japanese jail.) So, taking that much money would feel wrong..."
Hearing this, Mavi couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. These Russian bodyguards might be prone to mistakes and not the sharpest tools in the shed, but their loyalty was unmatched.
After resolving the Russia-Japan tensions, Mavi handed the recovered footage over to his post-production team, instructing them to edit it into a promotional trailer for Counter-Strike: PUBG.
Due to the large-scale military standoff between Russia and Japan, not only were CS enthusiasts worldwide eagerly anticipating this trailer, but even military enthusiasts—many of whom weren't even gamers—were waiting for its release.
After all, one of the catalysts for this "Clash of the Century" was Ma V Group's film crew being ambushed by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force while recording footage for Counter-Strike: PUBG.
"Chairman Mavi, the promotional video you requested is now complete! We've sent it to your personal email—please check it."
Mavi's post-production team was the same one he had acquired when investing in the filming of Spider-Man 1. Their expertise was unquestionable—the global box office success of Spider-Man 1 was proof enough. And with Spider-Man 2 set to premiere worldwide in early 2002, expectations were already sky-high.
"Got it," Mavi replied as he opened his laptop and checked his inbox for the promotional video.
He had to admit—the post-production work was top-notch. The moment the SAM-20 surface-to-air missile struck the Gulfstream G200, the explosion was breathtaking and overwhelming. Even through a screen, the sheer force of the blast was palpable.
No CGI could replicate the realism of such an explosion.
Mavi logged into his Ma V video account. After over a year of operation, his follower count had reached a staggering 890,000—just 110,000 shy of the coveted one-million milestone!
In 2001, such numbers were enough to make anyone envious. Many wealthy copycats tried to emulate his success, but even with their best efforts, most barely reached 100,000 followers. Meanwhile, Mavi's numbers kept growing effortlessly, earning him the title of "Internet's First Superstar" among American netizens.
Upon logging in, he noticed his inbox was flooded with +9999 unread messages.
Scrolling through a couple of pages, he saw countless comments from fans:
"Bro, when's the next video? We've been waiting forever!"
"Boss, please come back! No one else's content even comes close—I only look forward to yours!"
Beyond the eager fans, there were also enthusiastic female followers who had sent him bikini videos, lingerie clips, and flirtatious messages—complete with red lip emojis and winks.
The implication was clear: if he was interested, they were more than willing to take things further. After all, Westerners were known for their openness in such matters... and everyone knew where that could lead.
After skimming through the messages, Mavi simply chuckled and shook his head. The world was full of temptations, and being an internet celebrity wasn't as easy as it seemed.
He promptly uploaded the video. Within 30 seconds, the jaw-dropping footage of the SAM-20 missile obliterating the Gulfstream G200 appeared on Ma V's homepage for the world to see.
At the same time, all 890,000 of his followers received a push notification:
"Ma V has just uploaded a new video! Click here to watch now!"
Ma V's platform averaged 150,000 daily visits. Within two minutes, the video had already attracted 36,000 viewers.
In the intro, Mavi—wearing his signature spiral mask—briefly addressed his audience:
"Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in uploads. I've been tied up with some things recently. What you're about to watch was filmed in Japanese waters, and let's just say... not everything went smoothly. But it's all been taken care of now. No more talking—enjoy the video."
The screen then transitioned to a breathtaking shot of a Gulfstream G200 soaring through the blue sky. Moments later, two SAM-20 surface-to-air missiles launched from a Russian ground-based missile launcher, streaking toward the jet at breakneck speed.
Within seconds—BOOM!
The $9 million private jet exploded mid-air.
The thunderous blast sent shockwaves rippling across the sky, shaking the camera violently. For viewers watching on their screens, the scene felt incredibly immersive—almost as if they were witnessing the destruction firsthand.
As the wreckage plummeted into the ocean, many viewers replayed the video four or five times, still not getting enough of the sheer spectacle.
At the very end of the video, a link appeared, directing viewers to the official Counter-Strike: PUBG website along with a brief game introduction.
For those who had been following the Russia-Japan naval conflict, the implications were immediately clear—this video was far from ordinary!
Tying it back to Ma V's cryptic remark about "some unpleasant events", viewers quickly pieced together that this footage was one of the key triggers behind the Russia-Japan military standoff!
"OH. MY. GOD! Did I just see what I think I saw?! Counter-Strike: PUBG!? Isn't this the game that triggered the Russia-Japan naval standoff!?" a shocked viewer commented.
Unfortunately for him, he wasn't the first to make the connection—over a hundred comments had already pointed it out:
"HOLY SHT! This game is about to BLOW UP! Not only is the promo insane, but..."
(End of Chapter)