Chapter 85: Solar Car
Finding vehicles that the miniatures could use was incredibly difficult.
Toy cars all shared one fundamental flaw: they required remote control.
They weren't designed to be operated from inside the vehicle.
And why would they be? Who would ever think of such a design?
Li Daoxuan had already experimented with remote-controlled cars and drones. If he operated them, they couldn't drive beyond his field of vision; they'd simply collide with the diorama box's glass walls.
Evidently, the box's "anti-exploit mechanism" was preventing him from extending his influence beyond his field of vision. Otherwise, if he mounted a camera on a remote-controlled tank and steered it out of sight, he could effectively conquer the entire world.
Therefore, he needed to find vehicles that the miniatures could drive themselves.
This was no ordinary challenge; in fact, it seemed utterly impossible to find such a thing.
He scoured every shopping website, yet still came up empty-handed.
This tiny car was 3 centimeters long, 2.5 centimeters wide, and weighed only 4 grams.
It ran on solar power. When sunlight hit it, it would automatically move forward, its performance improving with stronger light. Without sunlight, it would stop instantly, unmoving.
A lightbulb seemed to snap on above Li Daoxuan's head. This little car had immense potential for control.
He quickly placed an order, then messaged the shop owner privately: "I want this car. I'll pay extra for SF Express expedited delivery. I need it in my hands as soon as possible."
The shop owner replied: "Dear customer! With extra payment, nothing is impossible! Just wait, SF Express is already on its way."
True to their word, it arrived by evening.
Around three in the afternoon, the Solar Car arrived.
Li Daoxuan took it out of the package and walked into the sunlight. The moment he placed it on the ground, it zoomed forward. When he covered the light, it immediately became sluggish, unable to move.
Seeing such a miraculously cool little toy, Li Daoxuan's mind buzzed with inspiration. Sparks of genius were flying so fast they threatened to ignite a wildfire.
He quickly hailed a taxi and rushed towards Cai Xinzhi's model shop.
Arriving at the shop, Cai Xinzhi was lounging, his feet propped up, grinning behind the counter. His model shop's business hadn't really picked up, but lately, he had helped Li Daoxuan resell a couple of one-millimeter-tall Venerable Sovereign figurines, each deal netting him over a hundred thousand and covering two years' worth of shop rent. Now he felt utterly relaxed.
Seeing Li Daoxuan enter the shop, Cai Xinzhi leaped to his feet. "Haha, Daoxuan, what brings you here? Are you here to pick out a model? Just take whatever you like, anything that catches your eye."
Li Daoxuan said, "I'm here to ask for your help. I need to modify a small toy."
"Modify?" Cai Xinzhi asked, greatly surprised.
Li Daoxuan extended his hand and opened his palm. The Solar Car, immediately sensing the "light," shot forward, almost escaping his grasp. Startled, Li Daoxuan quickly closed his hand, trapping it tight.
Cai Xinzhi recognized it at a glance. "A three-centimeter-long Solar Car? What's the point of modifying something like that?"
Li Daoxuan replied, "I want to add a steering wheel to control its direction, and also a brake and accelerator system."
"Pfft!"
Cai Xinzhi spat out a mouthful of Quick Nutrition drink, spraying it a meter away.
Li Daoxuan narrowly avoided being hit. Fortunately, being young and quick-witted, he dodged it with a sidestep. The drink splattered onto the model rack behind him, staining a Freedom Gundam.
Cai Xinzhi pointed at the models in his shop. "Take whatever you want, just take it and go. Don't bother me with any more ridiculous modification requests; I truly cannot do it."
Li Daoxuan asked, "What's wrong? Are my requests that difficult?"
Cai Xinzhi exclaimed, "It's a three-centimeter car! Steering is one thing; that's easy. I can add a handlebar-like mechanism to the front, similar to a walking tractor, and a small device can guide the wheels to turn. But an accelerator and brake *system*? What on earth is that? Just stab me to death with a thousand knives!"
Li Daoxuan countered, "And you call yourself a model maker? You're completely devoid of imagination! Tell me, what powers this car?"
Cai Xinzhi replied, "Solar power, of course."
Li Daoxuan pressed, "If you block the sun, can it still run?"
Cai Xinzhi exclaimed, "No!"
Li Daoxuan grinned, "Then there's your brake, isn't there? Just blocking the sun *is* the brake."
Those words sparked a lightbulb moment for Cai Xinzhi. "Holy cow, Daoxuan, you're a genius now! Your words have enlightened me. The brake doesn't need to be a caliper system. Instead, a shade that blocks the solar panel will do. Activate the brake mechanism, and the shade slides over to cover the solar panel."
Li Daoxuan affirmed, "Exactly! The accelerator works the same way. Flip the accelerator switch, and the shade slides open—simple as that."
Cai Xinzhi laughed, "Here I am, a model maker, and I'm being taught by you! Your brain's really working now, kid."
Li Daoxuan chuckled, "Hehehe, now you know what a genius looks like, right? Hurry up and help your genius brother out."
Cai Xinzhi remarked, "You didn't call yourself the client this time."
Li Daoxuan replied, "I don't want the dragon-slaying youth to eventually become a dragon himself."
That night, Cai Xinzhi stayed up late to work. Li Daoxuan had helped him earn a considerable amount of money, and he felt a deep sense of gratitude towards his old friend, having been looking for a way to repay him. So, of course, he put his full effort into the task.
First, he crafted a V-shaped handlebar for the car, resembling that of a walking tractor, to control its steering. Next, he made a sunshade as thin as a cicada's wing. However, for something so tiny, he simply couldn't create a mechanism to control the sunshade's opening and closing. The accelerator and brake systems failed; he could only manually open and close the sunshade.
He initially thought Li Daoxuan wouldn't be satisfied with this delivery, but to his surprise, when he handed it to Li Daoxuan early the next morning, the latter thought for only two seconds before smiling and saying, "Alright, this is good enough. Thanks, buddy."
Cai Xinzhi asked, "It's fine even without the accelerator and brake?"
Li Daoxuan showed a mysterious smile. "Two people can just drive it. One person controls the steering, and the other pulls the sunshade."
Cai Xinzhi was speechless.
This is a three-centimeter-long car, for crying out loud, and you're actually considering two people driving it? What kind of monster are you?
Cai Xinzhi touched Li Daoxuan's forehead. "Buddy, did you eat any mushrooms today?"
Li Daoxuan declared loudly, "No!"
Cai Xinzhi pressed, "Then you just woke up too fast?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled, "Cut it out! But seriously, this little car is just a prototype. If it succeeds, I'll commission some larger Solar Cars. And then I'll need your help again to create the steering control system and sunshade system."
Cai Xinzhi sighed, "Don't add the word 'system' to these weird things; it doesn't sound grand at all."
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