Finding vehicles that the miniature people could actually use proved far more difficult than Li Daoxuan had anticipated.
Toy vehicles all shared the same fundamental limitation. They required external remote control. None of them were designed to be operated from inside the vehicle itself.
Of course, that made perfect sense. Who would ever design a toy meant to be driven by microscopic inhabitants?
Li Daoxuan had already experimented with remote-controlled cars and drones, hoping to use them inside the miniature world. The results were disappointing. Whenever he tried to guide them beyond his line of sight, the vehicles would inevitably crash into the invisible boundaries of the diorama box.
It was clear that the box possessed some form of restriction. It prevented him from extending his control beyond what he could directly observe.
Otherwise, the implications would be absurd. He could simply attach a camera to a remote-controlled tank, drive it beyond his vision, and conquer the entire miniature world effortlessly.
That was obviously not allowed.
What he needed was something entirely different.
He needed a vehicle that the miniature people themselves could operate.
The problem was that such a thing, at least in the normal world, did not exist.
He spent hours browsing countless online stores, searching through endless listings. Yet no matter how thoroughly he searched, he found nothing suitable.
Eventually, he began to lose hope.
Just as he was about to give up, something caught his eye.
"Huh?"
In a corner of one website, he noticed an unusual product listing. Curious, he clicked on it.
It was called a Miniature Solar Car.
The product description stated that the car measured three centimeters in length, two point five centimeters in width, and weighed only four grams.
It was powered entirely by solar energy.
When exposed to sunlight, it would automatically move forward. The stronger the light, the faster it would travel. When the light was blocked, it would stop immediately.
Li Daoxuan stared at the screen, his mind racing.
This simple mechanism opened up endless possibilities.
He placed an order immediately. Then, without hesitation, he sent a private message to the seller.
"I want expedited delivery. I'll pay extra. I need it as soon as possible."
The seller replied almost instantly.
"Dear customer, with additional payment, anything is possible. Your package has already been handed over to SF Express."
True to their promise, the delivery arrived that very afternoon.
At around three o'clock, Li Daoxuan received the Solar Car.
He eagerly opened the package and carried the tiny vehicle outside into the sunlight. The moment he placed it on the ground, it sprang to life and began moving forward.
He covered it with his hand.
The car immediately stopped.
He uncovered it.
It resumed moving.
He repeated the test several times, watching carefully.
The car responded perfectly to light.
A spark of inspiration ignited in his mind.
Ideas began forming rapidly, each one more exciting than the last.
Without wasting another second, he hailed a taxi and headed straight for Cai Xinzhi's model shop.
When he arrived, Cai Xinzhi was lounging lazily behind the counter, his feet propped up, wearing a relaxed smile.
Business had been slow recently. However, thanks to Li Daoxuan, he had successfully resold several one-millimeter-tall Venerable Sovereign figurines, earning commissions large enough to cover two years of rent. He was currently enjoying life without financial pressure.
Seeing Li Daoxuan enter, Cai Xinzhi immediately jumped to his feet.
"Daoxuan. What brings you here? Looking for models? Take anything you like."
Li Daoxuan shook his head.
"I need your help modifying something."
Cai Xinzhi blinked in surprise.
"Modifying something?"
Li Daoxuan opened his palm.
The Solar Car immediately detected the light and shot forward.
Startled, Li Daoxuan quickly closed his hand to trap it.
Cai Xinzhi leaned closer and immediately recognized it.
"A three-centimeter Solar Car. Why would you want to modify something this small?"
Li Daoxuan replied calmly.
"I need you to add steering control. And also an accelerator and brake system."
Cai Xinzhi choked on his drink.
A spray of liquid shot out of his mouth, barely missing Li Daoxuan.
Li Daoxuan stepped aside just in time. The drink splashed onto a nearby model display, staining a Freedom Gundam figurine.
Cai Xinzhi wiped his mouth and pointed at the shelves.
"Take anything you want. Just don't ask me to do something this ridiculous."
Li Daoxuan frowned.
"Is it really that difficult?"
Cai Xinzhi stared at him in disbelief.
"It's three centimeters long. Steering is manageable. I can attach a simple directional control mechanism. But an accelerator and brake system? That's insanity."
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly.
"What powers the car?"
"Solar energy," Cai Xinzhi replied.
"If the sunlight is blocked, what happens?"
"It stops."
Li Daoxuan's smile widened.
"Then blocking the sunlight is the brake."
Cai Xinzhi froze.
Then his eyes widened with realization.
"You're right."
Excitement replaced his disbelief.
"The brake doesn't need mechanical friction. A simple shade that covers the solar panel would work. Cover the panel, and the car stops. Uncover it, and it moves."
Li Daoxuan nodded.
"The accelerator works the same way. Expose more light to accelerate. Block light to decelerate."
Cai Xinzhi laughed.
"You've become smarter lately."
Li Daoxuan grinned.
"Of course."
That night, Cai Xinzhi worked tirelessly.
He crafted a tiny V-shaped steering control at the front of the car. He also created an extremely thin sunshade.
However, creating a fully functional internal control mechanism was impossible at that scale.
The shade had to be operated manually.
The next morning, he handed the modified car to Li Daoxuan.
He expected disappointment.
Instead, Li Daoxuan smiled.
"This is perfect."
Cai Xinzhi stared at him.
"Even without a proper accelerator and brake?"
Li Daoxuan nodded calmly.
"Two people can operate it. One controls direction. The other controls the shade."
Cai Xinzhi was speechless.
He stared at the three-centimeter vehicle.
Then he stared at Li Daoxuan.
He placed a hand on his friend's forehead.
"Did you eat something strange?"
Li Daoxuan laughed.
"This is just the prototype. If it works, I'll order larger Solar Cars."
Cai Xinzhi sighed.
"Fine. Just stop calling everything a system. It sounds ridiculous."
Li Daoxuan simply smiled.
Because he knew.
Soon, this tiny vehicle would become something far more extraordinary inside the miniature world governed by Tianzun.