Chapter 56: Customizing the Little Mans Face
Chapter 54 of "The Great Ming in the Box" opens with exciting events: The silver ring with a diameter taller than a person was obviously unusable for Thirty-Two... Continue reading!
The silver ring with a diameter taller than a person was obviously unusable for Thirty-Two and his companions.Li Daoxuan had put it in just to show off, but after showing off, he had to process it into a size they could handle normally. He took out the silver ring, pulled out his household toolbox that was always ready, found a pair of pliers, snapped off a very tiny grain, and placed it into the box.
It then appeared in front of Thirty-Two as a silver lump big fist size, extremely heavy.
Thirty-Two held the huge silver lump in both hands with a regretful expression: âSuch a wonderful magical ring, cut into such a small pieceâwhat a pity!â
Li Daoxuan laughed and scolded: âIf not cut, could you even move it?â
âOh⌠this⌠it still feels so regrettable.â
Li Daoxuan: âAfter you escort the lady back to the county town, no need to rush back. Take silver with you, find a teacher to bring back. If he refuses to come, hit him with a silver lump big fist size. If he still refuses, hit him twice.â
After speaking, he put another piece of silver into the box: âIf he still refuses to comeâŚâ
Thirty-Two understood now: âIâll hit him twice more!â
âNo, if he doesnât come after the second hit, stop.â Li Daoxuan: âDirectly take the silver lumps and leave. Make him regret missing the chance for wealthâheâll then chase after you, apologizing all along the way, humbling himself to beg you to hire him.â
Thirty-Two: ââŚâ
The Deity occasionally teased people!
Thirty-Two bowed deeply toward the air: âThank you, Deity. For my daughter to learn reading and writing, you even cut the magical ring. This great kindness, Iâll never forget.â
Li Daoxuan said leisurely: âItâs not just for your daughterâI want that teacher in Gaojia Village to teach all people reading and writing. Whether male or female, old or young, as long as theyâre willing to learn, all should be taught.â
Thirty-Two froze for a moment, then immediately understood. He bowed deeply to the ground: âThis humble one will fulfill the mission without dishonor.â
âDing ding ding!â Li Daoxuanâs phone suddenly rang.
He pulled his attention back from the box and answered the call, hearing Cai Xinziâs frantic voice: âDaoxuan, youâre not replying to QQ or WeChat, never seen in person all day. Must contacting you always be a call? I detest calling most.â
Li Daoxuan: âAh, Iâve been addicted to âSimCity 1627â recently, so no time for QQ and WeChat. Whatâs up? Why so urgent?â
ââSimCity 1627â? What the hell? Iâve only heard of âSimCity 2000,â never of 1627.â
âA niche mod.â
âOh oh, okay, thatâs not importantâbusiness now.â Cai Xinzi said: âI have a strange customer here who placed an order to torment me. After much thought, only you can help.â
Li Daoxuan: âTell me.â
Cai Xinzi said: âThat customer ordered a custom robot from me, extremely complex, precise, and impressiveâevery armor piece must detach and combine.â
Li Daoxuan: âOh, whatâs that got to do with me?â
Cai Xinzi: âHe made a perverse demand: He wants the robotâs cockpit hatch to open, with a pilot seated inside. This pilot must be made in his likenessâfacial features exactly like his own, detailed down to clear eyebrows, eyes, nose, everything.â
Li Daoxuan understood now: âYou want me to make this little man?â
Cai Xinzi: âYes, a pilot one centimeter tallâdammit, he wants the face like his. How could I manage? But if I say I canât, he wonât give me the robot order at all.â
Li Daoxuan chuckled: âFine, I can take this order. What material this time?â
Cai Xinzi: âPlastic, of course! I made most of the pilot body, only the face left. You handle its face. Weâre old friendsânone of the fuss. The robot total is twenty thousand yuan; he paid extra two thousand just for the pilotâs face. So if you help, I keep the robot money, the two thousand fully yours.â
âTwo thousand yuan.â Li Daoxuanâs first reaction was itâs too cheap. Still, after careful thought, the Pearl Saint Statue cost too muchâsales limited, few orders feasible. Then those two sculptors would idle, and just feeding them might turn them useless.
The real way to help was to give them long-term, stable work. Even more sculptors coming to Gaojia Village should find tasksâbest for them.
Some old state-owned enterprises took unprofitable ordersâwhy? Just so workers could labor.
Cai Xinzi: âI know two thousand isnât muchâjust help as a brother.â
Li Daoxuan laughed: âLast time, didnât you call me generous? Less profit isnât no profitâof course Iâll help. I take this order.â
Cai Xinzi was overjoyed: âGood buddy.â
Li Daoxuan: âYour customerâs idea is actually funâcarving oneâs own face onto a small toy man. This market has potential. Promote custom little man faces in your shopâmany might be interested. Prices lower are fineâsmall profits, high turnover. Also, microscopic details on modelsâif anyone wants customization, we accept all.â
Cai Xinzi considered: Indeed! Customizing miniature model parts might sellâworth trying. After all, no effort neededâjust toss orders to Li Daoxuan and take a cut.
âThen itâs settled.â
The call ended. Shortly after, Cai Xinzi drove over and gave Li Daoxuan a plastic little man.
This little man sat in posture, clad in a tech-style military uniformâdetails messily made, too intricate for Cai Xinziâs craft at that scale.
Its face was a flat plate without any features.
âHanded this face to you. Hereâcustomerâs photos: front, both profiles.â
âGot it, no worries.â
After seeing Cai Xinzi off, Li Daoxuan started his color printer, printed the customerâs face onto a photo paper corner, cut it out with scissors. He raised the box lid and called: âYiye, go fetch the two sculptors.â
Soon, Gao Yiye brought the two sculptors, set to listen reverently for the Deityâs command.
Li Daoxuan gently placed the seated plastic little man before the sculptors, adding the photo: âSee? Carve this face look like the picture.â
Of course, the sculptors knew their task at first glanceâbutâŚ
One sculptor couldnât help asking: âDeity, what strange material is this? Not metal, wood, or stone⌠What tools must this humble one use to carve?â
âTools for carving jade will chip it.â Li Daoxuan: âCarve carefullyâdonât ruin it. Unlike a clay prototype that can be patched, once broken, itâs irreparable.â
The sculptors were startled: Understood! This was celestial rare materialâbreaking it wouldnât be repaid even by their heads. They must tread extremely carefullyâonly fine work produced exquisite results.