Building a Car

Buying the equipment itself did not take up much of Li Wei's time. In fact, he spent no time on it at all.

"I'd like to buy the equipment, instruments, and materials needed to make small devices, such as puppets."

Li Wei told Hank what he wanted outright.

Uncle Hank was a little surprised by such a straightforward request.

"That's it? No other requirements?"

"No, though I'd prefer to get everything in one go."

"That won't be a problem..."

Uncle Hank scratched his bald head, looked at Li Wei, then at Erin.

"But as for the price..."

"Price isn't an issue."

"All right."

Since Li Wei agreed so readily, Uncle Hank did not hesitate any further.

"I'll send someone to take care of it right away. It'll all be ready within an hour!"

With that, Uncle Hank turned and left. With nothing else to do, Li Wei began wandering around the enormous shop and factory. Erin stayed beside him, introducing the equipment to him-it was clear she was quite familiar with it.

With Erin's explanations, Li Wei gained a rough understanding of this era's steam technology.

The steam engines in this world, like those of Li Wei's own era, used steam for power-an obvious statement, of course. The difference lay in how that steam power was produced. In Li Wei's world, steam engines used coal and water to generate steam, which drove machinery.

In this world, however, steam power came from a substance called "fire essence." Judging by Erin's description, Li Wei thought it sounded much like coal, but its burn time and energy efficiency were hundreds of times greater, perhaps even more. The steam machines he had seen on the streets earlier, those mech-like contraptions twice as tall as a person, needed only a fingernail-sized piece of fire essence and a 1,000-liter water tank to keep running for days.

Of course, times changed and technology advanced. People had now devised all sorts of ways to extend the operating time of steam machinery and reduce consumption.

The most common method currently was "steam storage," which involved storing large quantities of steam in high-pressure tanks, then using those tanks to power machines. When a tank ran out, one simply went to a filling station to refill it. Most civilian vehicles and steam machines currently ran this way.

Anyone unwilling to spend time refilling could swap out the tanks like batteries instead. Quick and convenient.

Of course, these things were not entirely without danger. If one exploded, anyone sitting on top of it might find themselves taking a high-altitude leap with no return trip...

Still, compared with other dangerous, flammable, explosive gases, they were not quite so prone to exploding.

"Hm?"

Yet just as Li Wei walked around a dismantling machine being assembled and reached the other side of the factory, he spotted something somewhat familiar.

It was a four-wheeled steam car.

Unlike the steam cars Li Wei had ridden in before, however, this one looked closer to the vehicles of his own era.

Li Wei had ridden in this era's steam cars several times already. They were certainly faster than horse-drawn carriages, and the ride was reasonably smooth. If he had one complaint, it was their appearance.

Perhaps out of sheer inertia, these steam cars were, in Li Wei's view, essentially a steam locomotive coupled to its first carriage and shrunk down. Naturally, that meant a chimney stood at the front.

Which raised a question: with a chimney sticking up in front of you, what could you see from inside the car?

Some steam cars placed their chimneys on the side of the front end to avoid obstructing the driver's view. But... the moment you opened a window, steam blasted straight into your face. That was no picnic either.

Still, every steam car in this world was designed that way, so there was nothing Li Wei could do about it.

This vehicle, on the other hand, looked very much like a jeep from his own world. Its body was tall, large, and boxy, and there was no irritating chimney on the front. It was quite pleasing to the eye... though it still could not escape convention entirely, with exhaust vents opening along both sides like a shark's gills.

"Are you interested in it?"

As Li Wei examined the car, Uncle Hank's voice came from beside him. Li Wei glanced at him and nodded.

"Yes. I quite like this design. Is this a new car you're planning to build?"

"More or less. Though I'm confident I can solve the problems, I'm still not sure whether a car like this will be popular..."

Uncle Hank looked a little sheepish as he spoke, while Erin giggled.

"Uncle Hank is the best steam mechanic on this street. There's nothing he can't build!"

"Oh..."

Li Wei stared at the steam car before him and thought for a moment.

"Could I get in and try it?"

"Of course. Please."

Naturally, Uncle Hank would not turn down a customer who looked so wealthy. Li Wei soon opened the door and climbed in, then tried operating the car under Uncle Hank's guidance.

Steam cars of this era were fairly simple. Driving one was not much different from driving a tractor. After trying it out, Li Wei had a reasonable idea of what this car could do. He stepped out and turned to Uncle Hank.

"Mr. Hank, I'd like to discuss a deal with you."

"Please go ahead, Mr. Li Wei."

"I'd like you to build a car to my specifications."

Li Wei's request certainly came as something of a surprise to Uncle Hank.

"I don't understand steam dynamics, so I can't give you any technical specifications... Hmm, Erin, get me a pen and some paper."

Erin quickly fetched them from nearby. Li Wei went over to a table, sketched a few quick strokes on the paper, then handed it over.

"I'd like you to build a car with this shape."

"What is this...?"

Uncle Hank curiously took the drawing Li Wei offered and glanced at it. His eyes immediately widened in astonishment!

It was hardly surprising that Uncle Hank reacted that way, because the car in the drawing... looked unlike anything he had ever seen!

The cars of this era were all tall and bulky. Perhaps because steam cars had been developed from steam trains, every steam car in this world so far had been as tall and large as a locomotive.

But the car Li Wei had drawn was low and flat!

Though Li Wei had raised the chassis to account for this world's road conditions, Uncle Hank still found the strange shape of this car utterly shocking! Almost unimaginable!

If it had not had four wheels, he would have doubted whether it was even a steam car at all.

What Li Wei had drawn was, naturally, a supercar from his own world. Driving a supercar had always been a dream of his. Before he had fallen ill and been hospitalized, one of his greatest wishes had been to earn enough money to buy one.

Of course, he could no longer buy a genuine supercar. But with this world's technology... could he cobble one together?

"This really is astonishing... Mr. Li Wei..."

Uncle Hank stared at the drawing and examined it closely. Beside him, Erin was itching to take a look too, but unfortunately, Uncle Hank was six feet tall. She plainly could not reach and could only fret beside him.

"You mean... you want to build a steam car like this?"

"Exactly."

"But where would the steam engine and storage tank go? There doesn't seem to be room for them at the front."

"Why not put them in the back?"

"And the chimney for venting the steam..."

"Couldn't you fit a few pipes and vent it underneath the car?"

"Underneath?"

Li Wei naturally knew nothing about steam dynamics. His knowledge of cars went no further than driving racing cars in video games, so all his requests were those of a complete layman. He did not care about any of that, anyway. He simply wanted a supercar designed according to his own ideas and requirements. Everything else was a problem for the experts to solve. He was a detective, not a part-time carmaker.

Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation were basic human needs. Li Wei had already taken care of the first three; only the last remained. Naturally, he did not mind spending a little money to make himself more comfortable.

Yet these vague answers only made Uncle Hank more and more excited. If his smoke-blackened face had not been as dark as coal, the flush spreading across it would have been visible.

Though Li Wei's suggestions were still wild flights of fancy in this era, to Uncle Hank, they were nothing less than the opening of an entirely new door!

Doors that opened upward rather than outward. A low, streamlined body. A rear-mounted drive system and exhaust pipes...

The power system could be handled with the latest steam engines and high-pressure cylinders. Technology was advancing, after all. Steam engines were becoming smaller and smaller, while high-pressure cylinders held more and more. With the power problem solved, the other issues did not seem all that serious. And as things stood...

The more Uncle Hank considered it, the more he felt that this thing... had real potential!

Most importantly, this was not some idle fantasy of his own. Someone had ordered it, which meant it was guaranteed to sell!

"Can you do it?"

Seeing Uncle Hank remain silent, Li Wei asked curiously. He had already prepared himself for disappointment. If it could not be done, settling for an off-road vehicle was an option... A supercar really was a man's dream, but if the technology was not up to it... there was nothing he could do.

"Yes."

Fortunately, Uncle Hank did not disappoint Li Wei. He nodded firmly.

"But it'll cost a great deal, because we'll need to buy the latest steam engine and high-pressure cylinders, and run tests..."

"How much?"

Li Wei did not want to hear about the process. He skipped straight to the end. He would not understand it anyway.

"...Including the equipment you requested earlier, 500 pounds in total. Your specifications require a lot of newly developed equipment, which is all rather expensive..."

"No problem."

Li Wei took out his Punched Card and placed it directly in Uncle Hank's hand, cutting off his lengthy explanation. Looking at the bank Punched Card bearing a citizen identification number, Uncle Hank swallowed hard.

"You... really decided just like that? This is no small sum. What if I take your money and run...?"

"Erin recommended you. I trust Erin."

Li Wei glanced at the uneasy Erin. She had performed very well during her time working for him, and he was quite pleased with her.

"Besides, I'm a detective."

Li Wei settled his top hat back into place, looked straight at Uncle Hank, and smiled faintly.

"I do have some confidence in my professional abilities."