Chapter 45: Su Ziye's Toy

“Why choose me?” Carlotus asked, looking at Su Ziye across the table.

“Because your offer was very low,” Su Ziye answered matter-of-factly.

“I’m not an easy person to negotiate with,” Carlotus smiled.

“Among the people I know, you’re actually the easiest to talk to,” Su Ziye confirmed.

Carlotus sighed. “Then I truly want to know who else you know.”

“You said you had something that could move me. Now, show it.”

“Alright.” Su Ziye nodded and took out a small wooden toy.

The toy was no longer than twenty centimeters, crafted delicately from wood and a bit of metal, but Carlotus couldn’t immediately discern what it was.

“What is this?” Carlotus asked.

“I’ll demonstrate,” Su Ziye said with a calm smile.

He opened one end of the toy, revealing a tiny boiler, then carefully poured some water inside.

Closing it up, he quietly ignited a small golden flame beneath the boiler.

The golden flame heated the steel boiler, quickly bringing the water inside to a boil.

The boiling water released a torrent of hot steam, which rushed upward but was trapped inside the boiler, unable to escape. It only hissed futilely as the pressure built.

“I recognize this,” Carlotus said quietly.

Boiling water—that’s nothing new.

“There is power in this steam,” Su Ziye said calmly.

“There are many powerful things in this world,” Carlotus replied indifferently.

“But few know how to harness them,” Su Ziye answered.

As he spoke, he began attaching more components to the small toy.

A channel opened for the steam to escape. The steam sped through this path, pushing a piston backward.

The piston, in turn, moved a long shaft bearing behind it, then redirected the steam back behind the piston, pushing it forward again.

As long as the steam flowed, this motion repeated in a continuous cycle. Carlotus watched as the shaft bearing spun steadily, while steam hissed from the toy.

“Interesting,” Carlotus nodded. “But it’s still just a toy.”

“Is it?” Su Ziye smiled.

He then took out a basin nearly the size of a bathtub and placed it on Carlotus’s desk.

“That’s rather large,” Carlotus remarked.

“It can’t be too small,” Su Ziye replied lightly.

He filled the basin with water until it was more than half full.

Then, Su Ziye placed a small boat onto the water.

The boat floated on the surface.

Carlotus nodded. “I’m not an idiot. Of course, a boat floats on water.”

Su Ziye smiled and combined the boiling-water toy with the floating boat.

It wasn’t simply placed on top; the assembly was precise and swift, his youthful hands deft and accurate. Soon, the combined small boat sat again on the water.

“Prepare for a little magic,” Su Ziye said, reigniting the golden flame beneath the boiler.

The water boiled, steam surged forth, driving the piston, which spun the shaft bearing, powering the propeller beneath the boat.

The boat began moving on the water’s surface.

Carlotus watched quietly, then smiled. “I finally understand what you mean by power.”

“You can burn coal,” Su Ziye said calmly. “The boat can be made much larger, and so can the toy. As long as you burn coal, you get an endless stream of steam, and the boat can keep moving forever.”

“Very interesting,” Carlotus nodded. “This is truly the most fascinating thing you’ve shown me so far.”

Compared to this, Su Ziye’s previous trivial inventions—the so-called happiness water or instant noodles—were mere child's play.

This little boat moving forward, with its intricate mechanism and the power it represented, was genuinely awe-inspiring.

“But this isn’t all,” Su Ziye smiled.

He took the boat, packed away the basin, then skillfully dismantled the boiling-water toy.

Next, he brought out a circular track and placed it on Carlotus’s desk.

“Wait,” Carlotus suddenly said.

Su Ziye stopped.

Carlotus smiled. “I’m sure the Third Princess will love this.”

With that, he called out her name.

Almost instantly, the black-clad, red-haired girl appeared before them.

This stunning beauty tilted her head, puzzled as to why she had been summoned.

Carlotus didn’t explain, simply gesturing for Su Ziye to continue.

Su Ziye sighed and nodded, then took out a small cart.

He mounted the boiling-water toy onto it and reignited the flame.

The wheels, powered by the rotating shaft bearing, began to move, and the cart raced swiftly along the circular track.

Su Ziye glanced back at the Third Princess, whose ruby-like eyes now sparkled with excitement.

She truly loved toys like this.

But Su Ziye’s demonstration wasn’t finished.

He attached a carriage behind the moving cart.

The carriage carried small cut logs.

The cart kept moving forward, so Su Ziye added another carriage filled with chunks of ore.

One by one, he added more carriages behind the cart, until the entire circular track was nearly filled.

Yet this near-snake-like train persevered along the track.

White steam puffed from the engine’s front.

The Third Princess’s eyes nearly twinkled with stars.

Who wouldn’t love such a fascinating toy?

She reached out, and a golden clover appeared in her palm.

Without a doubt, she intended to buy it.

She simply adored it.

Carlotus looked at the Third Princess indulgently and shook his head with a wry smile. “Sell it.”

Su Ziye nodded and accepted the golden clover from her hand.

With a wave of her hand, the running train and track vanished instantly.

“I have a moving boat as well. Tonight, I’ll come to your home personally to teach you how to operate it,” Su Ziye said, smiling at the delighted Third Princess—and feeling joyful himself.

On one hand, Carlotus had accepted Su Ziye’s deal.

On the other, the Third Princess’s enthusiasm far exceeded his expectations.

He had never intended this toy to win her favor.

“I have matters to discuss with the chairman. You may leave now,” he said to the Third Princess.

She nodded and disappeared into thin air.

“This is fascinating,” Carlotus said, watching her vanish, then smiled. “Much more interesting than I imagined.”

“Now, tell me—what do you want?” Carlotus asked calmly.

“As I said before, I want the academy’s reserve supplies. In return, within a month, I will build a vessel capable of sailing across Shattered Star Lake,” Su Ziye replied.

“Big ambitions,” Carlotus said lightly.

“The ship doesn’t have to be large, and I will need some assistants,” Su Ziye smiled.

“Deal,” Carlotus said, extending his hand.

Su Ziye happily clasped it, sealing their agreement.