On the other side of the screen, the comment section of the short video was already popping off with the kind of chaotic energy only the internet can provide.
"The creator is such a troll! He actually went and put wheels under a 'Chonglin Estate' model. I bet there's a motor or something hidden in there too so he can remote control it. It's a total waste of a good collector's piece, but the gag is top-tier."
"No, no, you guys are missing the point. Look at that overhead shot. The camera glides from the clouds, passes right through the village gates, and locks onto the old man. The transition is insane. It's a single, continuous take with zero visible cuts. How the hell did he pull that off?"
"Exactly! The old man has to be a real actor, but that would mean he's sitting inside a scale model while weaving those baskets. This creator's technical skill is consistently through the roof."
"This is why I follow him. This isn't some cheap five-cent special effect; it's pure art."
"The weaving part is the real deal too. That old guy isn't acting; he's actually a master craftsman. Look at the finger movements!"
"Those baskets are gorgeous. I low-key want to buy one."
"You can buy a bamboo basket anywhere, man."
"Not a 'Little People' basket, you can't! Think of the scale!"
Li Dao Xuan scrolled through the chatter, and a sudden spark of inspiration hit him.
It was an interesting thought.
He had already found "jobs" for the sculptors, turning them into wealthy men by miniature standards. The blacksmiths, carpenters, and papermakers of the village were also getting extra rewards for their services to the community.
Now, he figured, it was finally time to show some divine love to the Old Village Chief.
He leaned over the box and spoke into the miniature world.
"Gao Yiye, go to the Village Chief. Collect a few of those bamboo baskets, hampers, and chairs he's been making. I want to show them to some of my friends in my world."
Gao Yiye hurried off to deliver the request.
When the old man heard that his humble handiwork had caught the eye of Dao Xuan Tianzun, and was being requested for the amusement of other "immortals," he was practically vibrating with joy. He immediately offered up his best pieces, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the dry earth.
A moment later, Li Dao Xuan reached into the box.
With the delicate precision of a surgeon, he pinched a small pile of the offerings from beside the Chief.
The Village Chief himself was only 0.8 cm tall.
The bamboo baskets he wove had a diameter of barely 2 mm. The hampers were about the same, and the tiny bamboo stools were only 3 mm long. The most substantial item was a bamboo chair, which reached the "massive" size of about 1 cm.
This pile of miniature treasures sat in the palm of his hand, looking impossibly, heart-meltingly cute.
Li Dao Xuan quickly edited the footage of his giant hand descending to "claim" the tribute and uploaded it to TikTok. He linked the "Yellow Cart" shopping feature and added a caption:
"Handcrafted bamboo goods snatched directly from the Little Kingdom. Created by the Village Chief himself. Miniature craftsmanship at its finest. Experience the charm of traditional culture."
The video went viral almost instantly.
"Whoa, that shot! A giant hand just swooped down and robbed the little guy!"
"The practical effects are god-tier."
"Wait, is he actually selling these? How small are they really?"
"Did you see the last shot? They're sitting on the creator's palm. They're literally the size of crumbs."
"The detail is insane. Are those actually woven from tiny strips of bamboo? At that scale? That's impossible."
"So cute! I need one."
"Check the price... Holy crap, 1,288,888 RMB for the set? I can't even afford to look at the link."
Li Dao Xuan hadn't dared to set the price too low. Selling something on TikTok for over a million was already pushing the limits of reality. If he truly wanted that kind of money, he'd need a high-end art gallery or an auction house, which was way too much paperwork.
For now, he just put a "fuck you" price on the set to test the waters.
Unsurprisingly, the price tag sent the audience into a state of shock. After a full day, the "Yellow Cart" had been clicked thousands of times, but not a single person had pulled the trigger.
On the bright side, the Ningyang Toy Co. plastic houses and miniature furniture, priced at a reasonable few dozen bucks, were selling like absolute wildfire.
Li Dao Xuan reconsidered.
The 2 mm baskets were probably too niche even for rich collectors, so he decided to keep those and list the 1 cm bamboo chair individually.
Price tag: 88,888 RMB.
This time, he hit the sweet spot.
About fifteen hours later, the notification pinged. The 1 cm bamboo chair had been sold.
Li Dao Xuan called the local courier station to arrange a pickup. Once the package was out the door, he turned back to the box.
"Gao Yiye, tell the Chief that my friends in this world absolutely adore his bamboo chair. As a reward, I shall grant him..."
He paused, thinking about what to give the old man.
Rice? Flour? Oil? Salt?
He shook his head.
The Village Chief was part of the "Original Management Team," and because he was constantly receiving divine leftovers, the man was already loaded. His house was probably already filled with mountains of high-quality grain. More flour wasn't going to excite him.
He needed something that would provide a genuine sense of luxury and satisfaction.
His eyes scanned his desk and landed on a bar of chocolate, silky smooth milk chocolate.
Aha. Perfect.
He sliced off a tiny, tiny sliver with a hobby knife. Using the tip of his finger, he carefully lowered it until it rested right in front of the Village Chief.
From the Chief's perspective, a massive, dark, monolithic slab of a strange substance had just descended from the heavens. It was larger than he was.
He stared at it, completely bewildered.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun, what... what is this glorious object?"
"Give it a taste," Li Dao Xuan replied.
The Chief fetched a small chisel, chipped off a microscopic crumb, and popped it into his mouth.
In an instant, the old man's face went through a kaleidoscope of emotions.
"Whoa!"
"This is... this is incredible!"
Just like a child tasting chocolate for the first time, the Chief's wrinkled, aged face broke into a smile that radiated pure, unadulterated happiness.
"This humble servant has never tasted anything so wondrous in all his years! Truly, this is the food of the gods. It's so rich, so sweet... and it melts! It's perfect for an old man with no teeth like me!"
Li Dao Xuan chuckled.
"The whole block is yours. You can eat it, share it, or trade it as you see fit. Just... make sure to weave a few more of those chairs when you have the time."
"Thank you, Dao Xuan Tianzun! A thousand thanks!"
Word traveled fast.
Within minutes, the entire population of Gao Village knew that the Chief's handiwork had won the favor of the heavens, and that he had been gifted a piece of "Immortal Manna."
A crowd quickly gathered around the Chief's house.
Zheng Daniu, always the one with the biggest appetite, was at the front of the line, drooling.
"Grandpa Chief, that divine snack... could I maybe have a tiny, tiny taste?"
The Chief chuckled, looking quite smug.
"You think you can taste the food of the gods for free? Give my legs a good rub, boy, and maybe I'll consider giving you a sliver."
Zheng Daniu immediately flipped into "filial son" mode, massaging the old man's legs with enough enthusiasm to power a small mill.
After a few minutes of being pampered, the Chief finally handed over a microscopic piece of chocolate.
Zheng Daniu tossed it into his mouth, and his expression practically exploded.
"AAAHHH! This is even better than the Fezhai Happy Water!"
The Chief beamed with pride.
"Hahahaha! Good, isn't it? That's all you get! No more!"
"I'll trade you!" Zheng Daniu yelled. "I'll trade everything in my house!"
"No deal! No deal!"
"Come on, Grandpa!" Zheng Daniu begged. "I have a huge slab of cured bacon at home. I'll give you the whole thing for just one more tiny piece! Just one!"
The other villagers suddenly had a collective epiphany.
They scrambled back to their homes to find anything of value, racing back to the Chief's house to try and barter for a crumb of the "black gold."
Within the hour, the Chief's front yard looked more like a frantic open-air market than a quiet village home.