Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [345]

The research vessels stationed at the frontlines continued to intermittently receive audio transmissions. Per Chen Lin’s instructions, all intercepted signals were decoded and sent to both the Governor’s Office and the Imperial Research Institute.

As the number of samples increased, the research institute's translation efficiency improved significantly. After six days and nights of relentless work, the audio signals were successfully deciphered.

A translated language reference sheet was delivered to Chen Lin’s desk.

[Unknown Signal from the L-Gate: Second Battlefield]

[Recently, the Frode research ship, tasked with deep-space investigations inside the L-Gate region, intercepted numerous unidentified signals originating from deep within the star domain. Through round-the-clock analysis, our scientists have isolated frequencies that bear a striking resemblance to ‘language.’ These signals appear to be a form of tactical communication. Could it be that this perilous region has its own inhabitants? Should we proceed further…?]

[Objective: Dispatch a research vessel into the depths of the L-Star region to uncover its secrets.]

This was the latest event listed under [Intel], though it differed from standard mission prompts. Unlike usual directives, which provided a set of options, this one simply informed Chen Lin of how to get involved—the choice remained his.

Rather than an event, it felt more like a peculiar side quest.

Mandatory trigger. Completion optional.

To be honest, Chen Lin was deeply curious about the evolving mysteries of the L-Gate. Many recent developments seemed to be pointing toward it—ranging from the catastrophic outflow of the nanocloud, to the disappearance of the Kruz, to the secrets of the The Divine.

Three seemingly unrelated threads had suddenly converged onto a single point. The lack of control over this growing uncertainty was becoming increasingly alarming. Aside from curiosity, all Chen Lin felt now was a dull headache.

No matter how much he wracked his brain, he just couldn’t figure out the connection between these three elements…

No choice but to take it one step at a time.

In Kafka’s memories, Elio had once said that his way home was inextricably tied to the Cataclysmic Flight. Otherwise, in Elio’s visions of the future, the justification for Chen Lin declaring war on the entire universe wouldn’t have been something as seemingly trivial as "reclaiming the empire’s lost homeland."

But could he really be sure?

What if the Cataclysmic Flight wasn’t actually the key to his return? What if Elio had merely fabricated an excuse to justify some larger scheme? What if Elio had known his words would be heard by others and had deliberately woven a lie?

Chen Lin could gamble on many things, but not on this.

Not on something that had no turning back.

Not on something that could be used to manipulate him.

He gazed out the window, letting out a quiet sigh. So this is what that poem meant—"When the sun sets beyond the horizon, home is nowhere in sight."

He wasn’t some tragic orphan with a lonely past. There were still many people he longed to return to.

His parents, who had toiled their whole lives, their hair graying, their foreheads lined with worry, their hands roughened by labor—all so they could raise the first-ever master's degree student in their village’s history.

Chen Lin still remembered the day he passed his exams and got into graduate school. That day, the village uncles and aunties, the elderly neighbors who once held grudges against his family, all set aside their feuds and pooled together whatever money they could spare—to help fund his journey to the big city.

Even the old man who had been at odds with his grandfather for decades…

When he heard that Chen Lin had been working part-time while studying, barely scraping by, that old man had secretly placed a thousand-yuan welfare stipend—his own savings—under a stone at Chen Lin’s doorstep in the middle of the night.

For years, this had been an unsolved mystery within Chen Lin’s family.

It wasn’t until the old man passed away that another villager, who had witnessed the act, finally revealed the truth.

Every extra day he spent away from home was another day of sorrow for his parents, his family, his university friends. Another day their hope faded.

But above all, Chen Lin feared what time would do to his memories.

Feared the way time eroded the sharp edges of recollection. Feared the day when his once-vivid memories would blur beyond recognition.

Feared that one day, he would forget—

Forget that he wasn’t of this world.

If he had the choice…

He truly wanted to go back.

He really, really did.

“Hey, where do you want me to put—”

Silver Wolf trudged in, arms burdened with a towering stack of documents, her face full of reluctant resignation. Just as she was about to complain, she noticed something intriguing and immediately swallowed her words.

Her gaze flickered with curiosity as she stared at the man standing by the window, hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought.

Well, well—this was interesting!

She had never seen Chen Lin like this before. Usually, he was all grins and jokes, cracking dark humor one second and shifting to strict seriousness the next. But today… today, his expression was different.

He actually looked downcast.

But before she could savor this rare sight, it vanished in an instant.

The very moment he turned around, the melancholy disappeared without a trace, replaced by his usual cheerful, almost irritatingly smug grin—like he had just stumbled upon some miraculous good fortune.

“Put them on my desk,” he said casually.

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black object, tossing it lightly in Silver Wolf’s direction. “You’ve been working extra hard these past few days. Here’s your reward from management. Wouldn’t want you thinking I’m some kind of cruel boss.”

Hearing this, Silver Wolf instinctively stood up straight, setting down the documents. She tilted her body slightly to avoid getting hit in the face, all while reaching out curiously to catch the flying object.

The moment it landed in her palm, her expression twisted.

A lollipop.

A freaking lollipop.

She waved it at him in protest. “Hah?! You’re seriously giving me this as a reward? I can get these anywhere!”

Chen Lin didn’t even look up as he flipped through the documents. “Step a little closer—I can’t hear you.”

“I said this is way too chea—”

Silver Wolf stepped forward, still grumbling, but before she could finish, Chen Lin snatched the lollipop right out of her hand and stuffed it into his desk drawer.

“Guess you don’t want it, then… Oh, go grab me the latest list of applicants for the Commonwealth from Pela. Haven’t reviewed those in a while.”

“…”

Silver Wolf puffed out her cheeks in frustration. Seeing that he was ignoring her now, she huffed twice for good measure before stomping off.

But the moment she left Chen Lin’s office, her pout vanished, replaced by a bright, mischievous smile.

Moody?

Not really.

In any case, Miss Silver Wolf happily skipped down the corridors toward the administrative hall, not a single trace of her previous sulking in sight. It was as if the person throwing a tantrum earlier had been someone else entirely.

Halfway there, she suddenly remembered something. Fishing a piece of bubble gum from her pocket, she popped it into her mouth and continued walking, chewing idly.

Most of the palace guards and attendants in Qlipoth Fort ignored her entirely, letting her pass without a second glance as she strolled straight into the administrative hall.

The moment she stepped inside, her pace slowed. Hands shoved in her pockets, she casually sauntered over to a nearby Psionic Guard, locking eyes with him as she gave him an occasional once-over.

The prolonged staring made the guard visibly uncomfortable.

“…Good day, Miss Silver Wolf,” he greeted awkwardly. “Is there something I can assist you with?”

Silver Wolf: (???)

“…Miss Silver Wolf?” the guard prompted again.

“Hmph.”

The Psionic Guard hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously, “…Excuse me, but what exactly are you doing?”

Arms crossed, Silver Wolf replied flatly, “Pretending to be a mysterious expert.”

The Psionic Guard: “…”

Does the Governor seriously befriend people like this? This girl is just… just… a total… weirdo!

Despite his thoughts, his expression remained as respectful as possible. But his discomfort was already enough for Silver Wolf to consider her mission accomplished.

Finally, she decided to get to the point. “Your Governor sent me to pick up some files from Advisor Pelageya. Where is she?”

Relieved that she was finally speaking normally, the guard responded, “Lady Pela is currently presiding over a meeting. It has been ongoing for twenty-four minutes and should be concluding soon. You’re welcome to wait in the lounge.”

Silver Wolf suddenly turned her head to the side, her expression turning icy cold.

“Hmph.”

“…Miss Silver Wolf, are you… pretending to be a mysterious expert again?”

“No, this time I’m pretending to be cold and aloof.”

“…”

No matter how much the Psyker Guard tried to convince her, Silver Wolf stubbornly refused to move from the doorway. She clung to her spot like a piece of chewed gum, making no attempt to head to the waiting room. The poor guard, drenched in cold sweat, could only pray for someone to come to his rescue.

Perhaps the great Emperor himself had heard his plea—just as the tension reached its peak, Pela emerged from the meeting room, only to find Silver Wolf locked in an intense staring contest with the unfortunate guard.

“Miss Silver Wolf, what exactly are you doing?”

“He sent me to get something from you,” Silver Wolf finally broke eye contact, counting on her fingers as she spoke. “Said it’s the latest list of applicants for the Commonwealth.”

Pela immediately understood. She turned back toward her office, calling over her shoulder, “Ah, I see. The documents are in my office—please wait a moment.”

But as she soon noticed, Silver Wolf didn’t wait outside as expected. Instead, she silently followed behind her, hands stuffed into her pockets, exuding an air of effortless cool. Pela wasn’t particularly surprised.

After all, this was someone Mr. Lin trusted.

If Mr. Lin had personally vouched for her and even issued her a Qlipoth Fort pass, then there was no reason to stop her from entering the office.

Pela’s office was on the top floor of the Administrative Hall, right next to Bronya’s private office. However, much like Chen Lin, Bronya preferred handling government affairs in her study or bedroom, meaning her office in the Administrative Hall had remained unopened for quite some time.

Arriving at the door, Pela went through the security verifications to unlock it. Just as she was about to step inside, she heard Silver Wolf casually remark:

“That guy’s not in a great mood today.”

“?”

Pela turned around, puzzled, only to find Silver Wolf crouched beside a potted plant, absentmindedly fiddling with its leaves. After a moment of silence, Pela sighed with a trace of guilt.

“Mr. Lin carries a lot of burdens. Unfortunately, there’s not much I can do to ease them. Even the young mistress… is powerless.”

“What burdens?” Silver Wolf looked up, confused. “I mean, I see him eating, sleeping, playing, and grinning all day long. Doesn’t really scream stressed out to me.”

Just yesterday, that guy had randomly decided to challenge her to a game of Imperial Majestic Jade and even dragged the Luofu envoy into it. The loser, he claimed, had to pay for dinner.

And those two bastards—

They colluded against her!

She should’ve known something was up when, every time she finally got a strong hand, her next draw—according to her own calculations—should have sealed her victory. But somehow, those two would always end up self-drawing even bigger hands, one after the other.

If she hadn’t been sharp enough to catch on, she might never have realized that they were slowly baiting her—letting her win small hands to build confidence before setting her up for a massive loss.

And you’re telling me that guy is stressed? Yeah, right.

Pela gave Silver Wolf a deep, thoughtful look before silently pulling out a chair and pouring two glasses of water. As she sifted through the files in her cabinet, she spoke evenly:

“Miss Silver Wolf, I believe you may have some misunderstandings about Mr. Lin.”

“Go on.”

Perhaps realizing her words lacked context, Silver Wolf added, “I’ve known him for a few years now, but because of my work, we don’t meet often.”

“Avoiding Company pursuit?”

Pela knew that Silver Wolf was a high-profile fugitive from the IPC—one of the infamous Stellaron Hunters. Fortunately for her, this wasn’t IPC territory. The Company had no jurisdiction over Jarilo.

After all—there were no Stellaron Hunters on Jarilo.

Silver Wolf nodded. “Something like that.”

Pela finally located the requested files and began organizing them, a small smile forming at the corners of her lips.

“There are things I can’t tell you, so if you’re curious, you should ask Mr. Lin yourself. But what I can say with certainty is that he genuinely cares about everyone around him. He never lets his burdens affect others."

"Even when facing insurmountable difficulties, he takes care of things quietly, behind the scenes. If no one notices, or no one asks, he’ll just act like—‘Hey, look at that! We sure got lucky!’”

She chuckled softly. “Isn’t that kind of… endearing?”

“…Endearing?”

“Isn’t it?” Pela took a sip of water before continuing. “This morning, I saw him happily run off to the commercial district just to buy a lollipop.”

At the mention of lollipop, Silver Wolf froze.

“…The Governor himself went out to buy a lollipop?”

“Yes. And judging by your reaction, I suspect you might be misjudging him.” Pela placed the files on the desk and pushed them toward Silver Wolf. “Mr. Lin is still human. He has bad days like anyone else. Normally, he’d have—”

She suddenly coughed and cut herself off, hastily handing over the documents.

“Anyway,” she said, regaining composure, “if you have questions, just ask him directly. He’s not one to hide things when asked outright.”

“…Fine, whatever.”

Silver Wolf pouted slightly, took the documents, and left. Pela remained behind, tidying up the scattered papers and empty glasses.

With everything in order, she glanced at her schedule—time to return to the palace and wake Bronya. Coincidentally, today marked the departure of the Third Fleet into deep space. She also needed to contact its commander, Chief Guard Lunalia, for a status report before filing the necessary documentation for Chen Lin.

As she watched Silver Wolf’s retreating figure, Pela recalled a past conversation—when she had once asked Chen Lin how to handle her.

"Unless it's classified, just tell her the truth. Whatever she asks, answer directly. No need to hide anything."

Now, looking at how things played out, Pela couldn’t shake the feeling that Silver Wolf didn’t really understand Chen Lin at all.

"Is she really Mr. Lin’s friend? Her impression of him seems so… one-dimensional."

That suspicion was exactly why she had once asked Chen Lin how to deal with her. And now, it seemed her judgment had been correct.

Miss Silver Wolf truly doesn’t understand Mr. Lin.

After a moment of contemplation, Pela decided not to dwell on it. If Mr. Lin considered her a friend, then that was enough. She would treat Silver Wolf accordingly.

After all, as the founder and president of a certain secret society in the Belobog underground, Pela had lived by one principle since birth:

—If Mr. Lin does something, he must have his reasons.

---

This is a fan translation of 在星穹铁道点群星科技树真的没问题吗? by 杏雨诗韵 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!