Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [320]

Chen Lin and Qingque sat across from each other, discussing the latest proposal within the Galactic Alliance.

As the ambassador of Xianzhou Luofu to Belobog, Qingque had been assigned an additional role by Jing Yuan when the Galactic Alliance was founded—serving as its diplomatic commissioner.

Currently, the Galactic Alliance had over thirty member civilizations. Without question, all those approved were staunchly pro-Empire, including even an inorganic civilization operating under a corporate trade system.

Despite existing under the company’s rule, this inorganic civilization wasn’t particularly wealthy. Their ambassador had, on multiple occasions, subtly hinted to Oleg—their fellow community ambassador—that they were considering defecting.

For now, the Galactic Alliance was effectively a one-man show, with Chen Lin having absolute authority. Whatever he decided was law, and no one dared to object.

The reason he had summoned Qingque after the new weapon test was simple—an important proposal was set to be voted on that evening.

The proposal itself was straightforward: to officially designate the Rilusian Civilization as a galactic crisis. The reason? They were an extinctionist regime.

Naturally, this proposal wouldn’t be coming from Chen Lin himself. Not because he felt bad about taking a few thousand energy credits and nearly ten thousand minerals from them, nor because he feared public criticism. It was simply because Qingque had mentioned wanting to experience what it was like to designate a galactic crisis—so Chen Lin had readily agreed.

She had already reviewed Rilusian’s criminal record. Their indiscriminate slaughter of innocent sapient life from outer regions was something Qingque personally despised. And since Luofu had already decided to stand firmly alongside Jarilo, this was a perfect opportunity to make their stance clear.

More importantly, as the first civilization to propose a galactic crisis designation, Luofu would gain significant political influence, further strengthening its voice within the Galactic Alliance.

To Luofu, this crisis proposal was nothing but benefits with zero downsides. Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan both supported it wholeheartedly, and so did Qingque.

“The proposal is basically set. Old Chen, see if there’s anything that needs revising.”

After summarizing the framework, Qingque pulled a thick folder from her bag and handed it over.

Chen Lin took the document and said earnestly, “The key is your solution and the importance of action. No one will care about the rest.”

At that, Qingque chuckled, raising three fingers as she explained, “I’ve proposed three solutions:"

“First, dissolve the Rilusian civilization—but that requires designating refugee zones, and most civilizations won’t want to deal with that mess. So this option will likely be rejected."

“Second, place Rilusian under surveillance. But once everyone reads their records, they’ll be terrified. No one wants a second Emperor Rupert living next door."

“Third, wipe Rilusian out completely. This won’t affect any other civilization’s interests—so naturally, it’ll be the most popular choice.”

It was clear Qingque had carefully considered the wording, fully understanding that every ambassador cared only about their own civilization’s fundamental interests. Anything beyond that? Expendable.

As the saying goes, if it doesn’t concern me, why should I care?—unless, of course, the neighboring civilization had a racial purity fetish.

Relying on brute force coercion wouldn’t build a stable alliance. At this early stage of the Galactic Alliance, the best way to solidify its existence was by ensuring the other members saw tangible benefits.

This move wasn’t just about asserting power—it was about portraying the Empire as a protector, an impartial guardian ensuring stability. It significantly boosted both the legitimacy of the Galactic Alliance and the Empire’s moral standing.

Of course, the simplest way to establish legitimacy was still military power. That’s why Chen Lin had timed the Galactic Alliance’s founding announcement just before the Imperial Military Parade—a not-so-subtle reminder of who held the biggest guns.

“You did well. When it comes to proposals that determine the life or death of an entire civilization, the more detailed, the better. Submit it as is at tonight’s meeting.”

The proposal was about forty pages long—not a difficult read for Chen Lin. In under two minutes, he had finished reviewing the entire document and returned it to its folder.

“For the proposal sponsors, list Luofu, the Interstellar Rift Empire, and Sterbe. For co-sponsors, add Polvaz, the Lifelier Confederation, and Samoxi Forge.”

The co-sponsoring nations were all civilizations whose political structures had been ‘optimized’ by the Special Operations Bureau. Their new governments were entirely obedient to the Empire. Listing them as supporters would provide a reference point for other civilizations, making it easier for them to fall in line.

Qingque’s eyes flickered with understanding as she caught onto Chen Lin’s intent. She immediately nodded. “Got it. I’ll have someone visit these ambassadors and ask if they’re willing to sign.”

The two continued chatting about Luofu’s domestic situation. Qingque had real-time intelligence on Luofu, and much of the sensitive information that couldn’t be openly discussed was relayed through her.

Upon hearing that Jing Yuan’s economic intervention was showing results—with formerly 5,000–6,000 credit-priced goods now selling for around 1,000—yet still facing massive surplus stockpiles, Chen Lin knew it was time to accelerate Jarilo’s consumer goods aid and speed up the collapse of Luofu’s credit-based economy.

Additionally, Qingque brought even bigger news.

The Divination Commission had convened a meeting with the six major divisions and had officially approved an immigration treaty between the Xianzhou people and the Jariloans.

Moreover, in recognition of Chen Lin’s role in saving Luofu during the Arbor Crisis, the Xianzhou government had granted the Jarilo Governor’s Office and Qlipoth Fort administration the right to claim 15% of Luofu’s territory as a Special Tax-Exempt Zone.

Within this special zone, Chen Lin and Bronya could establish factories, shops, schools, and hospitals. Xianzhou citizens would be able to use Shieldnotes or Winter Shields for transactions instead of credits.

Of course, all profits from the zone would be ‘donated’ to Luofu’s government. Jing Yuan would then use the funds—along with Imperial technology assistance—to develop both military and civilian industries.

Repeating this cycle a few times would allow Luofu to break free from the impending collapse of its credit economy.

At the very least, they wouldn’t have to deal with corporate financial manipulation draining their treasury into perpetual deficits.

After a moment of thought, Chen Lin instructed, “Qingque, tell your boss he can go all-in. In two days, I’ll send enough basic consumer goods to last the entire Xianzhou population for five years, with deliveries every three months."

“Additionally, the Empire will establish production sectors within the Special Zone. Ask him what specific industries he wants, then report back to me.”

“Huh? You’re letting the General choose?”

“Obviously. How would I know exactly what Luofu needs?”

Chen Lin had already estimated Luofu’s daily consumer goods consumption—at peak demand, two units per day. But his own surplus production exceeded 300 units daily. Even if Luofu went into full consumption mode, it wouldn’t make a dent in his reserves.

Moreover, once Jing Yuan approved the construction, the Star Map would react accordingly.

Through it, Chen Lin had already observed Luofu’s city layouts, including Jing Yuan’s leadership traits.

Now, within the construction menu, two available building slots had lit up.

Additionally, twenty more slots had appeared—not labeled as districts but as production modules. Unlike standard districts, these modules required different resource inputs—food production needed energy, mineral production needed food, and so on…

With the right balance, exponential resource growth was entirely possible.

Chen Lin began listing priorities. “Minerals, food, consumer goods, military alloys… Just ask your boss what proportions he needs, and I’ll allocate production accordingly.”

Qingque’s face darkened. “…Old Chen, Luofu is a spaceship. You can build farms, factories, and refineries—but where the hell are we supposed to get minerals?!”

She had seen Jarilo’s mining districts—entire cities dedicated solely to extraction. But Luofu was just a giant ship.

Where were they supposed to find a freaking mine…?

"You don’t need to worry about whether there are mineral deposits or where the minerals come from. They’ll be there when we need them."

"Uh… okay then, I’ll ask the General about it tonight." Qingque jotted down the note in her planner.

With business out of the way, Qingque dragged a free Chen Lin—and a recently returned-from-strolling Bronya—into an hours-long board game session before finally heading back to the embassy.

Just as Chen Lin was about to turn back after seeing Qingque off at the gates of Qlipoth Fort, he spotted a very pleased-looking Phantylia returning to report in.

"Master, I have successfully completed my mission!" she announced cheerfully.

Chen Lin clapped a few times. "Good, good. Have you eaten?"

Phantylia pouted. "Master, you’re being so perfunctory with me…!"

"Alright, tell me, what’s the situation over there?"

"Of course!"

The Landau siblings had been responsible for quelling the rebellion in the Sterbian Autocracy, and the entire ground campaign had gone exceptionally smoothly.

With absolute dominance in both air and land combat, the millions-strong, well-trained rebel forces—along with over two hundred million forcibly conscripted new recruits—had no chance of resisting the assault from just a few thousand Psionic Legion troops.

By the third day, the rebellion was already showing signs of total collapse. The Peris royal family and its loyal provincial rulers desperately scrambled to reclaim lost territory, while the Psionic Army either bombed key rebel strongholds or assassinated high-ranking rebel leaders.

With the combined power of advanced technology and psionics, the Peris royal family had managed to reclaim all rebel territories without suffering significant losses. Aside from a few high-ranking rebels who perished in bombings and assassinations, the rest surrendered en masse.

The real problem wasn’t the conscripts, but the ruling families of the rebellious territories.

A week ago, Gepard’s report stated that over 300,000 members of these noble families had been captured, along with numerous rebel generals and officers.

By the end of the conflict, the total number of captured rebel nobles and officers had reached nearly a million.

These would be the ones facing severe punishment—sacrificial lambs to appease the fury of the royal family and the loyalist nobility.

Given the scale of the rebellion, the relatively low number of executions suggested that Peris' definition of killing an entire family was vastly different from Chen Lin’s.

Last week, upon receiving news of the rebellion’s defeat, Fia had returned to Sterbe.

For half a month before that, she had been shadowing Seele, studying interstellar fleet tactics. Seele had even mentioned to Chen Lin multiple times that Fia was a natural-born fleet commander, possessing talent so terrifyingly high that it was almost incomprehensible.

Then again, considering Fia was the heir of the legendary Great Khan, it wasn’t surprising.

Even though Chen Lin had never personally witnessed the nomadic empire of the Great Khan in this universe, he vividly remembered getting steamrolled by them in past games—sometimes even losing in the early stages because he couldn’t gather enough resources to bribe them.

The Peris bloodline had clearly inherited the Great Khan’s psionic abilities—and, as it turned out, their fleet command instincts as well, imprinted into their DNA as a unique racial trait.

And Fia had lived up to expectations. Not long after her return, Sterbe officially submitted a vassalization request.

The Sterbian Autocracy was now under Chen Lin’s dominion.

Whether the outside world acknowledged it or not, Sterbe was now permanently bound to him.

Since he had acquired a Great Khan-level fleet commander, Chen Lin had offered Sterbe an incredibly generous vassal contract—taking nothing in return.

Instead, he sent them 3,000 units of each essential resource, ensuring they could swiftly recover from the war.

A team of Imperial technological support specialists had already been assembled and would depart for Sterbe in a few days.

Much like what he had done with Xianzhou, Chen Lin had claimed vast amounts of Sterbe’s land and begun large-scale infrastructure projects.

If he had left it to the locals, it would’ve taken years to complete—time Chen Lin had neither the patience nor the interest to wait for.

His mind was already set on absorbing Sterbe as a proper Imperial province the moment the timer was up.

Beyond that, he noticed several event notifications had popped up.

Most of them detailed how the people of Sterbe were thrilled about becoming an Imperial vassal, rewarding him with tens of thousands of Unity points.

And today—

Chen Lin had just unlocked the final tier of the [Standardized Military] ascension path, officially completing it.

The newly available Ascension Perk slot was immediately filled with [Directed Evolution].

The genetic ascension process had begun!

As he thought about a certain foul-mouthed yet oddly graceful girl, Chen Lin figured she was probably having the time of her life executing traitors right now.

With over a million captives, she would have plenty to keep herself entertained for a while.

---

After reviewing the report Phantylia had delivered from the Landau siblings, Chen Lin confirmed that the Psionic Legion had suffered some casualties during the Sterbe campaign.

Phantylia reported, "Fifteen sustained minor injuries, one suffered an accidental severe injury, and four were critically wounded in battle."

Chen Lin put the report down. "As long as no one died, it’s fine. Consider this war a small baptism by fire—a valuable experience for them."

"Lord Gepard and Lady Serval have chosen to remain in Sterbe for now."

"They already reported it to me. They’re handling important matters."

The two were still stationed in Sterbe—Gepard assisting the Peris royal family in maintaining order, while Serval was analyzing the local natural gas composition.

They would return soon enough—no need for concern.

Phantylia, following the original plan, had staged a dramatic battle before an audience of Sterbe locals and Jariloan reporters.

She had delivered a near-fatal blow to ‘Phantylia’, forcing the Lord Ravager to flee in disgrace.

It was a legendary performance—the first time in history that someone had achieved fame by beating up their own identity.

Meanwhile, a number of rebel nobles had managed to ‘escape’ to Rilusian territory, conveniently smuggled out on stolen merchant ships orchestrated by Phantylia.

Now, Sterbe had officially demanded Rilusian hand over the fugitives.

But inside Rilusian borders, few of those traitors were still alive.

Rilusian, naturally, had no captives to return.

In fact, they could barely even communicate with the outside world anymore.

Chen Lin’s signal jamming network had completely severed the Rilusian star system’s external communications.

No messages were getting in.

No messages were getting out.

And once Rilusian’s last remaining resources had been squeezed dry…

Their very existence would no longer be necessary.

Right now, Rilusian was probably celebrating, thinking the Empire had generously agreed to sell them ships on a deposit-and-installment plan.

They were likely plotting their escape from the Jarilo sector, dreaming of a future where they could conquer new lands and resume their crusade of xenocide.

Later tonight, once the Galactic Alliance officially designated Rilusian as a galactic crisis, Topaz would ensure the news was broadcasted to every major civilization.

And once that happened—

Chen Lin would hold a press conference, where he and Bronya would sign an official extermination order against Rilusian.

By then, eliminating the threat would be the only logical course of action.

"Should I take my leave now?" Phantylia asked.

"Go ah—wait."

Chen Lin called her back.

"Prepare a speech. When we sign the extermination order, I’m also going to announce the opening of the L-Gate next month.

"Then we’ll see who objects to the decision.

"Once we have the list, hand it to the Special Operations Bureau and find an opportunity to deal with them."

---

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!