Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [303]

As the host, Chen Lin, along with Bronya and a few proactive leaders from various civilizations, engaged in casual conversations, he gradually gained insight into the typical development of civilizations.

A significant number of them were reliant on the IPC...

In fact, they could hardly be called civilizations. These planets had been transformed into massive industrial facilities by the IPC—each one specialized in producing different components. Some planets, rich in mineral reserves, had been mined into landscapes riddled with abandoned pits, while others, devoid of both people and resources, had been repurposed into sites for heavily polluting industries.

Even though the IPC made efforts to offer environmental improvement services, the conditions on these heavily polluted planets remained unbearable.

That said, some civilizations had become service-oriented, turning into tourism planets. IPC favored categorizing planets into distinct functional types, as this strategy significantly reduced costs and increased industrial concentration.

But the most important effect was ensuring these civilizations could never become independent.

For example, the construction of a single interstellar transport ship required:

• Installation workers from Civilization A,

• Ore from Civilization B,

• Refined metal from Civilization C,

• Design schematics from Civilization D,

• A metal hull manufactured by Civilization E,

• And ultra-high precision components produced by Civilization F...

Under such a system, building even a simple transport ship required the cooperation of dozens, if not hundreds, of civilizations. The absence of any single component would halt production. As a result, once a civilization’s economy specialized in a particular industry, it became entirely dependent on it—forever bound to its role. Prices weren’t dictated by them; The IPC provided the factories and technology, while they provided the labor…

Even the leaders of these civilizations, despite their high status, felt utterly powerless in the face of IPC dominance.

Bribing IPC branch managers had become routine—practically a weekly necessity. Otherwise, a simple report or recommendation sent back to headquarters could instantly trigger mass layoffs or economic collapse. Who could possibly withstand that kind of pressure?

Chen Lin, however, reassured them. The Empire planned to share various basic weapons and technologies with the Starborne Collective, laying the foundation for its member states to grow prosperous and independent. After all, the Empire was benevolent—it couldn't stand to see its allies suffer in hardship.

Most leaders were primarily concerned with the Starborne Collective, but a few inquired whether Chen Lin was interested in conducting business with other civilizations. This question immediately drew significant attention from the surrounding leaders.

After all, their brief visit to the Empire had already left them utterly captivated by its abundance of advanced technological products. The mere thought of returning home and losing access to such conveniences made their skin crawl as if infested with ants.

“We will,” Chen Lin answered. “However, the Empire doesn’t particularly favor conventional currency transactions. We only accept what we call ‘hard commodities.’”

He proceeded to explain the concept, which primarily revolved around minerals and energy—two major resource categories. Chen Lin also described the general properties of certain rare materials.

His explanation instantly piqued the interest of several leaders, who claimed their planets contained crystalline and particulate substances resembling these rare resources.

According to their descriptions, crystalline minerals with the [Rare Crystal] trait were commonly used on their planets for crafting decorative accessories and were occasionally exported to other civilizations for profit.

As for [Volatile Motes], most civilizations considered them hazardous materials. In their unstable state, these motes were highly explosive and served no purpose beyond manufacturing explosives. Given the immense cost of stabilizing them, civilizations that harbored [Volatile Motes] typically cordoned off such areas to prevent accidental vaporization of the population.

The way they described it… the reserves seemed substantial.

Chen Lin took note of the names of these resource-rich civilizations and provided terminal contact information for the Qlipoth Fort to all those interested in using resources as trade currency.

One civilization, whose planet was plagued by extreme winds due to its unique environment, immediately signed an energy exchange agreement with Chen Lin. They agreed to supply 10,000 units of energy, which the Empire could take freely without covering transport costs. In return, they would receive:

• 10 units of food (enough for their population to feast for a month)

• 2 units of various consumer goods (more than sufficient to fulfill all their consumer needs and alleviate internal shortages)

Due to the planet’s extreme conditions, its agricultural output was abysmal, and arable land was scarce. Apart from energy, they had virtually nothing.

Understanding their plight, Chen Lin generously added an extra 5 units of food and 1 unit of consumer goods to every transaction. If they permitted the Empire to construct a few small buildings on their planet, the trade volume could increase even further.

By the end of the deal, the leader of the civilization was so overwhelmed with gratitude that they nearly dropped to their knees in tears.

To them, this exchange felt like trading a worthless piece of fabric for ten cartloads of high-quality grain and an additional cartload of luxury goods.

They were ecstatic. So was Chen Lin.

At that moment, he finally understood why the IPC loved doing business. The profit margins were simply absurd!

Of course, the primary reason he could afford such deals was the Empire’s astronomical food production. While most civilizations barely achieved self-sufficiency, a single agricultural district in the Empire could generate surplus food with ease.

At present, [Paradox Interactive]’s market price for food had plummeted to 0.3 units of food per unit of energy—and that was after he had dumped a massive surplus on the Xianzhou fleet out of sheer laziness. Even with every food-consuming policy enabled, the Empire still had a +190 daily surplus. Every month, the warehouses overflowed multiple times. Despite already stockpiling 70,000 units of food, there was still no space left to store more…

Upon witnessing others secure beneficial deals, the remaining leaders refused to lag behind. One after another, they eagerly offered their own national resources in exchange for the Empire’s goods.

The crowd soon became overwhelming. Unable to handle negotiations personally, Chen Lin delegated the task to Pela and Phantylia, instructing them to finalize prices before seeking his approval.

As the evening progressed, the banquet hall buzzed with lively discussions as leaders deliberated potential trade agreements with the Empire. Even Emperor Molav of Rilu, known for his obsessive cleanliness, seemed keen on doing business—hovering near Phantylia and Pela for an extended period.

Meanwhile, Jing Yuan and Topaz were engrossed in heated conversations, and even Asta appeared to have encountered an old acquaintance.

With the banquet’s political objectives fully achieved, Chen Lin took Bronya and Seele and discreetly left the hall, leaving the closing formalities to Pela and Phantylia. Particularly Phantylia—being privy to many of Chen Lin’s secrets, including general resource exchange ratios—was someone he completely trusted with the task.

As night fell, the banquet, which had begun in the afternoon, continued well into the evening. Thanks to Pela and Phantylia’s efficiency, the leaders simply submitted their proposed prices via terminal, awaiting approval. Accepted deals were forwarded to Chen Lin, while rejected ones were sent back for revision.

Within two hours, they had processed every trade request from the civilizations interested in doing business with the Empire. Chen Lin quickly signed off on the approvals, paving the way for formal contracts and official cooperation in the near future.

Just then, a towering figure approached Phantylia. She glanced at his identity and smiled.

"Lord Molav, how may I assist you?"

Indeed, it was none other than Emperor Molav of Rilusia—a civilization Phantylia had recently wreaked havoc upon, leaving it severely weakened.

Molav spoke in a measured tone, “I wish to make a trade with the great Interstellar Rift Empire.”

"Of course, please go ahead," Phantylia responded with her signature professional smile.

After casting a cautious glance around to ensure no one was paying attention, Molav lowered his voice and asked, “Does the great Interstellar Rift Empire sell those warships in orbit?”

"Pu—!"

Pela nearly spat out her tea. Hastily using her psionics to clean the table, she awkwardly apologized, "Ah, my bad, my bad. Please continue."

Phantylia maintained her composed, practiced smile. "Lord Molav, surely you're joking? You’re the first person to make such a request!"

Most leaders were simply looking to trade for resources or products their nations lacked, but only this one—the Emperor of the Blood Court Regime—had the audacity to ask about purchasing warships.

Molav did his best to put on a friendly smile, but to Phantylia, it was even more amusing than Pela’s earlier tea-spitting incident.

Under her intrigued gaze, Molav spoke. “To be frank with you both, Rilu-Ⅰ is facing total annihilation. Not long ago, the IPC attempted to subjugate us by force, but in the face of the unyielding Rilusian people, they chose to withdraw. However, a far more terrifying existence has since descended upon us. I… I have learned through other channels that this entity is none other than the notorious Lord Ravager, Phantylia!”

“Oh my! The Legion’s Lord Ravager?!” Phantylia covered her mouth in mock shock.

“That’s right…” A flash of hostility flickered in Molav’s eyes. “Our military suffered devastating losses—no one could withstand the slaughter wrought by the Lord Ravager. So, I… I came to the Empire not only to attend this ceremony but also in hopes of trading resources for weapons. We must defend our nation!”

Phantylia feigned distress. “B-but… I don’t have that kind of authority! Besides, Imperial warships are incredibly expensive. Even the IPC backed off from purchasing them due to the cost.”

Even the IPC wanted to buy Imperial equipment?

Molav latched onto that key detail. His face was filled with the helplessness of a ruler confronted by his nation’s weakness. He pressed further.

“Chief Guard, you could at least consult the great Governor on this matter. The lives of three billion Rilusians hang in the balance. As their Emperor, I cannot stand by and watch my people suffer at the hands of the cruel Lord Ravager…”

Cruel? You’re being way too polite with your insults.

Phantylia scoffed internally but maintained an outward expression of deep empathy.

“I will do my best. I trust that Rilusia will find a way to resist the Legion’s aggression, and the Empire will aid your nation however it can.”

“Ah…”

“I’ll have someone contact you once I have an update, Lord Molav. Would that be acceptable?”

“You have my deepest gratitude!”

With that, Molav left in a daze. But Phantylia knew better—this guy was putting on an act.

She remembered how, not long ago, she had turned Rilu-Ⅰ into a horror story parents told their children to keep them in line. When she crushed Molav’s personally led army of 100,000, he had sworn to tear her apart limb by limb and purge the filthy offworlders from existence.

Yet here he was, playing the part of a reasonable, benevolent monarch—utterly harmless, even dignified.

Well, to be fair, he did seem to genuinely care for Rilusians. He just happened to hate outsiders. That made things much simpler.

Pela, equally curious, watched as Emperor Molav disappeared into the distance. She then set up a quick private transmission with Phantylia.

“Do the IPC still have any interest in buying our warships…? Or were you just lying to him?”

“Oh, I was absolutely lying,” Phantylia replied cheerfully, shrugging.

“…Why?”

Though Pela was already stunned by Molav’s audacious request, she still didn’t understand Phantylia’s reasoning. Even if the Empire had no intention of selling warships, it would’ve been quicker to just decline outright rather than waste time weaving a deception.

If this was just Phantylia’s twisted sense of humor at play, Pela wouldn’t hesitate to give her a lecture. After all, no matter how ridiculous Molav was, he was still a guest of the Empire.

Both of them held significant positions—Pela as Chief Political Advisor and Head of Intelligence, and Phantylia as the Governor’s Chief Guard. While they weren’t the most powerful figures present, in this room filled with foreign leaders, they were speaking on behalf of Chen Lin and Bronya.

They weren’t the leaders—but at this moment, they might as well be.

Any diplomatic scandal would be an absolute nightmare to clean up.

Phantylia blinked playfully. “Because my master ordered me to.”

“…I see! If Sir Chen Lin has chosen this approach, then it must serve an important purpose!” Pela nodded immediately, fully convinced.

Phantylia: “…”

She could read Pela like a book. She knew exactly what Pela had been worrying about, and she had planned to tease her a little.

But instead of taking the bait, Pela instantly fell back on absolute trust in Chen Lin.

What could Phantylia even say to that? …She had to admit, Pela’s devotion to her dear Sir Chen Lin was truly unshakable.

---

Meanwhile, Fia finally received the answer she had been hoping for. The tension and uncertainty she had been carrying eased, allowing her to relax and begin mingling with the other leaders.

For most of them, technology and resources were the primary concerns. Their initial conversations revolved around which products their civilizations specialized in and what they lacked. While formal trade agreements weren’t necessarily the goal, establishing potential side deals was always a good move.

However, Sterbe’s situation was… less ideal. Their technology lagged behind, and their mineral reserves had been heavily exploited by the IPC centuries ago. As a result, after just a few brief exchanges, most leaders quickly found excuses to move on.

Fia was no fool—she could tell they didn’t see any value in her civilization. Sterbe had nothing to offer, and it was on bad terms with the IPC to boot.

In a way, she and Molav were both outsiders here—default pariahs among the gathered leaders.

The few people who approached her weren’t interested in Sterbe at all. They were interested in her.

Well, well… Looks like I’m more charming than I thought. Even these offworlders can’t resist me!

Sterbe’s culture had shaped Fia into a bold, rough-edged woman, and she couldn’t care less about the hostile, predatory gazes some of the leaders threw her way. In fact, she took pride in it.

As the banquet wound down, Pela dispatched her Psionic Honor Guards and Imperial Attendants to escort the guests out. Then, she made her way toward a familiar figure standing alone in the corner of the hall.

“Miss Fia, please come with me.”

---

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!