Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [294]

With the company's massive issuance of credits, their value continued to depreciate. A cup of Immortal's Delight Tea, which once cost only 3 credits, had skyrocketed over a thousandfold in just a few decades!

Countless Xianzhou citizens who had once lived decent lives found themselves unable to afford even a meal within days, sparking numerous riots.

No one knew exactly how many local businesses had gone bankrupt in the process, nor how much of the market share the Interastral Peace Corporation had swallowed up.

No one had a clear answer.

The academy resources that were originally under the control of various Xianzhou governments also saw an influx of private academies due to the company’s interference. Some of these academies even surpassed Xianzhou's own in faculty quality and education standards, further squeezing the already limited space for local institutions.

Apart from a few well-established academies that stubbornly held their ground, Luofu alone had over 3,000 privately funded academies established with corporate investments.

Once education fell under corporate control, the questions of what could be taught, what should be taught, and what kind of students should be cultivated were no longer for the Xianzhou to decide. Instead, these decisions were made by corporate officials stationed in Luofu.

The everyday goods industry had fallen entirely into corporate hands, more than one-fifth of the land had been bought up, 70% of food and 95% of metal were imported from the corporation, textile factories were under corporate divisions, and the vast majority of chemical enterprises were owned outright by the corporation. Education was also on the verge of complete monopoly…

Judging by the company’s current trajectory, its next target was likely the pharmaceutical sector. The Alchemy Commission had never held a strong position to begin with, and after the Phantylia Crisis, it had suffered a severe decline, leaving it vulnerable to corporate takeover.

If the corporation gained control over pharmaceuticals, then the Six Commissions would become nothing more than a hollow shell!

At present, when corporate personnel acted high and mighty on the Xianzhou, most leaders chose to endure in silence. The fragile economy of the Xianzhou was no longer what it once was—it simply could not withstand even the slightest blow from the corporation.

If even Luofu, the wealthiest among the Xianzhou Alliance, had to bow to the corporation, what hope did the other Xianzhou have?

If not for this, Jing Yuan would never have taken the risk of signing a series of secret agreements with Chen Lin, despite knowing little about the Empire.

How much worse could it get, anyway?

Fortunately, Chen Lin had not let Jing Yuan down. His gamble had paid off, giving him an early advantage. There was now a strong possibility that he would be the first lucky one to benefit from siding with the Empire.

Fu Xuan had reviewed these secret agreements, and the most crucial one was the establishment of an economic organization between Luofu and the Empire. This would allow free trade using the Xianzhou’s own Strale and Jarilo’s Winter City Shields, with the Empire providing certain technological guarantees to protect Luofu’s economic autonomy.

Additionally, a political organization was to be formed, spearheaded by the Empire, which would later find ways to include other civilizations.

This organization would act as a unified body, collectively discussing and enforcing political, economic, social, and cultural agreements. The signatory nations would commit themselves to building a harmonious and stable interstellar community.

It seemed there were even plans to implement a weighted voting system based on deliberations among the members, digitally calculating the influence of each vote. Furthermore, three civilizations would be elected from among the organization as permanent council members, each granted special privileges.

If Fu Xuan remembered correctly, this political organization was called… the Interstellar Rift Community?

Above Jarilo-VI’s orbit, warships drifted in formation. With the exception of the Sky-Faring Commission, which had to remain in Luofu, the heads of the other commissions had all traveled with the delegation.

At this moment, these highly influential figures of the Xianzhou were gathered in the same room.

Fu Xuan relaxed her furrowed brows and spoke, “General, you insisted on coming in person—is this about the Community organization?”

Jing Yuan chuckled. “You’re as sharp as ever, Diviner Fu. This matter is of great importance; I must personally discuss it with my dear brother.”

“This is indeed one of the key matters. If I couldn’t be here in person, or if I left it entirely in your hands, I wouldn’t be able to rest easy.”

“Then leave it to me!” Fu Xuan thumped her chest confidently. “I do have a few skills—I won’t let you lose face, General.”

Jing Yuan shook his head. “Diviner Fu, you have more important matters to attend to. I would feel guilty burdening you with such trivial affairs.”

“What important matters do I have?”

“Don’t you want to see what our dear brother does in his private time?”

Fu Xuan: “……”

When the top two leaders were speaking, no one else dared to interrupt without explicit permission.

Every head of the Six Commissions was appointed by Jing Yuan. If he decided that someone was unfit for their position, they would instantly lose all their power and status.

Their interests were tightly bound to Jing Yuan’s, so whatever they heard in this room would have to remain buried deep inside them—nothing could leak out.

“One of the key matters?”

“Precisely.”

Jing Yuan gazed out the window, a smile curling at his lips, before making an incredibly bold statement.

“Diviner Fu, do you think the Empire would be willing to let Luofu take root in this star sector for the time being?”

Fu Xuan: “???”

Jing Yuan acted as if he hadn’t noticed Fu Xuan’s stunned expression and continued, “Luofu’s primary role in the Alliance today is providing material support and economic backing. While we conduct trade with many merchant fleets, the bulk of our business is still with civilizations under the corporation’s banner."

“To them, Luofu is merely a transit hub. The substantial foreign trade taxes may grant Luofu a fleeting period of commercial prosperity, but this is not a sustainable path.”

Outsiders only saw the prosperous trade network that Luofu had built, but as a general, Jing Yuan saw far more than that.

There are countless transit hubs out there. What sets Luofu apart and gives it a competitive edge over others?

The answer lay in its mobility.

Yes, the Xianzhou was one of the few civilizations in the galaxy capable of freely soaring across the vast universe!

With such technology and capability, Luofu had single-handedly built itself into a trade metropolis, outshining countless other transit hubs and establishing its name.

However, after witnessing the Empire’s ability to toss minerals and food into the void and have them delivered directly to the Xianzhou, Jing Yuan couldn’t help but wonder—

Can Luofu’s current way of life remain prosperous in the future?

After extensive calculations and evaluations, an unfortunate answer had emerged—

No.

Jing Yuan had been in contact with Chen Lin for over a year now. This seemingly gentle-faced young man was, in truth, anything but soft-hearted. Jing Yuan had sensed his immense ambition long ago.

With the Empire’s technology and power, it was bound to bring about a massive transformation across the cosmos. Long-distance transportation would no longer take excessive time—goods could reach their destination without needing to stop for refueling or resupply.

Under such circumstances, would transit hubs still hold the same importance?

"That joke isn’t funny, General."

Fu Xuan’s expression darkened as she warned, "If you want to step down early, just say so. I wouldn’t mind taking over. There’s no need to deliberately provoke the Marshal and the other generals into forcing you out with such antics."

Jing Yuan propped his chin on one hand, looking utterly at ease. "They won’t do that."

"They will!" Fu Xuan shot back. "The resources and economies of all six Xianzhou ships are indirectly dependent on Luofu for balance. If we recklessly abandon our prime position, how could Luofu possibly remain an indispensable stopover for interstellar travel? What about the money? The supplies?"

Even if Chen Lin promised to support Luofu’s development and provide technological and resource aid, that was a matter for decades down the line.

If Luofu lost its role as a trade hub, it would struggle to collect taxes, and internal stability would become a monumental challenge. And if Luofu faltered, how could the other Xianzhou fare any better?

Fu Xuan wasn’t wrong in her reasoning. But for Jing Yuan to say what he did, it meant he was already brimming with confidence.

"Who says Luofu can’t do business just because it relocates? Diviner Fu, sometimes you need to broaden your thinking. Consider the Empire—consider the Empire’s neighbors. Do you really think trade with those civilizations doesn’t count as business?"

Jing Yuan spread his hands and let out a soft sigh.

"Luofu’s purpose doesn’t have to be limited to being just a transit hub. And the Xianzhou people… don’t have to be a dangerous factor that must be kept under strict population control."

From what Jing Yuan knew, Chen Lin had been forthright about Jarilo’s greatest shortage—people.

On Jarilo-VI alone, over 15 billion job positions had been established but remained unfilled. And that was without even considering the two colonial planets undergoing rapid infrastructure and city development.

Within the Empire’s ever-expanding star domain, there were plenty of habitable planets—at least a dozen that could be developed for settlement in the future. Moreover, the Empire had the technology to terraform environments.

Unlike the corporation’s climate modification, the Empire’s terraforming process took longer but boasted a 100% success rate.

That fact alone was enough to make Jing Yuan waver.

He knew the Empire could extract vast quantities of minerals and resources without depleting deposits—a technique the corporation itself had publicly acknowledged.

A little logical thinking was all it took for Jing Yuan to realize:

To the Empire, a planet wasn’t just a celestial body; it was a perpetual resource factory. And population? Population was the cogs that kept these factories running.

Even planets deemed uninhabitable could be gradually transformed into livable land, while their internal resources could be adjusted to reach a degree of self-sufficiency. The excess would then be seen as "profit"—the fuel that powered the Empire’s military and industrial machine.

A single planet might not provide much. But what about ten? Twenty? A hundred?

The efficiency of the Empire’s operations would skyrocket at a rate beyond the reach of countless civilizations.

And the most crucial part…

The Empire didn’t require its people to work around the clock in endless overtime. Once you met your daily production quota, you went home. Even if you wanted to work extra hours, your request might not even be approved.

Housing, food, and basic necessities were dirt cheap. Any skill or ambition you wanted to pursue? The Empire covered all material costs.

Parents only needed to raise their children while at home—everything else was taken care of by the government.

Education, hobbies, personal development…

The Empire provided it all.

Compared to 99.9% of the known universe, life in the Empire was practically a paradise. People were desperate to get in.

From a purely rational perspective, Jing Yuan believed planets and population would always be essential commodities to the Empire.

Controlling birth rates? Pausing population growth? Such basic population management was something every Xianzhou vessel knew how to handle.

By leveraging the Xianzhou’s unique population dynamics, they could ensure that their people never faced unemployment, while the Empire gained access to a steady labor force and resource supply. Both sides would become mutually dependent—eventually reaching a point where neither could function without the other.

Of course, the Xianzhou would be the more passive party in this arrangement.

But Jing Yuan saw this deal as nothing short of a windfall from the heavens.

The potential of the Jarilo sector was so vast that he didn’t even dare to fathom its limits.

"A new location doesn’t mean we can’t do business…? Population…?"

Fu Xuan’s eyes narrowed as she muttered to herself, repeating the key phrases Jing Yuan had emphasized.

She began aligning these ideas with what she knew about the Empire. Then, like a bolt of lightning, realization struck her—her lips even trembled slightly.

"General, are you suggesting… binding ourselves to the Empire?"

"And why not?"

Jing Yuan shrugged before adding playfully, "Besides, if you ever want to visit our dear brother, it wouldn’t be far. Isn’t that convenient? Haha!"

Fu Xuan ignored his teasing and spoke seriously instead. "The other Xianzhou… persuading them won’t be easy."

"Why do you think I personally made this trip?"

Jing Yuan stretched lazily. "If I can put tangible benefits in front of them—things they can see and touch—that’s far more persuasive than empty words or signed agreements.

"Words are cheap. Treaties can be torn up and used as toilet paper at any time, can’t they?"

"Then… your dear brother might find himself in a difficult position," Fu Xuan said, frowning slightly. "I, for one, refuse to be the villain in this. If someone needs to take the blame, it’s going to be you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jing Yuan let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"Tell me, have you ever considered the possibility that our dear brother intended for us to pick up on this?"

Fu Xuan froze, her gaze sharpening. Her tone grew displeased.

"Jing Yuan, why was I never informed of this?"

"He did mention it in front of you," Jing Yuan replied, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. "Of course, he couldn’t just spell it out for us…"

Jing Yuan recalled the scene vividly. "Our dear brother directly asked about Ambassador Natasha’s work. Then he brought up the idea that the Mara-stricken and longevity itself might not be a bad thing for the Xianzhou."

"And then—he just so happened to grumble about Jarilo’s severe job shortages. Diviner Fu, did you really think he was just making small talk?"

Small talk? Nonsense. That had clearly been a calculated move to gauge their reactions while subtly laying the groundwork for discussion!

Fu Xuan wasn’t slow—she just sometimes focused on other details instead.

"Ahem…! Of course, I noticed. I was merely concerned that you might not have caught on."

"Yes, yes, Diviner Fu is ever so wise and perceptive. Thank you for pointing it out in time!" Jing Yuan said, half-amused.

"…"

Fu Xuan scoffed, turning her head away. She knew she had no ground to argue further, so she changed the subject with forced nonchalance.

"Then tell me—what could we offer the other generals? Something they can see, touch, something so tempting they can’t refuse… while also ensuring corporate divisions don’t steal the profits?"

"Strategic resources."

Fu Xuan frowned. "What kind of strategic resources?"

Jing Yuan raised a single finger.

"Food."

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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!