Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [283]

"Before I came here, back when I had just left university, I spent a year working at a research institute."

"During that time, I participated in numerous projects, each one representing a step forward, capable of influencing the progress of society. It was my first real taste of professional work after leaving school. But I never resented the long nights or the overtime—if anything, I thrived on it. I loved the feeling of creating value, not just for my country, but for myself."

"Whenever I saw the news reporting how a project I had worked on had improved people’s lives, how it had saved countless lives today… all my exhaustion would vanish in an instant. I felt a deep, genuine joy—not just for myself, but for my team."

"My professors… and my family, too, weren’t particularly supportive of my career choices. My situation was unique, and they worried that being buried in research wasn’t a good path for me."

"I understood how much my stubbornness had troubled them. But some burdens must be carried, and some changes must come—without delay."

"And so, I came here. I became a governor, overseeing the outer territories of the Empire, doing my best to stay true to my ideals—to ensure that more people could live in peace and happiness."

Chen Lin’s smile carried a weight of years beyond his own. His sincerity was undeniable, and for the first time, Topaz caught a glimpse into the past of the man before her.

They say sincerity is the ultimate weapon—and not a single word of Chen Lin’s story was a lie.

Topaz sat there, dazed. So he must have been forced to give up the job he loved most… only to be unwillingly “promoted” into an imperial governor.

In her own life, every choice she had made had been hers alone.

Signing a lifelong contract with the company.
Acting the villain to save the lives of those on distant planets.
Even executing the decisions she had just made moments ago.

All of it—every choice—had been hers. Could she really call it "being forced"?

Chen Lin let out a soft sigh.

"So often, I wish to avoid conflict… yet conflict comes to me regardless. If I turn away, I betray the people who trust in me. But if I don’t… then the fires of war might consume innocent civilizations.

"I despise seeing families—once peaceful and whole—torn apart by the horrors of battle.

"Miss Jelena, I sincerely apologize for everything I’ve done to you. But I had no other choice. I needed to find the best solution. And you… you became the one caught in between.

"As a governor, I truly am sorry."

Before she realized it, Topaz found her hands enveloped in warmth.

His palms were large and steady, unbothered by the dirt she had accumulated while crawling on the floor. His thumb brushed gently over the back of her hand, and for a fleeting moment, his gaze flickered with something close to regret—so faint that it seemed he was trying to suppress it.

Strangely, she didn’t resist.

The revulsion, the instinctive rejection she had felt toward him earlier… it was gone.

All she could think was—he’s even more pitiful than I am.

At least she had always had the freedom to choose her future.

But he… never did.

She wanted to say something—anything—to comfort him.

To tell this governor—who was younger than her yet bore the weight of an entire nation—that he had done more than well enough. That he had already surpassed his peers in strength and resilience.

Especially after seeing his empire firsthand—

A nation so prosperous, its military might so formidable, yet it had never resorted to brute force in annexing weaker civilizations.

A country without corruption, where citizens went about their days with genuine happiness, their laughter ringing through the streets like music.

Families were whole. Workers never complained about the hardships of their labor. In fact, they often wanted to work overtime, only to be turned away by their supervisors, forced to follow the empire’s strict "six hours of work, six hours of family time, six hours of personal freedom, and six hours of rest" policy.

The work ethic here was unparalleled.

Back in the company, the mere thought of such a thing would have seemed like a fantasy. Workers there would never dream of putting in so much effort of their own volition.

And yet, under his rule—with the Empire’s technological advancements—it was real.

She had been so naive when she first arrived, nitpicking flaws in the Empire’s systems, convinced that their overly generous welfare policies would eventually collapse the nation under their own weight.

But the longer she stayed, the more she realized—she had only been looking at a tiny sliver of the sky, while the Empire was reaching for the vast, unbroken horizon.

She wanted to tell Chen Lin—you are an outstanding governor.

You have done right by the Empire, and you have done right by the people of Jarilo.

And in that moment, the last thread of resistance within her snapped.

She no longer hated this man.

No—she hated herself.

She hated the company.

They had come under the banner of mutual benefit, yet their true goal was to desecrate the Empire’s ideals—to trample on this governor’s dream.

I’m disgusting…

"I don’t blame you," Topaz finally whispered, summoning her courage to meet his gaze. "I know you had no choice."

She hesitated before continuing, voice trembling, "The truth is… we were the ignorant ones. We belittled the Empire’s great—"

Before she could finish, Chen Lin gently covered her mouth with his hand.

He took a deep breath and spoke firmly, "You are not wrong. This is nothing more than a difference in perspective."

"There is no such thing as right or wrong."

"If I were in your position, I would have made the same choices."

"The real instability doesn’t come from us—it comes from those who seek to monopolize the entire galaxy’s wealth."

"Those who prioritize short-term profit over greater ideals."

"Those who are so consumed by greed that they have no bottom line—who will compromise their morals the moment the price is high enough."

Topaz’s eyes widened, glistening with unshed tears.

He was right.

She had witnessed far too many civilizations, seen too much suffering.

Could anyone truly claim to know what was right?

The company had successfully transformed countless planetary environments—but it had also failed just as many times.

For every planet that thrived, there was another that had been rendered uninhabitable.

The leaders of those planets—were they right or wrong?

The company itself—was it right or wrong?

There was no such thing.

Only differences in position and perspective.

Chen Lin’s gaze burned with conviction. "No matter how treacherous the road ahead, the Empire will keep moving forward. I will keep moving forward."

"Even if the path leads into an abyss—I will not hesitate."

Hearing those words, Topaz finally understood.

At first, she had never understood why Asta had spoken so highly of Chen Lin—so perfectly, so glowingly.

She had even suspected that her friend had been deceived.

She could never comprehend how such a cunning, ruthless man had managed to capture Asta’s admiration.

But now, she knew.

This was his armor. His shield.

A means to protect himself—and the people under his rule.

I see now. I finally understand…

"Miss Jelena," Chen Lin said, "are you aware of the ‘Machine Plague Nebula’ that’s been appearing recently?"

"I—I’ve heard of it. It might be some kind of unknown cosmic phenomenon. The Genius Society has sent people to investigate, but they haven’t released any conclusive reports yet."

Topaz paused, recalling what she had read.

"They say that inorganic lifeforms exposed to the nebula start exhibiting abnormalities. Organic beings show no immediate symptoms, but after a few months… their cells begin to mutate. But no one knows what happens after that."

"They turn into cyborgs," Chen Lin said. "And eventually, into fully inorganic lifeforms—completely under external control."

"This disaster was recorded in the Empire’s archives. It happened tens of billions of Amber Eras ago—a catastrophe known as the ‘Nano Plague’…"

As he spoke, Topaz’s breath caught in her throat.

"…Your Excellency," she whispered. "Why… why are you telling me this?"

"Yes, everyone in the universe has the right to know about this. But the Empire has never sought to be a hero—so the truth of this matter should not come from us, nor from me. It should come from you."

Chen Lin shook his head and spoke gently, "I’ve looked into your background, Miss Jelena. May I ask you something? Just as you often say in your work: 'Debts must be repaid—it’s only right and just.' One day, your homeland will clear its debts. As a senior employee of Interastral Peace Corporation, where do you think your home will go from there?"

"Where will it go?"—not "where should it go?"

With those words, the man before her had subtly unearthed the deepest, most hidden truth buried in her heart.

He was right.

Topaz had always believed she was passionate about her work. The company had given her a platform to save civilizations, and the benefits she received were generous—enough to place her comfortably among the wealthy elite.

But was she the kind of person who sat atop her throne, oblivious to the struggles below, gazing upon a world that seemed peaceful only from her vantage point?

Of course not.

She had always paid close attention to the conditions of lower-level employees. She knew that the people of her homeland had joined the company because of a single contract—exchanging their freedom for survival, nothing more.

If even the Director of P45 Headquarters could be offered up to appease the Empire, then the fate of the others could only be imagined.

That was why she had always pursued greater power—to prove her value, to fight for a better life for her people. She hoped that, after dozens of Amber Eras, her homeland would no longer be just another cold statistic buried in the company’s ledgers, but a living, breathing civilization.

Until now, she had never shared this thought with anyone.

She had simply wanted to try.

If she succeeded, her people would have another path—one not dictated by the whims of future generations, one not monopolized by the company, where survival was possible without suffocating under oppression.

And if she failed… then she would bury these thoughts deep within her heart and live out her days in silence.

Yet here, in the very hotel room she had lived in for months, someone had uncovered her most carefully guarded secret in a single sentence.

Not even the most advanced lie-detecting relics or Jarilo’s telepaths could have pried this from her mind.

Topaz's eyes widened in shock. "Y-Your Excellency… how do you know?"

Chen Lin chuckled and shook his head. "I told you, we are the same kind of people. After reading your background, I knew—if I were in your position, I too would fight for my homeland’s freedom. I would climb as high as I could, even if it meant becoming the villain in my own people’s eyes… even if it meant sacrificing my own freedom entirely."

She knew that if he had been reading her mind, she would have sensed it.

But mind-reading only scratched the surface—it could never delve deep enough to uncover something so hidden.

So… he really is just like me.

A kindred spirit.

A silent understanding between souls.

To exist in an ever-expanding universe, amidst an ever-growing population—most people lived their entire lives as strangers, passing by one another like ships in the night.

Two identical stars might exist somewhere in the cosmos, but who could say if they would ever meet?

They exchanged no words, yet they understood each other completely.

She did not want to see civilizations being "saved," only to find themselves trapped in another form of suffering. He sought to create a universe where all could coexist in harmony.

She wanted to prevent another Border Star Trade War, another bloody rebellion against the company. He wanted to forge a world where people stood united in the face of crisis.

She hated seeing workers toil themselves to death, collapsing from overwork just to earn a living. He wanted every citizen to have food, shelter, and a life of dignity.

"Gov—"

Topaz parted her lips, about to address him with the utmost respect, only for him to lift a finger to his lips in a hush gesture.

"No need for formality. I want to be your friend. Friends stand as equals—they are mutual. You may call me by my name. At work, formal titles are fine, but in private, call me whatever you like. If you don’t want to, that’s fine too. I understand the constraints of our positions."

He… he wants to be my friend?!

Topaz’s eyes widened, disbelief written all over her face.

For someone as broad-minded, as noble, as action-driven as him… do I even deserve this?

She recalled that Xianzhou girl—the one she had dismissed so easily upon their first meeting.

Now, she finally understood.

She had been blinded by "position", and it had distorted the truth before her eyes.

She was right… no, she corrected herself. He said there is no right or wrong.

So… was it simply that I had failed to see the full picture?

Unnoticed, the space between them had drawn closer and closer.

Yet Topaz felt unworthy of such proximity.

She had once dared to imagine something like this happening—but now, she realized how foolish that had been.

What a ridiculous fantasy…

And yet, the more she leaned in, the more she found comfort in his presence.

A warmth that made her want to let her guard down, to trust him completely.

Her voice trembled with hope. "Will that day… really come?"

"It will."

Chen Lin gazed out the window, his voice steady.

"Once we have cleared away the greedy, the selfish, and the corrupt… why should the vastness of the universe not unite us as one? Why should we not stand together against the dangers that lurk in the dark?"

"This is not about the strong conquering the weak—it is about a birthright."

"A right that belongs to all sentient beings."

"And I will do everything in my power to make it happen."

"Even if, in the end, I must walk this path alone."

Topaz took a deep breath.

Her world had shifted.

Her vision had expanded, as if she had been staring through a narrow crack, only to have the entire sky open before her.

Her eyes shone with clarity and determination.

She raised a hand to her chest in a solemn gesture, bowing slightly.

"Then allow me to walk this path with you—until my last breath."

And in that moment—

Something unseen stirred.

She felt multiple gazes settle upon her.

Even if only for an instant, she was aware of a strange new force awakening within her body.

It was fluid, yet storm-like.

Soft as water, yet fierce as a hurricane.

A force that absorbed and fused, constantly evolving into something else entirely.

What… is this?

But that was not the most pressing matter.

Just as she was contemplating how she should address this man—this leader, this guide—this unwavering force in her life…

A voice, laced with teasing amusement, echoed in her ear.

"Call him master! Go on, call him master!"

"Haven’t you always fantasized about being bound by a powerful figure and utterly dominated?"

"Ohohohoho— huh?! Wait—what is this? Oroboros’ power—how…?"

The laughter was abruptly cut off.

As if it had never existed at all.

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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!