Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [286]

The Special Operations Division accepted the task assigned by Chen Lin.

The civilizations still observing from the sidelines had some degree of strength—roughly equivalent to a fledgling spacefaring nation in a strategy game, with self-built space stations and a handful of frigates. Chen Lin had no intention of targeting them for now. Instead, he planned to make an example out of the three civilizations that had outright refused his demands.

With the critical moment of facing the L-Star Gate approaching, Chen Lin could not tolerate any signs of unrest in the surrounding interstellar environment. If such disturbances arose, they had to be eliminated—ensuring he could focus entirely on the task at hand. That aligned perfectly with his preference for stability.

In this context, Seele’s ability to transfer both living and non-living entities into phase space became particularly valuable. With it, anything could be moved to a designated location without alerting anyone…

An absolute tool for sabotage and surprise attacks—and, in extreme cases, even assassinations.

In short, these three civilizations had already been marked by Chen Lin as examples to be made. Their destruction would serve as a sufficient deterrent to the other nations surrounding the Jarilo Star Region. Therefore, they had to die!

Chen Lin exhaled and opened the terminal in his hand.

"Alright, let’s demand passage rights through these specific star system routes when the time comes."

His upcoming grand military parade was not about promoting patriotism, nor was it merely a demonstration of orbital military superiority to the universe. Instead, it was a strategic maneuver for national security—to conveniently secure critical subspace routes within several civilizations' territories. This was essential preparation for the impending war.

After all, interstellar warfare wasn’t just a matter of gathering armies in an open field to compare troop numbers and equipment quality.

Tactics played a crucial role.

The most important factor was the hyperspace routes extending beyond star systems. These routes dictated where a fleet would encounter its enemies. If a star system had only one such route, defending it would be significantly easier.

On his star map, Chen Lin had pinpointed several critical star systems. Any force attempting to invade the Jarilo Star Region would have to pass through these locations. Aside from advanced jump drive technology, there was no way around them.

Whether for ambushes or defensive strategies, he could use these chokepoints to progressively expand his forces outward, achieving a balance between offense and defense—an unbreakable stronghold.

Meanwhile, the construction of two additional colonies had been completed. Without hesitation, Chen Lin filled them with alloy buildings and industrial districts. He had plenty of planetary assets at his disposal—the problem was a shortage of personnel. Many positions were completely unmanned.

As a result, he began considering some rather bold plans. The upcoming military parade might offer an opportunity to quickly address the labor shortage, allowing his alloy production to increase further.

A fully equipped frigate required about 1,100 units of alloy. A fully equipped cruiser? A staggering 3,900 alloy!

And that was after benefiting from multiple cost-reduction buffs. Without these special traits, traditions, and technological boosts—along with his current income of over 900 alloy per day—Chen Lin figured he wouldn’t be able to build more than a few ships in his lifetime.

"Damn, that's expensive…" He clicked his tongue and continued drafting on his terminal.

At present, many of his ships were still under-equipped. He had the numbers, though. Just yesterday, another batch of cruisers had rolled out of his nine shipyards, bringing his total fleet count to a respectable 165 warships:

• 110 frigates

• 35 destroyers

• 20 cruisers

Most of his forces were hidden within the phase space opened by Seele, with only 20% of his actual fleet active in normal space.

According to his star map's power projections:

• A fully equipped frigate had a combat strength of 17k.

• A fully equipped destroyer had 31k.

• A fully equipped cruiser boasted 55k.

If he upgraded every single ship to full specifications, his total fleet power would exceed 4 million.

Had this been the past, Chen Lin might have already stormed through space, forcing people to "Open your borders—free trade!" But Phantylia quickly doused that enthusiasm with a bucket of cold water.

Phantylia personally led a military exercise against Chen Lin’s main fleet.

From the results, as long as she remained vigilant, his warships were practically useless against her. A single cruiser took only a few hours for her to break through and sink, and none of the crew could last half a second against her in direct combat—it was an absolute massacre.

By the end of the secret exercise, statistics showed that Phantylia had single-handedly "sunk" all the cruisers and destroyers. These large ships were simply too cumbersome—nothing but moving targets in her eyes. If anything posed a real threat to her, it was the frigates, far more than these clunky giants.

That sobering realization brought Chen Lin back to his senses, prompting him to reconsider his fleet composition.

An Emanator empowered by the Ambrosial Arbor and the power of the Nexus could be this strong… and the universe was filled with Emanators. Even if they weren’t all as terrifying as Phantylia, they were still a significant threat.

Thus, following Phantylia’s advice, Chen Lin planned to mass-produce frigates while allocating a portion of destroyers and cruisers to carrier configurations—deploying fighters and various interception systems to counter these agile, superhuman beings in space.

At the very least, his fleet needed the means to resist an Emanator instead of just standing there and getting slaughtered.

Another crucial factor was [Zroni Dust].

[Zroni Dust] could temporarily enhance a psionic individual's strength. Tests showed that an average psionic user could absorb up to 20g of [Zroni Dust] before the risk of instant death skyrocketed. However, as long as the intake remained within a controlled range, the user could temporarily wield power on par with weaker Emanators.

Even though the effect lasted only a few hours and came with severe withdrawal symptoms, the combat advantage it provided was undeniable.

At the very least, it mitigated the nightmare scenario of an Emanator suddenly tearing through their ranks unchecked.

Thus, Chen Lin’s future military strategy aimed to ensure every large warship had 3–5 Zroni-enhanced Emanator-level Guards.

The sun shifted in the sky as time passed, minute by minute. Chen Lin repeatedly drafted and discarded plans on his terminal. After countless rounds of refinement and calculation, he finalized the most feasible version:

• Within one year: Establish a pan-galactic trade network centered around Jarilo, starting from the Bekrian System…

• Within three years: Expand the fleet to 150 million combat power, construct minor and major megastructures, following the traditional sequence…

• Immediately: Initiate cultural integration with the Xianzhou Alliance, aiming for preliminary ethnic assimilation within five years—starting with Luofu as a test site.

"Whew… That should cover everything. I’ll refine it a bit in a few days, then we can proceed."

Lifting his head, he noticed the palace exterior had grown dim—the sun was setting.

Stepping outside, Phantylia greeted him with a slight bow.

For someone of her stature, a minor setback wasn’t enough to keep her down for long.

"Master, the Xianzhou envoy, Qingque, came looking for you earlier. But since you were busy, I had her wait in the side hall to rest."

"Qingque?" Chen Lin paused before nodding. "Alright, I’ll go see her shortly."

He handed a folded paper to Phantylia. "It's time for you to act. This is your assignment—follow the schedule and execute accordingly. I expect you to remove all corporate personnel from Ruolu-Ⅰ and Shitebei-Ⅰ within the week. Also, make sure it’s known that Phantylia was responsible—not the Phantom Moon Guard Captain. Understood?"

Phantylia’s eyes flickered. She quickly grasped the significance—these systems must contain something Chen Lin needed, hence the urgency.

"I won’t fail you, Master… But, if I may ask—do you want these places in chaos?"

Chen Lin pondered. "Keep the political and military structures intact. Just stir up internal unrest—subtly."

Phantylia chuckled. "Understood~"

She had an excuse to avoid returning to the [Zroni Nexus]. Perfect.

As for rare resources…

Phantylia had guessed correctly. Chen Lin had already received first-hand intel. According to his personal star map, a research vessel within phase space was scanning the designated planet, and the icon for [Exotic Gas] had appeared beneath Shitebei-Ⅰ.

Since that was the case, there was no reason to wait any longer.

These two planets are now and forever an inseparable part of Jarilo’s territory.jpg

As for Chen Lin’s instruction for Phantylia to "hold back a little," his goal was to maintain the political structure of the two civilizations while subtly igniting internal conflicts. After all, they were still supposed to attend the grand military parade—it wouldn’t do for things to spiral out of control to the point where they couldn’t even send a delegation. That would just be ridiculous.

So… the corporate forces had to be driven out first. Only then could the internal turmoil build up naturally. Once they felt the weight of an impending crisis, they would inevitably turn their eyes toward the empire’s upcoming parade. Perhaps, just perhaps, they would see it as an opportunity for allegiance.

At the end of the day, seizing victory through direct conquest was an impressive display of military prowess. But a truly great leader should strive to achieve victory without battle, taking the spoils without expending a single soldier. That was the optimal solution—the highest form of strategy.

Phantylia departed, preparing to set off for the two civilizations in question.

However, before leaving, she made a brief detour to the Belobog Grand Hotel. There was some unfinished business with Topaz.

And while she was at it…

Phantylia couldn’t help but wonder—what exactly had her master done to win over Topaz?

The once high-and-mighty General Manager—what kind of person had she become now?

She was truly curious.

---

Approaching the side hall, Chen Lin paused.

In theory, this was where he handled personal affairs and government matters in private. In reality? He had barely set foot in this place. He preferred to conduct business in Bronya’s administration office instead.

But that wasn’t important.

What mattered was—why had Qingque come looking for him?

Just as he reached the door, he heard a bright, carefree laugh from inside.

It was Qingque, playing a tabletop game with a few handmaidens.

And the game? None other than Xianzhou Kill—a strategic tabletop game Chen Lin himself had introduced during his time on the Xianzhou. Given Qingque’s enthusiasm for such things, he wasn’t the least bit surprised that she had already designed a working version.

The handmaidens quickly noticed his presence and stepped aside. Chen Lin gestured for them to leave.

Flopping down onto a chair, he teased, “Well, well, what brings our dear envoy here for a leisurely visit today? Shouldn’t you be busy overseeing the construction of that Matrix Project?”

“Hey! Old Chen, that’s a bit unfair! I’m here on official business—not slacking off!”

Qingque giggled before pulling out a small object and tossing it onto the table. “Master Diviner herself ordered me to deliver this. Here—take it. And I was specifically instructed to hand it to you in person. Otherwise… Uh, actually, let me just reenact it for you… Ahem!”

Qingque straightened her back, cleared her throat, and dramatically imitated Fu Xuan’s stern voice:

"Qingque! If you dare let trivial matters delay this critical intelligence, I shall personally clean house in the Taibusi. Now go—at once!"

Translation?

"Don’t slack off. This is important. If you mess this up, I’m flying over to Jarilo and personally tearing you apart."

“Hah? And what exactly is this thing?”

“Just take a look yourself. Tch, Master Diviner even forbade me from checking it out with you. But now I’m really curious about what’s inside.”

With a head full of questions, Chen Lin accepted the Jade Talisman.

He recognized it immediately—these were used for high-priority data storage, secured with a unique Xianzhou encryption method. It was essentially a nation-grade USB drive.

Even with decryption access, extracting the data without triggering the self-destruct protocol had at least a 70% failure rate.

Which meant… whatever was inside had to be extremely important.

Inserting the talisman into the specialized device Qingque had brought, she fiddled with it for a while before successfully transferring the data to Chen Lin’s terminal.

Then—he saw it.

“…A video?”

“Old Chen, are you going to open it up?”

Qingque had a bad feeling about this.

The moment the video played, the two of them leaned in, staring intently at the screen.

The footage showed the Matrix of Prescience at dusk. The array was steadily rotating, running some kind of calculation.

Chen Lin, Qingque: "???"

What is Master Diviner even up to?

Before they could voice their confusion, the screen suddenly filled with delicate, swirling flower petals.

But… the Xianzhou had no plants.

Which meant these were—paper petals.

Then, a calm, familiar voice echoed from the video:

"One never knew of longing. But once longing is known, it consumes the heart…"

Without a doubt—it was Fu Xuan.

Then, from the top of the screen, a graceful silhouette slowly descended.

Chen Lin blinked. Wait, what?

Is she…? Thinking about me? But we just talked the other day…

Poetry aside, he had to admit—Fu Xuan’s literary skills weren’t bad.

Meanwhile, beside him, Qingque had already buried her face in her hands.

She had a terrible feeling about this.

Her toes curled. Her skin crawled with goosebumps.

Because she already knew what was coming.

"Like drifting clouds, my body wanders. Like floating cotton, my heart is restless. Like a wavering thread, my breath is frail… oh, where is my dearest traveler?"

Oh?

Thinking of me this much, huh?

Chen Lin scratched his chin, wondering if he should schedule another call with Fu Xuan.

After all, his dear "elder sister" was always so good to him.

She got pummeled by his teasing on a daily basis and still never built up resistance.

That said… something about this poem’s phrasing seemed odd.

"Where is my dearest traveler?"

What do you mean, where? I’m literally in Jarilo.

He continued listening.

"When does longing strike?"

"When the lamp is dim, when the moon is half-bright."

“…Pfft.”

Chen Lin was proficient in Xianzhou literature, and at this point, he had fully grasped the implication.

There was no mistake.

Fu Xuan was indeed expressing how much she missed him.

But it wasn’t the fond yearning of an older sister.

Nor was it some polite exchange between friends.

It was—

Xianzhou-style, overly dramatic, borderline cringe-inducing love poetry.

Chen Lin struggled to keep a straight face.

Qingque, on the other hand, couldn’t take it anymore.

If she kept watching, Fu Xuan might actually execute her on the spot once she found out.

So, with zero hesitation, Qingque skipped to the section labeled "MUST WATCH."

The footage shifted.

Now, the Matrix of Prescience was displaying endless formulas and calculations.

And finally—

A series of coordinates appeared on the map.

Then, Fu Xuan’s voice rang out:

"Beloved brother, the thing you asked me to find—it’s here. Sigh… To solve this alone, I have spent seven days and nights without rest, endlessly calculating the divinations… Now that it is done, I shall take my leave for some well-earned rest. Do not disturb me."

The video ended.

The two watchers lifted their heads and exchanged stunned glances.

Chen Lin’s eyes were filled with shock.

Qingque’s eyes, on the other hand—dead inside.

After a long silence, she clasped her hands together and pleaded, voice trembling:

“Old Chen… I beg you… Please don’t tell Master Diviner I saw this. I’m only 200 years old—I still have so much to live for…”

---

T/N: LMAOOO A CRINGE POEM

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!