Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [164]

When someone has meticulously prepared to make a grand entrance and shine, only for their opponent to suddenly raise their hands in surrender—this, too, can feel like a well-aimed strike.

“Stelle, who is this? Doesn't she feel embarrassed striking such a pose?”

“I wouldn’t know, but if it were me, I wouldn’t feel embarrassed.”

“Who asked you?! If you could feel embarrassment, you wouldn’t have been rummaging through trash bins back in Belobog!”

“Look at her face.”

“What about it?”

“She’s blushing.”

“So?”

“So she’s not as thick-skinned as me. I wouldn’t blush.”

For a moment, the atmosphere was awkwardly silent before March 7th and Stelle resumed their playful back-and-forth, their voices lowered slightly.

Despite their effort, everyone present could hear every word clearly—especially Fu Xuan.

She shut her eyes, wishing she could convince herself this was just a dream. If I just open my eyes, everything will be resolved.

“Ahem… dear brother, I’ve divined your fortune, and it is ‘no blame.’ It seems things have gone smoothly, but beware—the Stellaron Hunters are cunning and deceitful. You must not lower your guard.”

Chen Lin wasn’t blind. He had already noticed Fu Xuan’s dramatically “delayed” arrival. She hadn’t made a move until Kafka swung her blade toward him, then finally stepped in.

Her motives weren’t hard to decipher.

Realizing that even the esteemed Master Diviner of the Xianzhou had a flair for stealing the spotlight, Chen Lin feigned enthusiasm, exclaiming, “Big Sis, you’ve arrived just in time! We were so worried Kafka might set a trap. Capturing such a high-value target is an important task—we’ll leave it to you!”

“This is my duty!” Fu Xuan finally allowed herself a satisfied smile.

Who cares if people saw through her missed timing? Her dear brother was still willing to help her save face, graciously offering her the opportunity to make up for her botched entrance.

He’s so sweet—I could cry.

“The culprit is now under my jurisdiction.” Fu Xuan turned her gaze to Kafka and waved her arm. A radiant golden rope descended from the sky, securing Kafka tightly in an instant.

The rope emitted a repugnant aura, startling even March 7th, who leaped back in alarm.

“What kind of rope is that? It feels terrifying…”

Welt tightened his grip on his cane. “That’s a tool developed by the IPC using advanced core technology, specifically designed to restrain the most heinous criminals. It can take various forms, but its effects are consistent—rendering the target’s powers unusable or drastically weakened.”

“That scary?” March 7th shuddered, her gaze at Fu Xuan now tinged with newfound respect—or perhaps fear.

Her impression of Fu Xuan shifted from a joke to someone clearly more formidable than she had imagined. How does Chen Lin know someone this… intense?

“…”

Stelle glanced between the rope and Chen Lin, a bold idea forming in her mind.

Kafka, meanwhile, was thoroughly bound and looking a little disheveled.

With a helpless sigh, she said, “I told you I wouldn’t resist. Was it really necessary to bring out a treasure from the Silent Prison just to subdue me?”

“Hmph.” Fu Xuan cast a cold glance at Kafka. “You’re a wanted criminal skilled in manipulating others with your Rhetoric ability. Say whatever you want—it won’t interest me. Save your schemes, Kafka. I’m not the General, prone to letting Stellaron Hunters escape. I won’t let my guard down!”

“Well, if that’s the case…” Kafka shrugged with a wry smile and sat down, saying nothing more.

Stelle stared at Kafka, taking a few hesitant steps toward her before March 7th yanked her back by the wrist.

“Let’s go! Chen Lin’s here to find us—don’t keep him waiting.”

“Oh…”

Reluctantly, Stelle tore her gaze away and followed Welt and March 7th up the platform.

As they approached, Chen Lin’s voice carried over, filled with exaggerated praise.

“Big Sis is magnificent! Handling an intergalactic top-level fugitive with such ease and elegance—the Master Diviner role hardly does you justice. You should be the General!”

“Dear brother, stop… stop flattering me. Regardless, I was still a bit late, and any merits are offset by my tardiness. I truly regret leaving you to face danger alone.”

Though Fu Xuan maintained a composed demeanor, the toe of her embroidered shoe awkwardly tapped at the ground.

She knew Chen Lin was deliberately helping her recover her dignity, and while she felt a mix of gratitude and embarrassment, hearing his compliments undeniably made her happy.

Your Big Sis is amazing, isn’t she? (Hands on hips)

Noticing the group approaching, Fu Xuan quickly regained her composure, turning to address them with a nod.

“Members of the Astral Express, dear brother’s esteemed friends. Pleased to meet you… no, I should say I have long anticipated this meeting. I am Fu Xuan, Master Diviner of the Divination Commission, one of the Six Charioteers of the Xianzhou.”

March 7th blinked in surprise. “So many titles—definitely a bigshot!”

Stelle nodded. “Yeah, but… so tiny.”

Fu Xuan: “…”

Why are you two always ruining my image in front of my brother?!

Sensing the tension, Welt stepped forward to smooth things over. “Thank you for your assistance, Master Diviner. The Xianzhou is renowned for its long-lived people—even its schoolchildren are centuries old. Its fame from the Abundance Wars has spread far, known for serving the Hunt with unmatched loyalty. Today, seeing your extraordinary methods, I am truly impressed. I am Welt Yang, and these are March 7th and Stelle, passengers of the Express. A pleasure to meet you.”

Fu Xuan’s expression softened slightly, and she gave a small cough. “Indeed. It is always a joy to welcome those from afar, especially close friends of my dear brother. While I would love to host you with the finest wine and food, the alignment of the heavens, earth, and mortals is currently inauspicious. Please forgive the delay until another time.”

Welt, March 7th, and Stelle exchanged confused looks.

Behind Fu Xuan, Chen Lin sighed. Her phrasing is impossible to translate properly—even my brain’s linguistic module is struggling.

Switching to a simplified explanation, Chen Lin clarified, “What Big Sis means is she’d love to host you, but she’s swamped with work and can’t right now.”

March 7th’s eyes lit up. “Oh! You even understand Xianzhou-speak, Chen Lin? That’s what she meant? I couldn’t make sense of it at all, haha…”

“Yeah, even the sensory translation beacon froze up.” Stelle nodded, sidling up to Chen Lin and sniffing at him. “Smells like knowledge. Yep, it’s the real Chen Lin! Hehe…”

Chen Lin: “…”

Chen Lin’s face remained impassive as he firmly grasped the hands that were wandering all over him. Fu Xuan glanced over curiously.

“Dear brother, are you displeased with the way I speak?”

“It only shows how knowledgeable you are…” Chen Lin replied with an awkward smile before quickly changing the subject. “By the way, Uncle Yang, Himeko is very worried about you all.”

“I know. As soon as we entered the Xianzhou, we lost contact with the Express. I suspect a certain hacker’s handiwork. Thank you for coming to help us. You seem to have grown stronger.”

As he spoke, Welt pulled out his phone. “There’s a strange app on here. No matter what I try, I can’t delete it.”

“Let me see.”

Welt’s phone was unusually clean, with only essential apps on the home screen. It was immediately obvious that an out-of-place pixel-art avatar in the bottom-right corner didn’t belong.

The app’s garish, cartoonish style clashed with everything else on the phone, making it impossible to miss.

The moment Chen Lin saw the icon, he confirmed his suspicion.

It’s Silver Wolf, that mischievous brat.

Sending psionic energy into the phone, Chen Lin analyzed its systems. Within seconds, the app vanished, and the faint signal at the top of the screen instantly stabilized. Welt let out a surprised “Oh,” as a series of messages from Himeko appeared.

“It’s really fixed… incredible.”

“Fix mine too!” March 7th eagerly handed over her phone.

In just a few seconds, hers was working as well.

Seeing this, Stelle finally blurted out what she’d been holding back: “Chen Lin! Fix mine too, please.”

March couldn’t suppress a laugh as she snatched the phone and handed it over for her. “Stelle, weren’t you acting normal earlier? Why are you acting so… strange now that Chen Lin’s here?”

“I’m just freaking out.” Stelle shrugged, then countered, “March, you should read more. You’d understand if you did.”

“What kind of books have you been reading?!” March covered her face in disbelief.

Welt sighed, finally understanding Dan Heng’s earlier remarks. The young man had once described these two as incompatible chemical substances—completely normal when apart, but creating chaotic reactions when together.

As for why Chen Lin was here, Welt already had an idea. He guessed that after they lost contact, Chen Lin must have recovered from his energy-intensive state and, upon hearing from Himeko, had set out alone for the Xianzhou.

He couldn’t imagine what Chen Lin had experienced over these past days, but his close relationship with Fu Xuan—one of the Six Charioteers—was undeniably intriguing.

For now, Welt decided it was best to observe quietly.

Fu Xuan broke the silence. “You’ve all contributed significantly to apprehending the fugitive. I’ve heard about the misunderstanding with the Sky-Faring Commission. The General himself regrets the errors in their operations and tasked the Cloud Knights with searching for your whereabouts three days ago to clarify matters in person.”

Her gaze shifted to Kafka. “With the Xianzhou embroiled in the Stellaron crisis, some distractions are inevitable. Since you are dear friends of my brother, why not accompany me to an unsealed area where we can treat you as honored guests?”

“That would be ideal. We have no desire to provoke the Xianzhou. Chen Lin and the Master Diviner seem to get along well, but…”

Welt’s comment drew the attention of March 7th and Stelle. Before Chen Lin could explain, Fu Xuan offered a faint smile.

“Chen Lin and I hit it off immediately, and we became sworn siblings. The General acted first to claim him as his own, otherwise… ahem, no matter. That’s how it is! As a Master Diviner with centuries of life, I am considered part of the younger adult generation here, far from a child. Judging by common standards isn’t applicable in the Xianzhou.”

Her last words were directed squarely at March 7th and Stelle, a subtle retaliation for their earlier comments.

One advantage of the long-lived Xianzhou was that traditional notions of appearance and age were meaningless. To the Xianzhou, Fu Xuan wasn’t much older than Qingque, yet as one of the Six Charioteers, her accomplishments were lauded as exceptional.

Chen Lin nodded with a smile. “Don’t worry, the Xianzhou is a friend now.”

“Before your arrival, the General informed me about the Astral Express and its noble record of aiding many Stellaron-infected nations. She spoke highly of your character. Considering your purpose here, you are permitted to assist in investigating the Stellaron crisis alongside Chen Lin. Does this arrangement satisfy you?”

“The Master Diviner and the General are wise and fair. The Astral Express seeks nothing from this matter. Once the Stellaron is dealt with, we will leave.”

Welt’s last doubts were dispelled. No wonder March 7th and the others couldn’t stop singing Chen Lin’s praises after their last expedition. Hearing about his exploits on repeat had nearly made Welt’s ears blister, but now he finally saw why—Chen Lin was truly reliable.

At that moment, a squad of Cloud Knights arrived to escort Kafka away and lead the group out of the Starport.

---

Meanwhile, Qingque hurriedly made her way to the inn during her lunch break. She’d skipped her meal and even her card games to come here.

The reason? She suddenly remembered her credit card was still with Chen Lin. After buying stacks of random books and attending a few performances, she’d nearly drained her mobile account. She needed to transfer some credits back onto her phone.

Chen Lin had messaged her the day she left the card with him, saying she could come pick it up anytime—it was on the desk in his inn room. He’d even informed the innkeeper that she could get the room key if needed.

But Qingque had figured she wouldn’t need the card urgently. She’d planned to wait until she could treat Chen Lin to a meal before retrieving it.

Little did she know, by this morning, she didn’t even have enough credits for breakfast and had gone hungry all day.

“Excuse me… oh! Aren’t you Miss Qingque from the Divination Commission? I recognize you! That evening, Mr. Chen even asked me to bring him tissues and hangover soup.”

The innkeeper looked up and quickly matched the uniformed girl to her memory. After all, this was one of the most luxurious inns in the area and the designated lodging for special guests of the Commission.

“Well, isn’t he considerate…” Qingque muttered before scratching her head. “I’d like to borrow the room key, if that’s okay?”

The innkeeper smiled. “Mr. Chen told me to give you the key if you came. Don’t worry about returning it too quickly.”

“Ah, I feel bad about this…”

“You’ve worked up a sweat running here. Mr. Chen said to treat you as a guest like himself. Feel free to use the room however you like.”

Touching her damp bangs, Qingque realized she had indeed broken into a sweat from her rush.

“Can I take a shower and have a meal here?”

“Of course. The dining hall is open, and you can order directly from the room with this special meal token. Everything’s free.”

Hearing this, Qingque clutched her growling stomach, tears welling up in gratitude.

Chen Lin, you’re too kind! Next time, I’m sneaking two… no, ten jars of my family’s finest aged wine from the cellar to treat you!

---

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!