Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [245]

At the very center of the Jarilo Star System, above its blazing sun, an enormous steel structure was steadily being assembled by engineering drones. Modular plating was continuously stacked, forming a framework that was rapidly taking shape—one that unmistakably resembled a space fortress in its early stages.

Ships came and went, but without explicit authorization, they could only move along pre-designated routes mapped by the Jarilo government. Any vessel that strayed into military-restricted zones would be promptly intercepted by armed warships tasked with enforcing security.

The Jarilo Fleet's Military Command had established a strict set of deterrence protocols, all based on the Three-Step Principle devised by Chen Lin:

• Verbal Warnings – Intruding vessels would receive a voice transmission notifying them that they had entered a danger zone and needed to return to their assigned route immediately. To account for possible communication failures, psionic officers aboard military ships would relay the same warning via telepathic pathways, repeating it no fewer than five times.

• Escalation with Maneuvers – If verbal warnings were ignored, escort frigates and destroyers would execute aggressive shadowing, closely following the intruder’s trajectory.

• Final Response – If the previous two measures failed, military ships would fully deploy their weapon systems and lock onto the trespasser. Should the vessel persist in its course despite all warnings, military forces were authorized to open fire without hesitation.

In his study, Chen Lin was seated on the couch, listening to Seele deliver her report while simultaneously reviewing the latest updates on Jarilo-VI and its colonial territories.

Seele’s voice gradually grew quieter as she spoke. It was hard to believe that the once-hotheaded Wildfire officer, who had been quick to resort to violence, was now worried that her impulsive actions might have caused problems for the nation.

“…So, I ordered our two escort frigates to lower power output and fire three LS-5 ‘Purple Mechanism’ launchers each—just enough to minimize energy consumption. Who would’ve thought that the enemy ship had shield projectors installed? The attack only managed to break part of their shielding, and the hull itself barely took any damage. We questioned them, but they wouldn’t talk. We warned them, and they still ignored us. If I’d known it would be like this, I would’ve just boarded their ship and arrested them on the spot.”

“What about casualties?”

Seele gritted her teeth before finally squeezing out a response: “Nine people on those two ships got some minor injuries from falling over. And… during the arrests, we might’ve roughed up a few dozen. But no fatalities.”

This was Chen Lin’s private study. Phantylia stood obediently behind him, saying nothing. Bronya was handing over various documents that required his final approval, while Seele’s report covered the only noteworthy incident in recent days.

The cause of the conflict?

A convoy from the Interastral Peace Corporation had entered the Jarilo Star System with official entry permits. However, they proceeded to ignore expulsion warnings and attempted to approach the under-construction space fortress, ultimately prompting a self-defense response from the fleet.

A post-incident investigation by the Belobog government revealed that the convoy belonged to the Strategic Investment Department of the Interastral Peace Corporation. Their stated goal? "Assessing the strategic value of this massive structure."

Yet even after Topaz, the commanding officer of the convoy, formally surrendered, many company personnel continued to hurl insults at fleet officers during the boarding and detainment process.

Their overly aggressive demeanor had greatly displeased Belobog’s government officials. However, fearing the corporation’s financial and military might, many were at a loss regarding how to handle the situation. In the end, it was Bronya’s intervention that prevented the dispute from escalating further.

Her solution?

Simple—a test of strength.

The Interastral Peace Corporation was unwilling to submit quietly. Their employees boasted about being able to "take on an entire psionic fleet", claiming that with their combat suits and advanced weaponry, they were virtually unstoppable.

Bronya gave them a chance to prove it.

She allowed them to challenge a single opponent of their choosing—a cook from the Honor Guard.

Yes, a cook.

Not because this cook was particularly skilled. In fact, she was notoriously lazy.

While others trained, she slept.
While others slept, she continued to sleep.
Every day, the only times she was awake were mealtime and food prep.

And yet…

She single-handedly wiped out over a hundred arrogant corporate employees.

Why?

Because her psionic ability fell under the category of "Mental Drain."

Even while asleep, she could induce hypnosis in everyone around her and drain their mental energy to replenish her own. Her method of training? The more she slept, the stronger she became.

In mere moments, every single corporate employee collapsed from exhaustion. A few of them even came close to dying from psionic depletion.

After that incident, the Strategic Investment Department’s personnel became far more obedient.

Those who had previously acted arrogantly—especially the employees who had been sent to survey Jarilo’s economy—were now behaving with utmost respect. They even waited patiently in line when applying for permits, no longer daring to yell at government clerks.

Chen Lin stared at Seele. “Were you planning to kill people?”

Seele flinched, thinking she was about to be scolded.

But then, Chen Lin suddenly changed his tone.

“Honestly, even if a few small fry had died, the company wouldn’t care. You did well—stood your ground and held firm to our principles. That’s worth praise.”

“Really?!” Seele’s eyes lit up with joy, though her expression soon became conflicted. “Lin-ge… are you sure this won’t cause problems? I heard that the company is ridiculously powerful and insanely rich. Back when I was in school, I read about how they’ve destroyed entire national economies before… You’re not just saying this to make me feel better, are you?”

Chen Lin sighed, motioning for her to come closer. Then, when she did, he pinched her cheek.

“We don’t fear the company, and we certainly don’t fear their economic tricks. Those tactics are completely ineffective against us. Other nations fear them because their trade, currency, and entire economies are controlled by the corporation. But we are actually the ones in the dominant position.”

Seele rubbed her cheek and stepped aside.

Chen Lin turned to Bronya. “Overall, you handled things well. You’ve developed a good sense of balance. But I do have one major criticism for you.”

Bronya immediately straightened her posture. “Yes, Mentor. Please correct me.”

She looked just like she had back when Chen Lin first tutored her and Pelageya in that hotel room.

Chen Lin sighed in exasperation. “Why did you let the whole ‘Annihilation Gang’ incident just slide like that? You do realize that we could’ve used it as a political pretext for military action, right? Even if we don’t want to attack them now, we could’ve set up a justification for future invasions.”

Bronya’s eyes widened. “Wait… We can do that?!”

Seele chimed in. “Hey, could we also send our fleet near the company’s territories, dump a few corpses in their jurisdiction, then claim that our soldiers ‘went missing’ while searching the area?”

“Exactly. That’s how it’s done.”

Phantylia: “…”

Standing behind them, Phantylia said nothing.

She had witnessed shameless tactics before…

But never to this extent.

And yet, as she listened, she found herself genuinely intrigued. After all, wasn’t this exactly the kind of thing she used to do herself?

“Master’s reasoning is both sound and efficient.”

"This is my first time managing a civilization on such a large scale. The situation unfolded too suddenly—I wasn’t prepared, and sometimes it’s difficult to make the right judgment. That being said, you have more experience than most people here. If you have any thoughts or good suggestions, feel free to share them."

"Thank you, my lord!"

Through careful observation of Chen Lin’s attitude, Phantylia had quickly earned herself a place in the discussion.

More often than not, rather than merely echoing her master’s decisions and enforcing his will, she preferred offering pragmatic suggestions and taking direct action. Whether she actually had experience in these matters, however… only she knew.

She tilted her head, her tone sweet yet laced with a chilling undertone.

"My lord, in the scenario you mentioned, wouldn’t it be possible to set up a makeshift broadcasting outpost nearby? Then, we could dress up some death row prisoners in military uniforms, kill them, and stage a broadcast claiming that Civilization A has occupied our outpost and is attempting to push into our empire’s territory…"

Seele's eyes lit up. "That makes a lot of sense! If we fine-tune the details, this could actually work!"

While Chen Lin continued handling his administrative tasks, the discussion grew increasingly in-depth, with each person contributing to the strategy session.

Just then, Pelageya entered the study.

"Sir, I’ve already informed—"

Before she could finish, Phantylia continued, her voice carrying an almost playful amusement.

"With this, my lord would have the most legitimate excuse to deploy troops. After all, it’s far more compelling to frame it as a defensive counterattack than an outright act of aggression. If the enemy provokes us first and fails, leading to their own land being occupied in retaliation, well… they have only themselves to blame."

"And should their military installations just so happen to experience an ‘accidental’ energy leak, resulting in large-scale civilian casualties, ultimately leading to the collapse of their entire civilization… well, who’s really at fault here? Fufu~"

Despite the gentle and harmless tone of her voice, Pelageya felt a cold chill run down her spine. Whatever she had intended to say was immediately swallowed back into her throat.

"Um…" Bronya hesitated, her expression slightly stiff. "Miss Illusory… isn’t that a bit… excessive?"

Phantylia immediately pouted, looking as if she had just suffered the greatest grievance.

"Oh dear, Lady Bronya… I was merely getting a little too absorbed in the hypothetical scenario. My words were too harsh… Please, feel free to punish me however you see fit. I will accept it without complaint…"

"Uh… That’s not really what I meant…"

When Chen Lin first brought Phantylia—the fox-eared girl—back with him, Bronya had initially felt deep sympathy for her after learning about her past.

A young lady from a prestigious family, she had barely come of age when her homeworld was invaded by the Legion. Her family was wiped out, leaving her as the sole survivor after decades of hardship.

Yet, even after enduring such tragedy, fate remained merciless.

She was eventually captured by slavers, sold off countless times across different nations, and forced to live as a slave. It was only by sheer luck that, during her most recent transfer, she was rescued by Chen Lin.

According to Phantylia, Chen Lin had initially given her money so she could return home. But with her homeworld gone, she had nowhere to go.

Instead, she chose to devote her life to repaying her savior, believing that his actions had redeemed her. Given her combat skills, she had personally requested to become his personal bodyguard.

After looking into her background, Bronya discovered that the devastated planet she spoke of had been reduced to ruins over a century ago—now nothing more than a Legion stronghold. The historical records she found aligned perfectly with the fox girl’s story.

Only then did Bronya truly lower her guard and accept her.

Besides, considering that her mentor wasn’t exactly skilled in direct combat, Bronya didn’t object to the idea of him having a personal bodyguard. In fact, even if Phantylia hadn’t volunteered, Bronya would have insisted that Chen Lin bring security detail whenever he left.

Someone who grew up in such an environment must be scarred beyond repair.

Thinking of Phantylia’s tragic past, Bronya felt a pang of sympathy. Perhaps their discussion had triggered an unpleasant trauma response in her.

Maybe I should spend some time with her and see if I can help her heal…

Meanwhile, Pelageya was still frozen in place, unsure what to do.

Chen Lin’s voice snapped her out of it.

"Pelageya, come sit. This isn’t a formal setting—no need to stand on ceremony."

She hesitated for a moment before stepping forward.

"Sir… You were just discussing… No, never mind. I’ve already delivered your message to the Interastral Peace Corporation. Their executive, Topaz, has agreed to the meeting. However, she’s a very… difficult person to deal with. I’ve prepared an analysis report—would you like to review it?"

Pelageya was known for her meticulous work. She had already compiled a comprehensive briefing, and Chen Lin saw no reason to reject it. Taking the documents from her, he skimmed through them.

"Bronya already briefed me on the general situation. Their goal is to integrate the Jarilo Star System into their commercial network, correct? And they also mentioned something about a debt?"

"Yes, sir."

Pelageya pulled up a holographic projection from her terminal, displaying her notes. Her expression turned serious.

"If my analysis is correct, their true objective is to replace the Wintershield with credit points as the primary currency of our star system."

"I’ve reviewed the company’s financial history using the Xianzhou Luofu’s records that you provided. Given their economic strength, this so-called ‘debt’ is barely a drop in the ocean to them."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Seven hundred years ago, before the Interastral Peace Corporation withdrew from Jarilo-VI, they provided a loan to the Builders for infrastructure development. That loan originally amounted to—"

"And how much do they want us to repay?"

Pelageya hesitated for a moment, pursing her lips before speaking.

"…Based on my calculations, factoring in 700 years of compounded interest rates using their own corporate benchmarks, the total debt owed by Jarilo amounts to…"

"273 quintillion credit points."

SLAM!

Chen Lin slammed his hands on the desk, his eyes glinting with excitement.

"WHAT?! THERE’S A DEAL THIS GOOD?!"

"…Huh?"

Pelageya was completely dumbfounded.

This was debt—insane, unreasonable debt.

How could that possibly be a good thing?!

As Chen Lin began explaining his reasoning, Pelageya listened intently.

With every word, her eyes grew wider.

It made sense.

It was airtight, both politically and economically.

She suddenly recalled the words that had once resonated across Belobog—words that had lifted an entire nation from uncertainty to prosperity:

"Those who are willing to sacrifice their freedom for security will ultimately have neither. But I… I can ensure that my people can have both."

Sir remembers this.
The Empire remembers this.

And at this moment, Pelageya truly believed—

Her lord was nothing short of extraordinary.

---

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!