Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [81]

“Huff… huff… 1—2—keep pulling!”

On the barren underground plains, hundreds of able-bodied young men strained against ropes under the supervisor’s commands. The ropes were tied to massive metal trailers loaded with countless components and mechanical structures.

The newly paved dirt ground became pitted with tracks as the heavy trailers rolled across it. This wasn’t just one or two trailers—over a dozen identical convoys followed behind!

“Team 7 is stuck in the mud! Anyone free, stop pulling and help them out!”

The foreman shouted instructions, and many workers skillfully wedged stoppers behind the wheels of their own trailers before rushing over with jacks and steel cables to assist.

None of the workers showed any hint of surprise or frustration. This kind of work seemed entirely routine to them.

And indeed, it was.

A little over a month ago, they were just ordinary miners. Since mining operations didn’t require many hands, most of them rarely got the chance to work. According to the old system, those who missed out had to wait for the next round of hiring or find odd jobs in the towns or settlements to make ends meet.

Then, one day, Wildfire began recruiting laborers, as long as they were healthy and over 15 years old.

And Wildfire’s offer wasn’t stingy either. On the condition that the work was completed, they provided ample meals and wages far higher than what mining could offer—several times more!

The best part? Wages were paid daily!

Such excellent conditions naturally came with a catch: the laborers had to join the armed convoy to transport goods through Rivet Town, an area infested with Fragmentum monsters.

Upon hearing this, most people backed out immediately. They knew all too well how terrifying the Fragmentum monsters were. Mining might occasionally cost a limb due to bad luck, but accidents were rare, and survival was still likely. Entering the Fragmentum, however? Nobody wanted to bet their lives on that.

At first, the recruitment process stalled. Despite several days of effort, Wildfire barely managed to assemble a single convoy.

The few who dared to sign up weren’t fools—they were people in dire straits, struggling between having nothing and living in abject poverty.

To earn money and survive, they were willing to do anything for anyone.

As for who would ensure the convoy’s safety? That task fell to the Trailblazers who had arrived in the Underworld over a month ago.

Well, except for Chen Lin, the team leader. He always seemed to have more pressing matters to attend to.

The newly recruited convoy workers expected a life-or-death journey. To their surprise, before even reaching Rivet Town’s industrial zone, Dan Heng, March 7th, Stelle, and Wildfire officers equipped with weapons provided by Chen Lin had already cleared out most of the Fragmentum monsters.

Using Chen Lin’s Fragmentum Monster Generation Research (First Edition), they anticipated potential monster resurgence points and set ambushes to eliminate them.

During these brief windows of safety, convoy workers entered Rivet Town’s abandoned factories under the foreman’s instructions. There, lightly trained technicians dismantled machinery, which was then loaded onto trailers.

The success of the initial convoy, along with the workers’ reports afterward, encouraged more residents from towns and settlements to sign up with Wildfire.

Now, the workers were highly familiar with their workflow. The work environment had become so safe that most never even saw a single Fragmentum monster. The only indication of danger came from the distant sounds of explosions echoing through Rivet Town’s streets, often accompanied by Wildfire members gleefully shouting things like, “Amazing, just amazing!” or, “Maximum firepower is a man’s true romance!”

Clang!

As the trailer stuck in the mud was pushed free, the workers returned to their posts, and the hundred-meter-long convoy started moving again.

It was midday. The convoy wasn’t the only bustling operation; near a depleted Geomarrow vein in Boulder Town, miners swung their pickaxes in freshly dug pits.

Seele was also busy. Whenever she saw someone needing help, she lent a hand without hesitation. Her delicate hands and fair face were smudged black with dirt.

“Be careful. If the structure’s unstable, add more supports. Don’t rush it.” Seele pulled a miner out of a collapsed section and cautioned, “If you keep digging without reinforcement, it’ll be dangerous. Don’t skimp on safety materials.”

“Seele! Time for a shift change!”

A group of middle-aged men arrived, replacing Seele and the other safety personnel on duty.

“Got it. I’m heading back. It’s all yours.”

“Don’t worry. Go eat and rest!”

After working for so long, everyone needed a meal break. Unlike the others heading to the temporary mess hall outside the mines, Seele went home. She took a shower and changed into clean clothes, knowing the person she was about to meet appreciated cleanliness.

Her destination lay on the outskirts north of Boulder Town, where a natural cavern had been fully excavated years ago during the Underworld’s development. It once served as a major transportation hub connecting different towns.

Centuries of progress had transformed it into a vast open space. The stone and dirt of the Underworld had been hollowed out hundreds of meters deep, leaving behind a sprawling wasteland.

Though there was no sunlight, the Furnace Core—a marvel of ancient technology—reflected light into the Underworld, enabling plants typically found on the surface to grow.

Now, the barren outskirts had been leveled, and massive rectangular metal frames resembling shipping containers were erected.

Access to these areas was strictly controlled by Wildfire’s armed guards. Only authorized personnel could enter.

Inside the thick metal doors, grow lights illuminated rows of water channels filled with nutrient solutions. These channels nourished the roots of plants, some even bearing fruit—an incredible sight in the Underworld.

These seeds had been procured by Wildfire through Sampo, who had a long-standing arrangement with them. Wildfire never asked how Sampo got his hands on these items, as long as he delivered.

Sampo, true to form, delivered a massive haul of crop seeds in just one day.

Not far from the entrance, Seele came across Chen Lin crouched beside a nutrient channel, notebook in hand, meticulously recording data about the plants. Behind him stood several individuals—people Chen Lin had picked from the Underworld’s population.

Some had been teachers, others were retired factory researchers from decades past, and a few were young apprentices who had worked in workshops.

Though their expertise and knowledge varied widely, Chen Lin saw promise in these ‘newcomers.’ Now, they were learning from him how to operate and maintain the hydroponic farm.

Chen Lin had never taught this thoroughly, not even in the Overworld.

He spared no effort, sharing everything he knew—except for the nutrient solution, which still required his personal input.

Chen Lin had good reasons for his generosity. Long before arriving in the Underworld, he had foreseen the likelihood of being falsely accused and hunted. Conflict with the Overworld was almost inevitable, and the Underworld’s people had long harbored resentment toward their surface counterparts. If it weren’t for the Geomarrow trade, they would have severed ties long ago.

The Underworld endured the harshest conditions, took on the most dangerous work, yet received the lowest wages, the worst food, and the tattiest clothes.

Given the alternative Chen Lin offered them, only a fool would refuse.

Chen Lin had always been generous to his allies and friends. Anyone who could make life harder for Cocolia was a friend in his book.

As for why he didn’t share the recipe for the nutrient solution? It wasn’t out of selfishness—Chen Lin himself didn’t know what it was made of. The nutrient solution was an inherent feature of the Hydroponic Farm blueprint he used. Building the farm required an initial investment of resources, but the nutrient solution could be freely exchanged without depleting his own reserves.

All it took was Wildfire’s approval and some minerals for construction. And given Belobog’s abysmally outdated technology, there was no chance anyone could analyze or replicate the nutrient solution.

Minerals weren’t a concern for Chen Lin; what he lacked was alloy for shipbuilding.

“Brother Lin! Need any help?” Seele called from the back of the group, her voice carrying easily over the bustling sounds.

Chen Lin had just finished explaining key procedures to the trainees when he heard her booming voice.

During a recent dinner at Oleg’s, the older man had suggested that Seele call Chen Lin “brother” since he was only a few years older. Oleg claimed it would make their interactions feel more natural.

To Chen Lin’s surprise, Seele didn’t object.

“It doesn’t matter what I call him,” she’d said nonchalantly.

“Familiarize yourselves with the processes today,” Chen Lin instructed the group. “Follow the manuals and checklists I’ve provided.” He handed his notebook to one of the trainees, then shrugged off his lab coat and headed for the exit.

Seele immediately fell into step beside him. She never forgot her assigned task: protecting Chen Lin.

She had witnessed firsthand how much the Underworld had changed in such a short time.

It all began when Chen Lin had a long discussion with Oleg. Wildfire then escorted him to the remnants of Boulder Town’s factories for a three-day survey. Afterward, Chen Lin selected miners with mechanical knowledge for intensive training. Finally, they began relocating Rivet Town’s industrial equipment—practically wresting it from the jaws of Fragmentum monsters.

They cleared space to construct new factories, moved Boulder Town’s machinery, repaired the equipment from Rivet Town, and set up fully operational production lines.

The miners were no longer confined to extracting Geomarrow. They began exploring other minerals and strange soils, which Seele didn’t fully understand, to supply the factories. These raw materials produced an array of fascinating new products.

One example was a substance called MSG, which enhanced the flavor of food and was affordable enough to become a household favorite.

Similar products gained popularity, boosting workers’ incomes and driving an economic boom in Boulder Town.

The revenue was reinvested into further industrial development. As a result, the Underworld saw a sharp increase in currency demand.

Seele remembered hearing about the establishment of a Winter City Shield Mint, which produced low-denomination coins to stimulate market transactions. Terms like inflation, deflation, absolute advantage, and demand elasticity had been tossed around during discussions.

Seele didn’t understand the specifics, but it all sounded very impressive.

She also remembered accompanying Chen Lin during mineral surveys. He had frequently muttered under his breath in frustration, saying things like, “What a waste of resources!” or, “This is lignite, isn’t it?” and even, “You’ve all been spoiled by Geomarrow!”

Even if Seele didn’t fully grasp why the Underworld had suddenly become so vibrant and bustling, she knew that Chen Lin was undeniably the catalyst behind it all.

He had even poured a significant amount of his own money into the effort, expecting no return.

After greeting a few nearby workers, Chen Lin turned to Seele and asked, “How’s the coal mine coming along?”

“We’ve opened nine large tunnels. Four are operational, but they need reinforcement to prevent cave-ins,” Seele replied promptly. “Isn’t coal just for burning, though? It’s heavy, smoky, and there’s too much of it to use up.”

Her time around Chen Lin had taught her a little about resources. She knew that compressed coal could burn for a long time—though not as efficiently as Geomarrow—but its abundance made it an excellent alternative.

While many of the coal mines were already operational, Chen Lin often insisted that it wasn’t enough. Piles of coal had accumulated in warehouses around the town.

Chen Lin stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Coal and Geomarrow share similar properties. Once the rest of the factories are up and running, large-scale coal extraction will make sense. You’ll see why I say the current output is far from sufficient.”

“Oh…”

“Too bad humans can’t work 24/7. Efficiency would skyrocket if they could.” Chen Lin sighed, shaking his head.

Sometimes he wished workers could be stored in tanks, allowing industries to operate non-stop without physical exhaustion affecting productivity.

Seele’s eyes lit up as an idea struck her.

“Would Automatons count?”

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T/N: WORK WORK WORK! men at work is the hottest :3c

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!