Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [63]

Buzz—

Thud!

“Ah! Friendly! I’m one of you! Let’s not get violent, alright?!”

In the dim light, Dan Heng’s spear pierced through the darkness, striking the ground between the legs of a shadowy figure. The tip of the spear shimmered with a faint green starlight, effortlessly slicing through the hard stone beneath and vibrating ominously.

Chen Lin extended his psionic senses, finally discerning the figure now pressed against the abandoned mine’s entrance—a man who appeared utterly terrified by the sudden assault.

No, that’s not fear.

With his sharp psionic perception, Chen Lin noticed that while the man tried his best to feign panic, there was a peculiar glint of amusement in his eyes.

And under such poor lighting, with his enhanced psionic vision, Chen Lin realized the man’s gaze had almost never left him. It felt as if the man were observing someone familiar.

This guy isn’t ordinary. Time to borrow a lesson from certain law enforcement videos and hit hard!

With this in mind, Chen Lin’s expression turned serious. Advancing forward, he leveled his gun and barked out an order, “Don’t move! Show me your hands! Get on the ground!”

As he spoke, Chen Lin fired a warning shot into a nearby rock.

Zzzzzt—

Boom!

Purple laser energy obliterated the stone into fragments, the explosion echoing crisply through the tunnel.

“Oh my god!” The man yelped, jumping as he threw his hands in the air. His voice trembled. “Brother, I swear, I’m on your side—”

“Don’t move! Show me your hands and get on the ground, or I’ll shoot!”

As the man cautiously started to lower himself to the ground, Chen Lin’s sharp rebuke stopped him.

“I said don’t move!!”

“Oh… oh!”

“If you don’t get down right now, I’m going to shoot!”

“Don’t, don’t! I’ll get down!”

The man hurriedly dropped to the ground again, only for Chen Lin to press the muzzle of his gun directly against his forehead, yelling even louder.

“You moved again!!”

The man’s voice broke with a sob. “How am I supposed to lie down without moving?!”

“Are you going to lie down or not?!”

“Yes, yes, I will! Brother, can’t we just talk this out peacefully—”

“I said don’t move!!”

“...”

At this point, March walked over, her bow in hand, staring in confusion at the strange man doing push-ups in sheer panic.

“Lin, what are you doing? Is this guy one of Cocolia’s men trying to catch us?”

“I’m role-playing as a cop from that certain country. You know, I used to just watch those videos for fun, but doing this myself feels oddly satisfying.”

Chen Lin smirked, holstering his gun before deftly restraining the man’s hands. “As for this suspicious guy tailing us… feel free to ask him yourself.”

March crouched down and asked, “Who are you? Why are you following us?”

“Guys, I swear, I’m not following you! We’re on the same side, the same side!” The man forced a nervous smile. “Haha… the name’s Sampo. You’ve probably heard of me, right? I’m kind of a big deal in this line of work. I just finished a job and was on my way back.”

March blinked in confusion.

“What kind of job?”

“Smuggling between the upper and lower districts,” Sampo said, staring wide-eyed at her. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re not smugglers?”

“Nope.” March pouted. “Who would do something so shady?”

At that moment, Chen Lin spoke up. “Sampo Koski, a wanted criminal. Seven years ago, he was declared a high-priority fugitive by the Silvermane Guards. Multiple charges—smuggling contraband, manufacturing illegal substances, prison escape, resisting arrest, and… mocking law enforcement with memes. Basically, he’s committed almost every crime short of murder, arson, and assault.”

Stelle squinted at Sampo and said, “Oh, he’s the guy with the rose in his mouth on the wanted posters, right?”

“The one with the chin that looks sharp enough to kill someone? Doesn’t seem like him,” March added, recalling the posters plastered around town.

Chen Lin had thought the name sounded familiar earlier. When Sampo mentioned smuggling, it clicked—he’d seen the wanted poster while out with Bronya and Pela in a side alley.

The portrait on the poster, supposedly hand-drawn by Pela herself, was so… unique that it took Chen Lin a while to connect it to the man in front of him.

Hearing this, Sampo’s face fell as he resigned to his fate. “Alright, so you’re Silvermane Guards. I give up. Do whatever you want with me… huh?”

To his surprise, Chen Lin suddenly released his grip on Sampo’s hands and pulled him to his feet. Holding Sampo by the shoulders, Chen Lin stared directly into his eyes.

The psionic energy in Chen Lin’s gaze bore into Sampo, creating an unsettling sensation of emotional exposure. Realizing what was happening, Sampo panicked. His eyes darted around, avoiding direct contact, as if trying to shield his thoughts.

This guy’s hiding something. Chen Lin’s sixth sense told him that Sampo had intentionally drawn their attention, waiting for them to pull him out of the shadows.

This person doesn’t add up. Using his psionic abilities to read emotions and thoughts, Chen Lin sought to uncover anything useful from Sampo’s inner mind…

To the others, however, the scene painted a completely different picture.

March, horrified, watched as Chen Lin gazed into Sampo’s eyes with an intensity that seemed far too… intimate. She clamped a hand over her mouth, her thoughts racing through all sorts of inappropriate scenarios.

Meanwhile, Stelle pouted, gripping her bat tightly. A faint dark aura surrounded her as she glared at Sampo.

After what felt like an eternity, Chen Lin finally broke the silence, his cheerful voice cutting through the tension.

“You know me, don’t you?”

“Haha… I’ve got a bad memory, but maybe… maybe I’ve seen you somewhere?” Sampo stammered, avoiding eye contact.

“How often do you visit the upper district?”

“Two or three times a month. People up there are always short on supplies.”

“How long do you stay each time?”

“Six or seven days…”

“And this time?”

“...”

Realizing his evasiveness would only get him exposed, Sampo clasped his hands together, bowing his head in mock penitence. “I’m sorry! You’re right—I do know you! Especially the famous Chen Lin! But I swear I mean no harm. I was just trying to go home!”

Dan Heng, who had been silently resting nearby, suddenly stepped forward. Uncharacteristically aggressive, he placed his spear threateningly on Sampo’s shoulder.

“Speak clearly. Or else…”

“Hey!” Chen Lin gently pushed the spear aside. “Dan Heng, no need to be so harsh. Let’s give Sampo a chance to explain himself properly, right?”

“R-right! I’ll explain everything!” Sampo shot Chen Lin a grateful look before diving into his story.

According to him, he had come to the upper district on a client’s request to secure supplies. Chen Lin’s name had been everywhere—any place with people would have someone talking about him. Even in bookshops, young girls were sketching portraits of him.

Today, while heading to his secret passage back to the lower district, Sampo had accidentally run into Chen Lin’s group. Curious about why they were there and whether it would affect his route, he had followed them.

The result was obvious—he was quickly discovered by Dan Heng and Chen Lin.

“So I swear, I have no ill intentions! I’m just terrified of getting caught by the Silvermane Guards!” Sampo spread his hands, forcing a grin. “This tunnel is one of the main routes for my business. I was just being careful!”

March wrinkled her nose. “You’ve got shifty eyes. I bet you’re lying.”

“Ma’am! I may be a criminal, but I’ve never done anything truly heinous! I swear, if I’ve done anything unforgivable, may I be caught by the Silvermane Guards and go ten days without food!”

As if to sweeten the deal, Sampo smiled ingratiatingly. “If there’s anything I can help you with, just say the word. I’ll do it for free as an apology! Hehe… I may not have much, but I’ve got plenty of friends in both districts. Let’s be friends, alright?”

Chen Lin nodded with a calm smile. Without bothering to call out the holes in Sampo’s story, he patted his shoulder and said warmly:

“Then could you take us to a town in the lower district?”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“No problem! Leave it to the great Sampo—I’ve got this!”

---

T/N: yaoi? :3c anyways of course I was right I am a caster after all

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!