Stellaris Tech Tree HSR

Goethe Hotel, lobby.

As soon as Chen Lin stepped inside, he noticed an unreserved gaze fixed on him. He turned to look and, as expected, saw Dan Heng leaning coolly against the corner of the wall, his face calm and stoic.

The two exchanged a brief glance and nodded at each other before walking toward the guest rooms with an unspoken understanding.

At the very end of the hallway, they opened the door to a room. It was the shared room of Stelle and March 7th, the only one in the hotel equipped with a double bed.

Hearing the noise, the two girls immediately turned their heads.

"Chen Lin!"

March 7th leaped up excitedly but was caught mid-air by Stelle, whose expression remained stoic. March didn't mind, however, and quickly asked, "How did it go? Did you find anything?"

They had already heard about Serval's situation the previous night. Everyone had lamented how a brilliant mind had been forced to abandon her passion for research due to her superior's actions. Their suspicions of Cocolia had reached an all-time high.

When Chen Lin informed them earlier that morning that Cocolia had summoned him, March had been extremely worried. She feared that their activities might provoke the Supreme Guardian and cause her to retaliate immediately.

Little did she know that Cocolia was already being played like a puppet, with information fed to her being half-true at best. Given the Trailblazer Squad's rising reputation, Cocolia wasn't foolish enough to make a direct move against them.

"Good news or bad news first?"

March pondered for a moment. "Hmm, bad news first."

"Well, the bad news is that I can confirm Cocolia knows about the Stellaron. Moreover, it's highly likely that she's mentally influenced by it." Chen Lin's tone was measured as he revealed his findings.

The group had already suspected as much, so they didn't react strongly to the confirmation.

Stelle released March's sleeve and asked, "What's the good news?"

"The good news is that Cocolia gifted me a depleted geothermal vein."

Chen Lin seemed genuinely pleased as he shared this.

"A… depleted mine?"

March blinked. "How is that good news?"

Sigh. Dan Heng patted March on the shoulder. "Don't you get it? Chen Lin has a plan."

March stared in surprise.

"Wait, Dan Heng, did he tell you ahead of time?"

"Just look at him. It's obvious. You should really read more books; they're good for you."

With that, Dan Heng fell silent again.

As Dan Heng implied, Chen Lin was already preparing for how Jarilo-VI could come under the "Empire's" protection—and what form that protection would take.

The military aspect was already under preliminary control. Thanks to Serval's connections with several Silvermane Guards, Chen Lin had discreetly asked her to vouch for him among the troops.

With the military in check, the next step was addressing the citizens' needs for warmth and food.

This was precisely why Chen Lin wanted access to the depleted geothermal vein.

The mining station wouldn't care whether the vein was depleted or not, nor would it concern itself with how the resources reached Chen Lin's hands.

The wonders of the stars contained no shortage of miracles. Mining stations were essentially magical tools designed to help players transition smoothly through the early stages of empire-building.

After a series of experiments and simulations, Chen Lin was confident in his ability to manipulate mineral resources.

As for food?

That was simple. One of his starting technologies, Agricultural Industrialization, included the Hydroponic Farming branch, which he had already researched long before landing on Jarilo-VI.

For this, Chen Lin couldn't thank Herta enough. Without Herta's tireless, unpaid labor, he wouldn't have such advanced technologies at his disposal. Her sacrifices ensured his path was ever smoother.

In the interface, whether as a scientist or envoy, Chen Lin operated in a barebones state with no active job traits. Compared to Herta's brilliance, he was like the earth to the sky.

No competition.

"I'll likely be moving around quite a bit in the coming days to find a peaceful resolution to all this," Chen Lin said.

March pointed to herself. "What about us?"

"Check in with the Silvermane Guards. See if they need any help, and try to build good relations with them. Dan Heng, I'll need you to contact the Express and arrange for airdrops of a few usable phones. I have plans for them."

"Got it! Leave it to us!"

After Chen Lin left, Dan Heng returned to his room without a word. It was such a familiar scene that March and Stelle barely reacted.

However, after some thought, March turned to Stelle and asked, "Hey, Stelle, why do you think Chen Lin wants us to get close to the Guards? Aren't they just Cocolia's evil lackeys?"

"What's for lunch?"

"I don't know."

"How about grilled fish?"

"Sounds grea—wait, no! I'm asking why he wants us to do this!"

Stelle shook her head and didn't dodge the question this time. She opened her hands and replied, "Not entirely sure, but what else do armies do besides protect their nation and… kill people?"

"I've got it!" March exclaimed. "We're supposed to get the Guards to help us seal the Stellaron. The more people, the better!"

Stelle scratched her head awkwardly. "Uh… I actually meant that Chen Lin might not intend to solve this peacefully… By the way, March, have you thought about reading some books? Chen Lin has plenty in his room. If you're too shy to ask, I can borrow them for you."

March: "…"

---

Shortly after Chen Lin returned to his room, Pela arrived.

She came with a task and a slightly yellowed map.

"Sir, both the Overworld and the Underworld have been sealed off for years. Relations between the two may be tense. Lady Bronya asked me to check if you'd like the Silvermane Guards to accompany you."

Chen Lin was already aware of Belobog's divided structure.

The Underworld housed a large portion of the population, but years ago, Cocolia had issued an order cutting off all interaction between the two regions, save for resource exchanges.

Chen Lin didn't understand the logic behind this move, but it left him shocked. Cocolia's policy had not only prohibited travel between the Overworld and the Underworld but had also withdrawn all Silvermane Guards from the Underworld. This left the government without any direct control over the lower region, severely limiting the Guards' growth.

Furthermore, the lack of intelligence on the Underworld had become a significant issue for Belobog's administration.

Over the years, it was likely that a formidable "provisional government" had formed in the Underworld.

The depleted mine they were visiting lay at the border between the Overworld and the Underworld. While the Silvermane Guards patrolled many key routes in the area, the mine itself was beyond the jurisdiction of either region.

The Underworld had long since abandoned the mine, but there was still a risk of encountering radical citizens near the site.

For this reason, Bronya had sent Pela to ask if Chen Lin needed escorts.

Believing the "Empire's" mining station would benefit from more witnesses, Chen Lin smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Miss Pela, to handle this."

A great man!.jpg

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T/N: UNDERWORLD TIMEEE

Hello! Thank you so much for reading this chapter. WiseTL has worked hard to bring these wonderful stories to you, and I'm so happy we could share this moment together! Don't you think stories are a little like dreams? Each one has its own colors and shapes, and they grow even brighter when shared with others.

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