What happens in the Lower District stays in the Lower District. Similarly, the Upper District’s affairs rarely ever reached below.
While the city above descended into chaos, shaken by an unexpected threat, the people of the Lower District carried on as usual, indifferent to the disturbances above.
“What’s that noise? It shook for so long before stopping!”
Inside a workshop, Seele frowned as the rumbling overhead finally subsided. She crossed her arms, her elegant brows furrowing tightly. “What kind of nonsense are those Upper District scumbags up to now?”
A hand draped gently over her shoulder, patting in reassurance.
“Don’t mind them. Let’s just focus on what we’re doing down here. It’s not like they’ll come down,” Chen Lin said, steering the conversation elsewhere. “Besides, if there’s ever any danger, I’m sure you’ll step up to protect the Lower District, won’t you, Seele?”
Puffed up with pride at the compliment, Seele put her hands on her hips. “Of course! I’m the Chief of Defense for Wildfire! Protecting everyone is my job!”
“Exactly. So no matter what happens up there, we’ve got nothing to fear. If you’re worried, though, we can tighten security at the checkpoints. After all, since we stopped supplying Geomarrow to the Upper District, there’s always the chance that Cocolia might send troops down here to take it by force.”
Hearing this, Seele’s eyes flashed with anger. “She wouldn’t dare! Cutting off our supplies is bad enough, but if she sends her goons down here, I’ll split her skull in two!”
“Of course, of course. You’re incredible, Seele!” Chen Lin enthusiastically agreed.
Despite her usual cool and stoic demeanor, this girl loved compliments more than anyone. The harsh environment she’d grown up in might explain her rougher language, but underneath it all, she simply had her own way of expressing herself.
Natasha had mentioned to Chen Lin that Seele had been hanging around the night school recently, supposedly to keep an eye on things and ensure safety. In truth, Natasha had caught her eavesdropping on lessons more than once.
Seele, who had struggled with reading and writing for years, now seemed determined to improve herself. Perhaps the rapid changes in the Lower District had sparked a sense of urgency within her.
She probably feels like if she doesn’t learn something, she’ll get left behind. And honestly, she’s not wrong, Chen Lin thought.
Many factory jobs now required at least basic technical knowledge, and this trend would only grow as specialization increased. Not too long ago, Chen Lin had sent Seele to help out at the pharmaceutical plant. It was likely she had been humbled by working with younger, more educated staff, fueling her resolve to better herself.
As a senior member of Wildfire, Seele was no stranger to motivational speeches about setting examples and keeping pace with change.
The fact that she was making an effort to learn was a good sign. Chen Lin had plans to establish military academies in both the Upper and Lower Districts to teach spacefaring combat, ground operations, and aviation. Expanding educational facilities was also a priority to raise the cultural and technical proficiency of the planet’s populace.
If I don’t take care of my own planet, who will?
Glancing at Seele standing confidently by his side, Chen Lin couldn’t help but imagine her as a future commander of his ground forces. With her leading a psychic-enhanced battalion, they’d dominate the battlefield, conquering cities and territories alike.
And the best part? She’d probably be like Herta—not needing cohesion paychecks, just some local currency to keep her happy.
A cornerstone for the future empire, no doubt.
Chen Lin said earnestly, “Seele, you’ve got to work hard.”
What he didn’t say was: If you don’t, how am I supposed to live the good life later on?
“Oh… okay,” Seele replied, confused by his sudden encouragement but nodding anyway.
Just then, Clara came running over, holding a drafting board twice as wide as she was. Her cheeks were flushed red with excitement, and she was followed by a short-haired woman.
The woman had once worked as a foreman in the Boulder Town mines. After Chen Lin’s reforms, she was promoted to production supervisor at the factory, overseeing its assembly lines.
“Big Brother! I made some modifications to the old lathe,” Clara exclaimed, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. “This sister thought it was pretty good and wanted me to show you.”
The supervisor greeted Chen Lin with a respectful nod. “Boss Chen. The production line for the lathes has been running on its original outdated setup. While your repairs brought it back into operation, its efficiency has been poor. I showed Clara some blueprints and machinery, and she added some enhancements. I think these changes could significantly boost productivity.”
“Oh, really?” Chen Lin raised an eyebrow and took the blueprint Clara handed him.
The machinery salvaged from abandoned industrial towns was indeed old and inefficient. Even with repairs, the production speed wasn’t ideal. Still, Chen Lin had been content to let things run their course. In time, the factory would produce enough parts and metal plates to meet internal demand, with little surplus for external trade.
There hadn’t seemed to be a need for upgrades.
But as he examined Clara’s design, something caught his attention.
“Hmm…” Chen Lin furrowed his brow, his highly efficient mind running calculations on the feasibility of the design. The blueprint detailed an expanded lathe with additional attachments for various production steps, including bending and stamping.
It looked bulky and far less aesthetically pleasing, with numerous auxiliary panels disrupting its streamlined appearance. However, if the design worked as intended, the new machine could consolidate multiple steps into one, drastically improving efficiency.
It’s almost like a prototype of semi-automated machinery from my past life’s factories, he realized.
The issue, though, was that they didn’t have computers. Without computing power, how could automation be achieved?
As someone who grew up surrounded by machinery, Clara had a seemingly endless well of ideas for mechanical innovations.
Pointing at a specific circular component in the blueprint, Chen Lin asked, “What’s this part supposed to do?”
“That’s the mechanical core,” Clara answered immediately. “There are plenty of spare cores in the settlement. Most of them are either scavenged from my trips outside or salvaged from older robots with worn-out structures.”
“So… you’re planning to stick this thing… inside the lathe?” Chen Lin asked, dumbfounded.
“Mr. Svarog can handle that! All it takes is formatting the idle cores and reloading them with operational protocols,” Clara explained with an enthusiastic nod, though a trace of reluctance lingered on her face. “But… every robot is unique, an individual in their own way. If we can’t make new shells for these cores, they’ll still end up being formatted once the time Svarog set runs out.”
Chen Lin had heard Clara mention the state of the cores before. Each one acted like a storage device, continuously recording data from its surroundings and updating itself. To prevent overloading or self-destruction from excessive information storage, Svarog had programmed the cores with periodic resets, ensuring their safety and avoiding catastrophic explosions.
So Svarog’s essentially a supercomputer?
The thought made Chen Lin pause. Suddenly, the prospect of Jarilo-VI achieving rapid technological leaps didn’t seem so far-fetched. It might save him the trouble of importing cutting-edge tech, freeing the planet from dependency on outside sources.
“Alright, let’s do it!” Chen Lin declared, waving a hand decisively. “We’ll make this groundbreaking project a reality!”
There was no denying Clara’s genius. Despite her young age, her creative ideas and mechanical aptitude left Chen Lin thoroughly impressed.
Future genius engineer in the making, for sure.
“Clara, do you think you can handle this? If you need anything—materials, tools, manpower—just let me know. I’ll handle it. Your pay will be the highest, of course.”
“Eh? But I don’t need money…” Clara hesitated, tilting her head. “And you really want me to do this?”
“Yes. Full support—money, resources, people, whatever it takes!” Chen Lin turned to Seele. “Seele, didn’t Hearthford send over some disassembled industrial lathes? Are they here yet?”
Seele nodded. “Yeah, the crew said they put together a prototype this morning.”
“Perfect. Give them all to Clara for practice. And transfer half the engineering team to help her. We’ll set up two parts factories to manufacture anything Clara needs. If they can’t do it, tell me—I’ll handle it personally.”
The pressure visibly weighed on Clara, who anxiously waved her hands. “I… I don’t know if I can pull this off. What if I waste everyone’s time and resources? It’ll cost so much… I’d rather test it myself first, and if it doesn’t work…”
Chen Lin couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, is that all you’re worried about? Don’t be! We’re not short on funds. Research isn’t something you succeed at on the first try. Failure is the mother of success. If you’re willing to take it on, Clara, then just go for it.”
He chuckled inwardly, remembering projects he had been involved with in his past life, where initial funding ran into the billions, with even more injected down the line. By comparison, this was practically pocket change.
And Clara? She wasn’t just a talented kid—she was a budding prodigy. Investing a little in her development was a no-brainer, especially since her passion for machinery was palpable.
If she wants resources, I’ll provide them. If she needs funds, I’ll allocate them, Chen Lin thought, rubbing his chin.
Why was he so keen on nurturing Clara? The reasons were countless.
Even under a technological ceiling reminiscent of the early industrial revolution, Clara’s innovative spark shone brightly. Chen Lin could barely imagine the breakthroughs she might achieve with access to advanced aerospace engineering knowledge.
Watching Clara’s shocked expression as he spoke of investing heavily in her potential, Chen Lin gently patted her head.
“We’re not afraid of failure, Clara. Don’t let fear hold you back. With the resources we have, I’ll support any project worth pursuing. Effort doesn’t always guarantee results, but without effort, there’s nothing. Clara, didn’t you once tell me you wanted to do work like this when you grow up? This is your chance. So, are you ready to go all in?”
Clara froze, her thoughts racing back to the conversation they’d had a few days prior. Chen Lin had painted vivid pictures of a distant, prosperous empire—a land of cars, aircraft, weapons, and ships, all crafted by brilliant engineers.
She had dreamed of one day creating something that could astonish the world. Not for fame or wealth, nor for power over others. Simply because she loved it.
She remembered meeting Svarog for the first time, wondering how a machine could move, think, and decide its next steps on its own. That curiosity had never left her.
And now, this man—this remarkable human—stood before her, willing to invest everything to help her pursue what once felt like an unreachable dream.
The warmth of being seen, supported, and believed in washed over Clara.
“Big Brother…” Clara’s voice quivered, her eyes glistening with emotion. “Thank you for everything—for always helping me, always being there…”
She clenched her fists tightly, determination burning in her chest. “I won’t let you down. I’ll make this work!”
“Good. And if you hit a roadblock, come to me. I know a bit about most fields, so I can help.” Chen Lin crouched to meet her eye level, his smile warm and reassuring as he held her small hand. “I trust you, Clara. You can do this.”
“Thank you…”
The heartwarming scene moved everyone around them, leaving many misty-eyed.
Everyone, except Seele.
Something felt… off. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was an itch in her brain.
Soon, Clara dashed off to prepare for the task. To ensure her safety, Chen Lin instructed Seele to assign armed personnel from the defense unit to accompany her.
“Whew, what a win,” Chen Lin said, stretching lazily. “By the way, has the farm’s harvest come in yet?”
“Yeah, everything was harvested yesterday. There’s a lot of food stockpiled. Want to check it out?” Seele replied.
“Later. I’ve got other things to handle first.” Chen Lin sighed contentedly. “Can’t believe I’ve found another promising kid. And she doesn’t even ask for a salary. Back in the day, she’d be an employee of the year, no contest.”
That was when it finally clicked for Seele.
Clara was essentially working for free, yet somehow Chen Lin was the one being thanked—profusely, even.
Not only that, Clara was now wholly devoted to her work, seemingly ready to give it her all for this so-called “dream.”
Oh no…
The realization hit Seele like a truck.
This guy’s a capitalist through and through! She silently vowed to stay on high alert—lest he manage to swindle her one day, too.
—
T/N: MUAHUAHUA CAPITALISM!!!
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!
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