支线

branch line / side road / spur / fig. secondary plot (in a story)

variant of 線|线[xian4]

thread / string / wire / line / CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3],根[gen1] / (after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city)

surname Zhi

to support / to sustain / to erect / to raise / branch / division / to draw money / classifier for rods such as pens and guns, for army divisions and for songs or compositions