After becoming rich overnight, I handed over the system.

Chapter 426 The Professor's Secret

“Professor Dalac’s masterpiece,” Carl said, his tone tinged with obvious reverence. “When he came to Green Shade Star five years ago, only one crop could be grown here. Now? Year-round harvest.”

"Professor Darax?"

“An agricultural technology expert, sent by the Imperial Academy of Sciences.” Karl turned the steering wheel onto a narrower road. “He established the school here, providing free education for all the farm workers’ children. My son goes to school there.”

Arya's instincts to be alert were immediately triggered.

Free, high-quality education? In peripheral colonies? This is so out of step with the Empire's usual resource allocation methods.

She glanced at the child in the back seat through the rearview mirror. Maxi was intently watching the regulating tower flashing past the window, his eyes slightly bright.

The farmhouse was more comfortable than expected—two bedrooms, a spacious kitchen/living room, and even a small greenhouse.

Behind the house is a vegetable garden, and further away is a dense forest.

“A supply truck comes once a week; you can hitch a ride to the central market.” Carl left the keys and a stack of local currency. “Tomorrow I’ll take you to register for your identities and enroll in school.”

Hawke waited until Karl left before whispering, "I'll be staying on the outer edge of the galaxy for a month. If there's an emergency, contact me using this frequency."

He handed Arya a modified communicator. "Remember, don't trust anyone, especially that Professor Dalac."

"You think there's something wrong with him?"

“The Imperial Academy of Sciences never does charity.” Hawke gave one last look at the children exploring their new home. “Those two little ones, their abilities will only grow stronger. You’d better be prepared.”

That evening, after the children had fallen asleep, Arya began a systematic inspection of the farmhouse.

Years of living on the run instilled in her a habit—every new place of residence could be a carefully laid trap.

Her heart nearly stopped when she discovered the hidden compartment under the kitchen floor.

But inside were only some old tools and a few yellowed diaries, belonging to their former owner—an old woman who had apparently passed away.

The last page of the diary was dated three years ago, and scribbled: “They built something under the tower that glows blue at night. John said it was a new irrigation system, but I know he’s lying. I have to tell—” The rest was obscured by stains.

Arya closed her diary, her brow furrowed.

Beneath Green Star's calm surface, secrets are clearly hidden, but could they be related to her and the children?

She decided to take a closer look at the climate control towers when she went to town tomorrow.

However, just as she was about to go up, she discovered a book that was glowing.

Arya opened it with a wary heart.

It turned out to be just a novel, but the more Aria read it, the more she felt that the plot was somewhat similar to her own.

Arya breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the happy ending in the book.

When the word "reward" appeared, she didn't hesitate to take out a piece of ore and press it to reward. Just as she was about to close the book, she suddenly stuffed another piece of ore into it.

I hope her child will also have a happy ending, just like in the book.

The next morning, she was surprised to find that Maxi was already up and busy in the vegetable garden.

"Mom, look!" the boy exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the newly planted seeds.

Arya blinked—the seeds had already sprouted, and the tender green stems were growing at a visible rate.

“Maxie!” she whispered. “What did you do?”

The boy frowned, puzzled. "I just wanted them to grow up quickly, like making the machines work on Ash Planet."

He stretched out his hand, palm up, a faint blue light flowing like ripples on water. "It feels different here, easier."

Aria knelt down and gently took her son's hand: "Listen, baby, this is dangerous. If someone sees..."

“I know, Mom,” Maxie suddenly said, her expression serious beyond her years. “But I had a dream last night. In it, a man with silver eyes was looking for you and me. We have to get stronger to be safe.”

Arya's blood seemed to freeze.

Silver eyes—a rare feature of the direct descendants of the Augustan royal family, usually appearing only after the awakening of the Force.

"It was just a dream." She tried to remain calm, but her voice trembled uncontrollably. "Come on, it's time to get ready for town."

The town center is more modern than I expected.

In the center of the domed building complex is a plaza, where a holographic sculpture stands in the most prominent position—a tall, thin middle-aged man wearing scholar's glasses and with a gentle smile.

“Professor Dallax,” Carl noticed Arya’s gaze, “he’ll be giving a lecture at school this afternoon, so we can take the children to meet him.”

The registration process was suspiciously simple.

The clerk merely glanced at Hawke's forged documents before issuing them permanent residency permits and nutrition subsidy cards.

Even more strangely, when Arya cautiously inquired whether a medical examination or genetic registration was required, the clerk laughed: "Green Star doesn't deal with that imperial bureaucracy, Mrs. Weiss. Professor Dalacs says that everyone is equal here."

The school is a bright white building with a roof covered with solar panels.

They arrived just in time for the afternoon science class.

Through the classroom window, Arya saw a man dressed in a simple white robe explaining the principles of plant growth—it was Professor Darax from the holographic statue.

When those eyes behind the glasses turned to look out the window and met her gaze, Aria felt a strange unease.

Those eyes were so sharp, creating an eerie contrast with his amiable appearance.

“Ah, new students!” Darax stepped out of the classroom, crouched down to be at eye level with the children, and said, “I am Professor Darax, welcome to Green Shade School.”

His voice was gentle, but when he put his hand on Lila's shoulder, the little girl suddenly flinched and hid behind Aria.

"A shy little guy."

Darax stood up nonchalantly and smiled at Arya. "Don't worry, Mrs. Weiss, children usually adapt quickly. Our curriculum places special emphasis on cultivating exceptional talents."

The last few words set off alarm bells for Arya.

Was it her imagination, or did the professor subtly emphasize "special talent"?

“They’re just ordinary kids,” she said calmly, as she felt Lila’s little hand gripping the hem of her dress tightly.

Darax adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting the sunlight and obscuring his eyes. "Of course, every mother thinks so. However," he glanced at Maxie, "Green Star has a unique environment that sometimes brings out potential in children they weren't even aware of. See you tomorrow, kids."

Lila was unusually quiet on the way back to the farmhouse.