A few days after the hoax had finally been exposed and dealt with, Rian's life had finally returned to normal. There were no more reporters standing outside his farm. No more strangers showing up just to take pictures of his crops. Even social media, which had previously been flooded with ridiculous accusations, had already moved on to other topics. For Rian, that meant only one thing. He could finally get back to work. That afternoon, Rian was inspecting several plants at the back of the farm. His hands were busy recording the condition of the leaves and the number of fruits that were ready to be harvested, while Jojo lazily rested beneath a tree, enjoying his afternoon nap. Rian let out a long sigh. “Ah... finally, a normal life again.” Jojo merely flicked his tail. However, the peaceful atmosphere didn't last long. The sound of a car engine came from the main road. Rian raised his head. A black car stopped right in front of the entrance to his farm. It looked fairly expensive, completely different from the vehicles normally used by his workers or suppliers. Two men stepped out. Both were tall and well-built. Their clothes were simple, but their posture and sharp gazes immediately put Rian on alert. Rian stood up and narrowed his eyes. “Who are these guys now?” Jojo immediately opened his eyes at the sound of Rian's voice. The two men walked toward him. “Rian?” Rian didn't answer immediately. “That's me. What do you need?” One of the men reached into his jacket pocket. The movement made Rian instinctively tense. But the man only pulled out an identification card and showed it to him. “Police.” Rian blinked. “...Police?” The second man also showed his identification. “We need you to come with us.” Rian looked back and forth between their identification cards. His mind immediately filled with possibilities. Was this still related to the hoax incident? Or perhaps... Rian glanced toward Jojo. “Jojo, you're coming too.” The cat immediately stood up. “Meow.” Rian then followed the two men toward the car. Several workers who were busy working quietly watched from a distance. The moment they saw Rian getting into a black car with two men claiming to be police officers, the atmosphere on the farm immediately changed. One of the workers whispered, “Do you think this is because of what happened the other day?” “The incident where he beat up those thugs?” “Keep your voice down!” Rian didn't hear any of them. If he had, he probably would have felt the need to explain that he hadn't actually punched anyone. The thug had simply been very easy to knock down. Once inside the car, Rian sat in the back seat with Jojo. One of the men sat in the front passenger seat, while the other took the driver's seat. Rian still looked confused. He opened his mouth. “So, actually—” “We're not here to arrest you.” Rian immediately fell silent. The man in the passenger seat turned around and gave him a faint smile. “Sorry if our arrival made you nervous.” Rian frowned. “Then why did you bring me here in a police car?” The man chuckled. “If we came in an ordinary car, you might have been even more suspicious.” “That makes this even more suspicious.” “Fair point.” For the first time, the man's expression relaxed. He then extended his hand toward Rian. “My name is Bayu.” Rian stared at his hand for a few seconds before shaking it. “Rian.” “I know.” “...Of course you do.” Rian pulled his hand back and leaned against the seat. Jojo, sitting beside him, was busy staring out the window as if he had absolutely no interest in the humans' conversation. Bayu then pointed toward the man driving. “That's my assistant. His name is Ilham.” Rian raised an eyebrow. “Assistant?” “Yes.” Rian looked at the two men again. “So you really are police officers?” Bayu laughed. “I am. He is too.” “Then why did you bring me here?” Bayu was silent for a moment. His expression became more serious. “Actually, I've wanted to meet you for some time.” Rian immediately became cautious again. Bayu took a slow breath before continuing. “I came here to thank you.” Rian frowned. “Thank me?” “For my father.” The car grew slightly quieter. Rian tried to recall the faces of the people he had helped before. “Who is your father?” Bayu gave him a small smile. “Herman.” Rian's eyes widened. “Oh.” The memory of the elderly man who had once been in critical condition immediately resurfaced in his mind. Bayu nodded. “Thanks to you, my father is still alive today.” Rian fell silent. He had actually expected this matter to come up eventually. What he hadn't expected was that the person coming to find him would turn out to be a police officer. Bayu continued in a calmer voice. “I don't know how I can repay what you've done for my father. So at the very least, allow me to treat you to lunch.” Rian stared at him. “Lunch?” “Yes.” Bayu smiled. “My father wants to meet you in person.” Rian scratched his head. “Why does this feel like I've been kidnapped just to have lunch?” Ilham, who had been silent until then, finally let out a small laugh from the driver's seat. Bayu laughed as well. “Sorry. We probably could have handled this better.” Rian glanced at Jojo. The cat was calmly licking his paw. Rian sighed. “All right.” He finally shrugged. “If it's just lunch, I'll come.” Bayu looked relieved. “Thank you.” The car continued down the road, leaving the farm behind. Unknown to Rian, this meeting would be more than just a simple lunch. At their destination, two people who had been waiting to meet him were already there. Herman. And Anton. Rian had no idea that this simple lunch would open the door to a new relationship—one far more significant than he could have imagined.

BAB 25-UNEXPECTED INVITATION