The gourami pond was finally ready. The concrete walls had dried, the water channels had been tested, and the automatic system Rian had ordered from Pak Joko was working properly. It was still a relatively small pond compared to the size of the farm, but for Rian, that was exactly the point. He wasn't trying to build a massive fish farm yet. He was experimenting. That morning, Rian stood beside the pond with Pak Supri, watching the workers finish cleaning the area around it. He glanced at the empty water surface for a moment before turning toward Pak Supri. “So, did you find someone who actually knows how to take care of gourami?” Pak Supri scratched his cheek. “I did, Boss. Well... sort of.” Rian raised an eyebrow. “Sort of?” “There’s one of our workers who knows quite a bit about freshwater fish. His name is Arman. He’s still young, almost your age, actually.” Rian looked slightly surprised. “One of our workers?” “Yes. He used to raise gourami at home.” Rian's expression brightened. “Seriously?” Pak Supri nodded. “But don't expect some professional fish farmer, Boss. He only raised them as a hobby.” Rian stared at him for a second before chuckling. “A hobby?” “Yeah.” “How many did he raise?” Pak Supri hesitated. “Quite a few, I think.” Rian smiled. “And where are those fish now?” Pak Supri looked away. “...Gone.” Rian's smile faded slightly. “Sold?” “No.” “Died?” “No.” Rian waited. Pak Supri finally gave him an awkward smile. “New Year's celebration.” Rian stared at him. Then he burst out laughing. “You're telling me this guy raised gourami as a hobby, took care of them all year, and then ate them for New Year's?” Pak Supri laughed too. “That's what he told me.” Rian shook his head, still smiling. “Honestly, that's not a bad ending for a gourami.” He looked back toward the pond, imagining the future fish swimming peacefully inside it before eventually ending up on someone's dinner table. At least Arman's experience wasn't completely useless; someone who had actually cared for gourami, even as a hobby, would still know more about them than Rian, who had spent most of his life knowing fish primarily as something that came wrapped in plastic at a supermarket. “Call him over,” Rian said. A few minutes later, a young man approached them. He was around Rian's age, with a lean build and slightly tanned skin. His clothes were still covered with a little dirt from working in the field, and he looked somewhat nervous when he stopped in front of Rian. “You wanted to see me, Boss?” Rian nodded. “You're Arman?” “Yes.” “I heard you used to raise gourami.” Arman rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, Boss. But just as a hobby. I'm not a professional.” Rian smiled. “I know. Pak Supri already told me.” Arman looked slightly embarrassed. Rian could tell from his expression that the New Year's story had probably already reached his ears. “You really ate all of them?” Arman froze for a moment. Then he laughed awkwardly. “...Yes.” Rian couldn't help laughing again. “Fair enough.” Arman relaxed a little when he realized Rian wasn't mocking him. He stepped closer to the pond and looked inside, his expression slowly becoming more serious as he examined the construction and water condition. “This pond is pretty good, Boss. The drainage system is especially useful. If the water quality drops, it'll be easier to replace part of the water.” Rian listened carefully. Unlike people who liked pretending they knew everything, Arman immediately admitted what he knew and what he didn't. That made Rian trust him more. “I don't need you to be an expert,” Rian said. “I just need someone who'll actually pay attention to the fish.” Arman looked at him. Rian pointed toward the pond. “Starting today, you're in charge of this pond.” Arman's eyes widened. “Me?” “Yeah.” “But I'm not—” “I know.” Rian cut him off with a calm smile. “You're not a professional. That's fine. You're still more experienced than me.” Arman looked toward the pond again, as if trying to make sure Rian was serious. “So... what exactly do you want me to do?” “Monitor everything. Feeding, water condition, fish behavior, growth, anything unusual. Keep records. If you notice something strange, tell me immediately.” Rian paused before adding another point. “And don't be afraid to tell me when you think I'm wrong.” Arman looked surprised by that. Rian simply shrugged. “If you're the one watching them every day, you might notice something I don't.” Arman slowly nodded. “Understood, Boss.” Rian smiled. “Good. Consider yourself the temporary foreman for the fish pond.” Arman's expression became more determined. “I'll do my best.” Rian patted his shoulder. “That's all I need.” With that, the first small responsibility of the new fish operation officially fell into Arman's hands. He wasn't a seasoned aquaculture specialist, and Rian wasn't pretending otherwise, but the young man's willingness to observe and learn was enough for a starting point. Besides, Rian himself had no intention of pretending to be an expert; his real advantage wasn't knowledge of fish farming, but the strange liquid hidden inside the small bottle in his possession. --- Later that afternoon, Rian went to purchase the first batch of gourami fingerlings. He deliberately chose ordinary ones. Nothing expensive. Nothing special. The fish were healthy enough, but otherwise completely normal. The same went for the feed; Rian bought regular feed suitable for young gourami rather than spending money on some premium product. Arman looked at the supplies after they arrived. “Boss, are you sure about using ordinary feed?” “Absolutely.” Rian placed the bag down. “I want to know what the serum does. If I use expensive feed from the beginning, it'll be harder to tell which one is responsible for the result.” Arman nodded slowly. “That makes sense.” Rian smiled. “Besides, I like cheap experiments.” Arman chuckled. “That's the first time I've heard someone say that.” Rian ignored the comment and took out another small container. “This is where things get a little different.” Arman looked at it curiously. “What's that?” “Vitamin.” Rian had prepared an ordinary vitamin solution beforehand. There was nothing suspicious about it from the outside, and that was exactly what he wanted. “The fish feed will be mixed with this,” Rian explained. Arman examined the container. “How much?” “Enough to coat the feed lightly. Don't soak it until it falls apart.” Arman nodded and took mental notes. “Got it.” Rian then took out another bottle. Inside was the magical serum. However, unlike the concentrated liquid he normally used, this batch had already been diluted repeatedly. Rian had done it carefully. The original serum was far too powerful and far too precious to pour directly into something as large as a fish-feeding routine. He had diluted it again and again until the concentration was extremely low, creating a solution that could be mixed into the vitamin without wasting large amounts of the original serum. Arman didn't know any of that. As far as he knew, Rian had simply prepared a special supplement. Rian handed him the container. “This will be added to the vitamin.” Arman looked at the liquid. “Every feeding?” Rian shook his head. “Not necessarily. For now, follow the schedule I give you. Don't add anything extra on your own.” His tone was calm, but firm enough to make Arman understand that this part wasn't something to experiment with casually. Rian had spent too much time calculating the dilution to risk someone pouring half the bottle into the fish feed because they thought more would mean better results. “Understood.” Arman nodded. Rian then looked at the fingerlings swimming inside their temporary container. They looked completely ordinary. Small. Fragile. Nothing about them suggested that they might become worth several times the normal market price. Rian crouched beside the pond. “Let's see what you guys become.” One of the fingerlings suddenly swam toward the edge before quickly turning away. Rian smiled. Jojo, who had been watching from a safe distance, sat down and flicked his tail. “Meow.” Rian glanced at him. “What?” Jojo stared at the fish. Then at Rian. Then back at the fish. His expression seemed to say one very simple thing. Don't mess this up. Rian laughed. “You're worried about your future food supply, aren't you?” Jojo immediately looked away. “Meow.” “Yeah, sure.” Rian stood up and looked at Arman. “Starting today, these fish are your responsibility.” Arman nodded firmly. “I understand.” Rian looked at the pond one more time. For now, everything looked ordinary. Ordinary fish. Ordinary feed. Ordinary water. Only one thing was different. A tiny amount of something that shouldn't exist in this world had quietly entered the process. And Rian had no idea what kind of result it would produce. That uncertainty was exactly what made him excited. Because if the experiment succeeded, he wouldn't just have discovered a way to grow unusually valuable gourami. He might have discovered an entirely new business waiting beneath the surface of a simple fish pond.

Chapter 31 — The Gourami Experiment