A few days after Ilham's condition was declared stable, Rian finally returned to his usual routine.
Before leaving the hospital, he received an update from Bayu that Lukman had started showing better responses. He still hadn't fully recovered and needed intensive care, but at least his condition was no longer as critical as it had been before.
For Rian, that was enough.
He didn't want to keep visiting the hospital too often. The longer he stayed there, the more attention he was likely to attract. Especially after what had happened a few days earlier, several doctors had already started recognizing him as the man who had brought a "family herbal remedy" that somehow produced remarkable results for a critically ill patient.
Rian didn't want that kind of coincidence happening too often.
So after saying goodbye to Bayu, he decided to return to the place where he had always felt the most comfortable.
The farm.
The problem was, his house was currently unlivable.
The renovation that had previously been nothing more than a plan was now underway. Parts of the interior had been torn apart to expand the kitchen, several rooms were being repaired, the water and electrical systems were being replaced, and the backyard was also being rearranged.
Rian could have rented a room or stayed at a hotel for the time being.
But after calculating the costs and considering the distance, he decided it didn't make much sense.
His farm had a simple building that he normally used as a place to rest and work whenever he was too busy to go home. It wasn't luxurious. There was only a bedroom, a small workspace, a bathroom, a simple kitchen, and a front room usually filled with various agricultural records.
But for Rian, it was enough.
Besides, he spent most of his time at the farm anyway.
"I guess I'll be staying here until the house is finished."
Rian stood in front of the simple building, looking around. The afternoon sunlight spread across the fields, reflecting off the plants swaying gently in the breeze, while several workers were still busy at the back of the farm.
Jojo jumped out of the car and stretched his body.
"That means me too?"
Rian looked at him.
"You want to stay at a hotel?"
Jojo fell silent for a moment before looking at the simple building in front of him.
"No."
"Why?"
"Hotels don't provide free food."
Rian laughed.
"At least you're honest."
"I'm a cat with principles."
Jojo then walked inside first as if the place already belonged to him.
Rian shook his head while taking a few things out of the car.
But there was one particular item he treated differently.
An old trash can.
From the outside, the trash can looked completely ordinary.
Its paint was faded, and some parts of its surface looked as if the thing had spent years sitting somewhere damp. To anyone else, it was probably nothing more than something that belonged in the garbage.
To Rian, however, it was one of the most valuable things he owned.
The magical trash can.
Rian made sure there were no workers nearby before lifting it out of the car.
He never carried that thing around carelessly.
The trash can had always been kept hidden inside his house, but with the renovation underway, Rian didn't want to leave it there. Too many strangers were coming in and out during the construction.
If one of the workers noticed something strange happening around the trash can, he would have a hard time explaining it.
That was why bringing it to the farm felt much safer.
"Careful."
Jojo watched from the doorway.
"Are you carrying a national treasure?"
"It's worth more."
Jojo immediately came closer.
"Can I see it?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you're too curious."
"I am curious."
"That's exactly the problem."
Rian carried the trash can into his workspace and placed it in a corner where it couldn't easily be seen from outside. After making sure the door was closed, he finally felt a little relieved.
No one could find that trash can.
Not because Rian was afraid of losing it.
He was more afraid of what would happen if someone discovered what it could do.
---
The following days were much quieter.
Rian woke up early, checked the condition of the crops, reviewed the workers' reports, checked the fertilizer and feed supplies, and inspected the harvest before dealing with the administrative side of the business.
Once he finished with the fieldwork, he usually returned to the simple building to calculate sales and profits.
The work itself wasn't particularly exciting.
There was nothing spectacular about sitting in front of a laptop for hours and staring at numbers.
But Rian liked it.
Numbers never lied.
If the harvest increased, he could see it.
If expenses went up, he could see that too.
And if something wasn't right, the financial reports usually gave him a warning before the problem became too serious.
"The feed costs went up this month."
Rian pointed at one section of the report, frowning slightly.
Pak Supri, who was sitting across from him, nodded.
"Just a little, sir. But the fish production is starting to increase too."
"Still manageable."
Rian recalculated a few figures before saving the report.
"The important thing is that we don't just look at revenue. We need to pay attention to the net profit."
Pak Supri smiled.
"Whenever you start talking about numbers, I immediately get a headache."
Rian laughed.
"That's why you shouldn't stare at them for too long."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Pak Supri stood up and picked up another report.
Rian nodded.
He didn't mind doing this kind of work because from the beginning, he hadn't built the farm just to look successful. He wanted the business to actually make money and survive in the long run.
So even though his income kept increasing, Rian continued paying attention to inventory, operating costs, the workers' needs, and the amount of products going out every day.
He had even started keeping more organized records of the harvest and fish stock.
The gourami experiment was also progressing.
Arman regularly gave him reports on the fish's condition, the amount of feed they consumed, changes in their behavior, and their growth.
Rian didn't interfere too much.
He deliberately gave Arman room to learn.
If every decision was always made by Rian, Arman would never have a chance to grow.
Besides, Rian already had more than enough work on his plate.
---
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks slowly turned into months.
Nothing major happened after the incident involving Ilham.
And strangely enough, that was exactly what made Rian feel like his life had finally returned to normal.
Mornings were spent working.
Afternoons were used to check production and inventory.
Evenings were usually spent calculating sales or inspecting the crops.
Nighttime was the quietest.
After all the workers went home, the farm became much quieter. The sound of vehicles became rare, the lights around the fields switched on one by one, and only the sounds of nighttime insects accompanied Rian whenever he sat outside his little building.
Sometimes he read.
Sometimes he calculated profits.
Sometimes he simply sat there with a cup of coffee.
And almost every night, Jojo would appear from somewhere and claim the most comfortable spot near him.
"We made another profit this month."
Rian showed him the laptop screen.
Jojo glanced at it.
"How much?"
"About four hundred million."
Jojo nodded as if he understood the financial report completely.
"Good."
"You understand it?"
"No."
Rian laughed.
"Then why did you say it's good?"
"Because you don't look stressed."
Rian fell silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
Jojo's answer was simple, but there was some truth to it.
Over the past few months, Rian had hardly thought about anything major besides work. His house was being renovated, the farm was growing, the gourami experiment was progressing, and his business kept generating profits.
For the first time in a long while, his life felt peaceful.
Maybe a little too peaceful.
But Rian didn't mind.
He enjoyed it.
---
Even though he was busy, Rian didn't spend all his time at the farm.
Every now and then, he met Diah.
Their meetings weren't always planned.
Sometimes Diah contacted him first and asked if he was busy. Other times, Rian invited her to eat after finishing his business in town.
Their relationship hadn't become anything serious yet.
They were simply talking again like two people who had once been close many years ago and were now slowly getting to know each other again.
Strangely enough, Rian felt comfortable around her.
Diah never asked too many questions about his business.
She also wasn't particularly interested in how much money Rian had.
That simplicity was exactly what made him happy.
One afternoon, they sat in a small restaurant while enjoying their food.
Diah looked at Rian, who had been enthusiastically talking about the farm.
"You really like farming now, huh?"
Rian laughed.
"I didn't expect it myself at first."
"You used to hate being told to take care of plants."
"That was back then."
Rian leaned back in his chair.
"Now, seeing the plants grow well actually feels pretty satisfying."
Diah smiled at his expression.
"You've changed."
Rian raised an eyebrow.
"For the worse?"
"No."
Diah shook her head with a smile.
"You're calmer."
Rian fell silent for a moment.
He had never really thought about that change himself.
Maybe she was right.
Back then, he had been too busy thinking about how to survive. Now, he didn't have to run quite as desperately as before.
There was still plenty of work and plenty of problems, but at least he no longer felt like he was chasing something he could never reach.
"I feel the same way," Rian finally replied.
Their conversation continued with smaller things. They talked about food, work, their school days, and even some old friends they hadn't heard from in a long time.
There were no big conversations.
No promises.
And yet, perhaps because of that, Rian enjoyed himself.
Every time he returned from meeting Diah, he usually carried a small smile that was impossible to hide.
And of course, Jojo always noticed.
"Met Diah again?"
Rian, who had just entered the farm building, immediately looked at him.
"How did you know?"
"Your face."
"What's wrong with my face?"
"You look like someone who just got a discount."
Rian laughed.
"A discount on what?"
"Life."
Rian shook his head while placing his keys on the table.
"Compared to you, your face looks exactly the same every day."
Jojo casually licked his fur.
"I've been perfect since birth."
"That's some serious confidence."
"I'm just being realistic."
Rian simply laughed and sat down in his chair.
Outside, the sky was beginning to darken, and the farm lights slowly came on. From where he sat, Rian could see part of the fields through the window. The plants were growing well, his work was running smoothly, the stock was safe, and this month's profit report was even better than he had expected.
His house was still being renovated.
The gourami experiment still needed time.
His business would grow much larger in the future.
But for now, Rian didn't feel the need to rush.
He simply wanted to enjoy these peaceful days.
No major problems.
No one chasing him.
No need to explain too much about the secret he had been keeping.
In the corner of the room, the magical trash can stood silently, looking like nothing more than an old, worthless object.
No one out there knew that this simple-looking object was the source of almost every miracle that had changed Rian's life.
And for now, Rian wanted things to stay that way.
Because after all the chaos that had happened recently, this simple life at the farm felt like a luxury he didn't want to give up.
Even if that luxury was nothing more than a cup of coffee, a profit report, the sound of crickets at night, and a talkative cat that was always asking for food.