The next morning, Rian stood in the middle of his kitchen, staring at the pile of organic waste he had brought home from the market. Banana peels. Wilted lettuce leaves. Kangkung stems. Carrot tops. Bruised tomatoes. Coffee grounds. A few fruits that had been too ripe to sell. To most people, it was nothing more than garbage. To Rian, it was raw material. He rolled up his sleeves. “All right.” Jojo sat on the kitchen table, his tail neatly curled around his paws. “All right?” “We’re starting production.” Jojo nodded slowly. “Good.” Rian pulled on a pair of rubber gloves. Then he stopped. “Jojo.” “Yes?” “Why do you look like a manager while I’m the one doing all the work?” Jojo yawned. “Because I am the manager.” “You don’t do anything.” “I perform a very important function.” “What?” “I supervise.” Rian stared at him for several seconds. “You know, if you were human, I’d have fired you already.” Jojo continued licking his paw. “If I were human, I would have asked for a salary.” Rian sighed. “How much?” Jojo immediately stopped grooming. His eyes locked onto Rian. “Salmon.” Rian blinked. “Salmon?” “Salmon.” “Why salmon?” “Because I am a cat whose standards of living are beginning to rise.” “We barely have any money.” “Precisely. That is why I’m negotiating my salary before your company expands.” Rian rubbed his temples. “All right. First salary.” Jojo raised his head. “How much?” “A packet of fish.” “Salmon.” “No.” “Salmon.” “Regular fish.” “Salmon.” “Half a salmon.” Jojo narrowed his eyes. “An embarrassing negotiation.” Rian laughed. “Fine. If the business starts making serious money, I’ll buy you salmon.” Jojo extended one paw. “Deal.” Rian shook it. “Deal.” --- They began experimenting. Rian carefully loaded the organic waste into the antique trash can. Not all at once. This time, he was much more careful. He didn't want to waste what little serum remained simply on experiments. Wilted vegetables went in first. Fruit peels followed. Coffee grounds. Then a little water. Rian closed the lid. Nothing happened. He waited. Five seconds. Ten. Thirty. Jojo yawned. “Are you sure this works?” “I don't know.” “Good.” Rian turned toward him. “Why is that good?” “Because if you were certain without knowing, that would be more concerning.” Rian opened his mouth to argue when— Hummmm... A low vibration began to rise from inside the trash can. Rian's eyes widened. A green glow seeped through the cracks around the lid. “It worked!” He nearly jumped with excitement. Jojo merely raised one eyebrow. “Apparently.” The light grew brighter. The refuse inside began to spin. Wilted leaves dissolved into green mist. Fruit peels melted. Coffee grounds vanished into the swirling vortex. A few minutes later, glowing green liquid began to pool inside. Rian stared at it in amazement. But something was different. There wasn't nearly as much as before. Far less. Rian frowned. “Why?” Jojo jumped down and peered inside. “Perhaps not all organic material has the same efficiency.” Rian slowly nodded. That meant they had to learn. They couldn't simply throw anything into the magical trash can and expect the same result. They needed to find the best materials. And if possible... Free ones. Rian smiled. “Then we need more garbage.” Jojo looked at him. “Don't call it garbage.” “Why?” “From now on, we call it raw material.” Rian chuckled. “All right. We need more raw material.” Jojo nodded approvingly. “Much more professional.” --- Over the next several days, Rian's tiny backyard became a laboratory. He no longer planted only one type of vegetable. He divided the soil into several sections. One for lettuce. One for mustard greens. One for spinach. One for carrots. One for chili peppers. He also planted tomatoes. Everything was grown using different amounts of diluted serum. And Rian recorded everything. How much serum he used. How long each plant took to grow. How large it became. How it tasted. And how much it might sell for. He even created a column in his notebook titled: “Can Jojo Eat It?” Jojo himself had insisted on adding it. Rian tapped the notebook. “We need a product.” “We already have vegetables.” “Not what I mean. We need a signature product.” Jojo looked interested. “Explain.” “If we go to the market carrying ordinary vegetables, nobody will care.” “Correct.” “But if we have something special...” Rian pointed toward the largest lettuce. “People will remember it.” Jojo narrowed his eyes. “Giant lettuce.” “Exactly.” “If it is too large, people will become suspicious.” “Then we don't make it too large.” Rian thought for a moment. “Big enough to attract attention, but not so big that people think it came from another planet.” Jojo nodded. “A reasonable limit.” Rian wrote something in his notebook. Signature Product: Emerald Crisp Lettuce. He looked at the name. “Good.” “No.” “Why?” “Too ordinary.” Rian crossed it out. “Miracle Lettuce?” “Too suspicious.” “Premium Emerald Lettuce?” “Too pretentious.” “Jojo's Lettuce?” “Absolutely not.” Rian grinned. “You're afraid the lettuce will become more famous than you.” “I am merely concerned about brand damage.” Rian laughed. Eventually, they settled on something simple. Emerald Crisp Lettuce. No mention of magic. No mention of the serum. It sounded like a premium vegetable brand. And most importantly, it could become the foundation of their reputation. --- A week after his first sale, Rian returned to the market. This time, he brought more produce. But he didn't bring everything. He left some of the best plants at home. Not because he was afraid of running out. He was experimenting. If one crop produced an exceptional product, he needed to know whether he could reproduce the results. Consistency mattered. At least, that's what Jojo kept telling him. Rian himself mostly wanted to make money. They arrived at the market earlier than before. Rian found the same spot and began arranging his vegetables. Before long, an elderly vendor beside him glanced over. “Young man.” Rian turned. “Yes, sir?” “Where did you grow these?” “My own garden.” The vendor raised an eyebrow. “All of these?” “Yes.” “Where's your garden?” Rian gave him an awkward smile. “At home.” The old vendor laughed. “How big is your home?” Rian fell silent. Jojo, sitting beneath the table, closed his eyes as though he wanted no part in the conversation. “Not very big,” Rian finally answered. The vendor stared at the lettuce in front of him. Then he shook his head. “Then you have a very productive garden.” His tone sounded playful. His eyes did not. Rian felt uncomfortable. He knew his produce was strange. He knew it grew too quickly. And the more he sold, the more questions people would ask. But before he could think any further, a customer approached. “How much for the lettuce?” “Eighteen thousand rupiah.” The customer immediately compared it to the ordinary lettuce at the neighboring stall. “More expensive.” Rian smiled. “Try it first.” The customer tasted a small piece. He chewed. His expression changed. “Sweet.” Rian smiled. “And crunchy.” The customer nodded. “I'll take two.” Rian handed him two heads of lettuce. A few minutes later, another customer arrived. Then another. Soon, a small crowd had gathered around his stall. Rian became overwhelmed. But this time, he enjoyed it. He sold almost all his lettuce before noon. The spinach was gone. The mustard greens followed. Only a few carrots remained. Rian looked at the money in his small cash box. It was far more than he had earned during his first sale. A huge grin spread across his face. “Jojo.” “Yes?” “We did it again.” “Yes.” “And this time we made more.” “Yes.” Rian stared at him. “Aren't you excited?” Jojo pointed with his chin. “Look behind you.” Rian turned. A large man wearing a sleeveless shirt stood several meters away. Two other men stood behind him. They weren't customers. Their eyes were fixed on Rian's stall. One of them approached. “You're the one selling these vegetables?” Rian nodded. “Yes.” “Who owns this stall?” Rian pointed toward the space he'd rented. “I paid for it.” The man gave him a thin smile. “Paid whom?” Rian gave him the name of the vendor who had rented him the spot. The man chuckled. “If you want to sell in this area, there's a cleaning fee.” Rian blinked. “A cleaning fee?” “Twenty thousand a day.” Rian stared at the market floor. Then at his stall. Then back at the man. “What for?” The man stepped closer. “To make sure there aren't any problems.” Jojo opened one eye beneath the table. “Translation: pay us or have problems.” Rian held his breath. The man stared at Jojo. “...Did your cat just talk?” Rian froze. Jojo immediately closed his mouth. Several seconds passed. Then Rian gave an awkward laugh. “He's... meowing.” Jojo shot him an offended look. Rian discreetly stepped on the tip of his tail. Jojo responded with a look of absolute betrayal. The man shook his head. “Weird cat.” Then he looked back at Rian. “So?” Rian actually wanted to pay. Twenty thousand wasn't much. But he understood how these things worked. If he paid today, they would ask again tomorrow. And the day after. And next week. He didn't want to build his business on fear. Rian took a breath. “I already paid the stall rental.” The man's smile disappeared. “This isn't rent.” Rian swallowed. “Then I can't pay.” The atmosphere suddenly changed. The two men behind him took a step forward. Rian felt every muscle in his body tense. He wasn't looking for trouble. But he wasn't going to let himself be bullied either. He remembered what the serum had done to his body. He was stronger now. Much stronger. Jojo jumped onto the table. He stared at the man with sharp green eyes. Then he let out a low growl. “I think you should leave.” The man laughed. “And if we don't?” Jojo yawned. “Rian.” “Yes?” “Don't hit anyone.” “I haven't done anything.” “Good.” Jojo looked at the man. “Just lift the table.” Rian blinked. “What?” “Lift the table.” Rian understood. He grabbed the side of the wooden table and lifted it with one hand. The table, which normally required two people to move, rose effortlessly. The men fell silent. Rian gave an awkward smile. “Looks like I have enough strength to carry all my things home myself.” The man's eyes moved from Rian's arm to Jojo. Then back to Rian. For the first time, his confidence faltered. The elderly vendor beside them chuckled. “Enough, Man. The kid's just starting out.” The large man snorted. “Don't think this is over.” He turned and walked away. Rian released the table and let out a long breath. “Jojo.” “Yes?” “My heart almost came out of my chest.” “Good.” “Good?” “It means it still works.” Rian glared at him. --- After the incident, Rian didn't go home immediately. He sat for a while, counting his money. His earnings were good. Very good. But something mattered more than money. He was beginning to understand that the market had its own rules. If his business grew, problems like this might become more frequent. He needed his own place. He needed more land. And he needed a name people could trust. While he was thinking, a customer who had bought lettuce earlier returned. “Excuse me.” Rian looked up. “Yes?” “Can I ask you something?” “Sure.” “Is your produce really organic?” Rian hesitated. “Yes.” “No chemical fertilizers?” “No.” “Then how does it grow this large?” Rian opened his mouth. Then closed it. He couldn't tell the truth. If he did, everything could fall apart. Jojo stepped closer. “Keep it simple.” Rian nodded. “We use a special method.” “What method?” Rian smiled. “It's a family secret.” Jojo looked at him. Rian looked at Jojo. Jojo nodded. “A sufficiently safe answer.” The customer still looked suspicious. But eventually, he nodded. “Then I'll order more next week.” Rian smiled. “Of course.” After the customer left, Rian looked at Jojo. “We need to be careful.” “Yes.” “The better our products become, the more questions people will ask.” “Correct.” “If we become too noticeable, someone might investigate.” Jojo nodded. “That's why we don't sell miracles.” Rian looked at him. “We sell vegetables.” “Very good vegetables.” “Not magical vegetables.” “Correct.” Rian smiled. “And we don't need to rush.” Jojo lifted one paw. “Good.” Rian put his earnings into his bag. He had a new goal now. Not becoming rich as quickly as possible. Not selling the serum to everyone. Not opening a huge store overnight. He wanted to build something real. A larger farm. Consistent products. Regular customers. His own brand. And someday, perhaps, a farm large enough that he would never again have to worry about running out of space. But before any of that... He needed capital. Rian counted his money once more. “If we keep going like this, maybe in a few weeks we can rent a small piece of land.” Jojo nodded. “And then?” “Expand the farm.” “Then?” “A greenhouse.” “Then?” “Irrigation.” “Then?” “Workers.” Jojo nodded approvingly. “And?” Rian looked at him suspiciously. “What else?” “My salary.” Rian immediately sighed. “Not yet.” “A deal is a deal.” “I know.” “Salmon.” “I KNOW!” Jojo looked satisfied. “Good.” --- That night, they returned home. Rian loaded the newly collected organic waste into the antique trash can. He closed the lid. A faint green glow slowly emerged. Rian smiled. But this time, he wasn't merely looking at magical liquid. He was beginning to see a system. Waste became serum. Serum helped plants grow. Plants became food. Food was sold. The money bought land. The land produced more food. And the leftover food returned as raw material. A cycle. A cycle that could keep expanding. Rian stood in front of the antique trash can. “Jojo.” “Yes?” “I think I know what our business really is.” Jojo looked at him. “What?” Rian smiled. “We turn things people consider worthless into things people consider valuable.” Jojo was silent for a few seconds. Then he nodded. “Not bad.” Rian's chest swelled with pride. “Was that a compliment?” “Don't get carried away.” Rian laughed. Outside, the night breeze moved through their little backyard. The green plants swayed gently. For the first time, Rian no longer saw the yard as the backyard of a rundown house. He saw it as a foundation. The foundation of something that might one day become far larger than he could imagine. But neither Rian nor Jojo noticed that someone was watching from across the street. It wasn't Mrs. Wijoyo. A young man who had bought Rian's lettuce earlier stood beside his motorcycle. In his hand was a single lettuce leaf he hadn't eaten. He studied it carefully. Then placed it inside a small plastic bag. “This vegetable isn't normal.” He looked toward Rian's house. “And I'm going to find out why.” Inside the house, Rian had no idea that his secret was beginning to attract attention. He was too busy calculating something far more important. “Jojo.” “Yes?” “If we make twice as much profit tomorrow...” “Salmon.” Rian covered his face. “You don't even know what I was going to say.” “I know.” “You're annoying.” “I know.” “...Small salmon.” Jojo's eyes widened. “Deal?” Rian held out his hand. “Deal.” Jojo shook it with one paw. Their business continued. And neither of them realized... the real trouble had just begun.

CHAPTER 6 — THE PRICE OF A MIRACLE