The newly rented plot of land looked even smaller in the morning light.
Rian stood at its edge, shovel resting against his shoulder, and stared across the uneven soil.
It wasn't much.
A few hundred square meters of rough earth, surrounded by weeds and an aging fence. The irrigation ditch beside it was narrow and muddy. There was no greenhouse, no storage shed, no expensive farming equipment.
Compared to the farms he'd seen online, it was practically nothing.
But to Rian, it was the beginning of something enormous.
He had spent most of his life worrying about survival.
Now, for the first time, he was thinking about expansion.
He smiled.
"This is it, Jojo."
Jojo sat on top of an overturned plastic bucket, grooming one paw with an air of aristocratic indifference.
"This is what?"
"Our first real farm."
Jojo glanced around.
"This?"
Rian's smile disappeared.
"What do you mean, 'this'?"
Jojo waved his tail lazily toward the empty plot.
"I've seen larger balconies."
Rian stared at him.
"You're impossible."
"I prefer realistic."
Rian picked up the shovel.
"Just wait. Give me a few weeks."
"With your serum?"
"With our serum."
Jojo's ears perked up.
"Ah. Much better."
Rian chuckled and turned toward the soil.
He had already learned one important lesson from the giant basil incident.
The serum was powerful.
Too powerful.
A single drop had been enough to transform an ordinary plant into something capable of threatening his kitchen window.
That meant he couldn't simply pour the glowing liquid over everything and hope for the best.
If he wanted to build a real farming business, he needed control.
He needed to understand the serum.
More importantly, he needed to know how little of it he could use while still getting extraordinary results.
That morning, Rian decided to experiment.
---
The first thing he did was prepare the soil.
He spread ordinary compost across several sections of the plot and worked it into the earth.
It was tedious.
Slow.
Unremarkable.
But Rian didn't mind.
The serum might be magical, but he didn't want his entire business to depend on magic alone.
Good soil still mattered.
Water still mattered.
Seeds still mattered.
And if he ever wanted to convince people that his vegetables were simply the result of excellent farming, he needed to understand normal agriculture as well.
Jojo watched from the shade.
"You've been reading again."
Rian nodded.
"Farming guides."
"Impressive."
"I didn't know there were so many things to learn."
"There are many things humans don't know."
Rian stopped digging.
"You included yourself in that statement?"
Jojo's whiskers twitched.
"Obviously."
"You've been pretending to know everything since the day you started talking."
"I never said I knew everything."
"You literally told me to call you 'Chief Agricultural Strategist.'"
"That was an accurate title."
Rian shook his head.
"Just eat your salmon."
Jojo's expression immediately softened.
"An excellent suggestion."
---
Once the soil was ready, Rian divided the plot into small experimental sections.
Spinach.
Tomatoes.
Bell peppers.
Chilies.
He wrote everything carefully into his battered notebook.
SERUM EXPERIMENT — DAY 1
Pure serum: Extremely fast growth. Potentially dangerous.
1:10 dilution: Fast growth. Strong plants.
1:20 dilution: Moderate growth. Stable.
1:30 dilution: Slow acceleration. Still significantly faster than normal.
He stared at the numbers.
"This could work."
Jojo walked over and inspected the notebook.
"You're becoming methodical."
"I've learned from my mistakes."
"That is encouraging."
Rian looked at him.
"Was that almost a compliment?"
"Don't become emotional."
Rian laughed.
He planted the first batch of spinach.
A tiny drop of pure serum went onto one section.
The reaction was immediate.
The soil trembled.
Within minutes, green shoots burst through the surface.
Rian's eyes widened.
"Still terrifying."
Jojo nodded.
"Yes. Very efficient."
The spinach continued growing.
Leaves unfolded.
Stems thickened.
Within a short time, the plants were already several times larger than ordinary spinach.
Rian quickly stopped the experiment.
"Too much."
He moved to the next section.
This time, he diluted the serum.
One part serum.
Ten parts water.
The result was still remarkable, but far more manageable.
The plants grew rapidly without becoming monstrous.
Rian wrote everything down.
Then he tried another ratio.
One part serum to twenty parts water.
The growth was slower.
But the leaves were thicker.
The color was deeper.
The plants looked healthier.
Rian stared at them.
"This is better."
Jojo nodded.
"Less spectacle. More consistency."
"Exactly."
Rian grinned.
"That's what we need."
---
For the next several days, the farm became Rian's laboratory.
Every morning, he checked the plants.
Every afternoon, he recorded their growth.
He tested different concentrations.
Different watering schedules.
Different types of vegetables.
Some experiments failed spectacularly.
One batch of tomatoes grew so quickly that the stems became thick as Rian's wrist.
The fruits were enormous.
But when Rian tasted one, his face immediately twisted.
"Why does it taste like cardboard?"
Jojo sniffed the tomato.
"Quantity does not guarantee quality."
Rian wrote that down.
Too much serum = giant but bland.
Another batch of bell peppers became enormous but developed thin walls.
The next experiment produced smaller peppers with much better flavor.
Rian gradually began to understand.
The serum didn't simply make plants grow.
It seemed to amplify what was already there.
Too much acceleration disrupted the balance.
The right amount, however...
That was different.
The right amount produced something extraordinary.
And then Rian found it.
---
It happened with the chili plants.
They were ordinary chili seeds.
Cheap ones.
Rian had bought them months earlier and forgotten about them.
He planted several rows.
For the first experiment, he used pure serum.
The results were absurd.
The plants shot upward.
Their stems became thick.
Their leaves expanded.
And within an astonishingly short time, red chilies appeared.
They were huge.
Beautiful.
Bright red.
Rian proudly picked one.
He bit into it.
His eyes immediately widened.
"AAAAAH!"
He dropped the chili.
His face turned red.
His eyes watered.
He grabbed a glass of water and drank it in one desperate gulp.
Jojo watched calmly.
"You appear to be experiencing distress."
"It's on fire!"
"Interesting."
"MY MOUTH IS DYING!"
Jojo sniffed the discarded chili.
"Quite spicy."
"Quite spicy?!"
Rian desperately fanned his mouth.
"This thing could kill a dragon!"
Jojo's tail flicked.
"Then perhaps dragons are not our target market."
Rian glared at him through watering eyes.
"Not helpful."
But after the burning sensation faded, something else remained.
The flavor.
It wasn't simply hot.
There was sweetness beneath the heat.
Then a smoky richness.
Then a deep, earthy aroma.
Rian stared at the chili.
"Wait."
He picked up another.
This time, he didn't use pure serum.
He experimented.
One part serum.
Ten parts water.
The result was better.
But still too aggressive.
So he tried again.
One part serum.
Twenty parts water.
He applied the diluted serum carefully to another row.
Then he waited.
The plants grew quickly.
But unlike the previous batch, they didn't become grotesque.
They remained sturdy and balanced.
The leaves were deep green.
The stems were thick enough to support the fruit.
And then the chilies appeared.
Bright red.
Long.
Firm.
Perfectly shaped.
Rian picked one.
He stared at it suspiciously.
Jojo sat nearby.
"Are you going to eat it?"
"I don't trust you anymore."
"Wise."
Rian took a bite.
He froze.
His eyes widened.
Then slowly...
A grin spread across his face.
"This is it."
Jojo tilted his head.
"Your mouth hasn't caught fire?"
"It burns."
"Ah."
"But..."
Rian took another bite.
"The flavor is incredible."
He chewed slowly.
The heat was strong but manageable.
It started sharp, then developed into a sweet, smoky richness.
It wasn't merely a spicy chili.
It tasted special.
Rian immediately grabbed his notebook.
1:20 dilution — exceptional flavor. Strong aroma. Large fruit. Excellent texture.
He underlined the last sentence three times.
Jojo leaned closer.
"Have you discovered our flagship product?"
Rian looked at the row of red chilies.
"I think we have."
Jojo's tail swayed.
"Then name it."
Rian thought for a moment.
He looked at the massive red chilies.
"Kaisar Chili."
Jojo blinked.
"Emperor Chili?"
"Yeah."
"Arrogant."
"Memorable."
"Acceptable."
Rian smiled.
"That's basically approval from you."
---
Over the next week, Rian focused almost entirely on the Kaisar Chili.
He carefully repeated the same dilution.
He recorded how much water each plant needed.
He measured growth.
He even marked individual plants with small pieces of string.
He wasn't simply throwing magic at the problem anymore.
He was farming.
Actual farming.
Just with an extremely unreasonable advantage.
By harvest day, the plants were loaded with red chilies.
Rian stood among them, staring in disbelief.
He filled one basket.
Then another.
By the end of the morning, he had harvested roughly five kilograms.
Rian stared at the baskets.
"Five kilograms."
Jojo sat beside them.
"Five kilograms."
"That's a lot."
"Correct."
Rian grinned.
"And we didn't destroy the neighborhood."
"Also correct."
Rian lifted one of the chilies.
"Market?"
Jojo stretched.
"Market."
---
The next morning, Rian returned to Pasar Johar.
This time, he wasn't carrying ordinary lettuce.
He wasn't trying to sell whatever vegetables happened to be ready.
He had a product.
A product he believed could become the identity of his farm.
He carried the basket carefully.
The bright red chilies immediately attracted attention.
Several vendors looked over.
One man whistled.
"Those are huge."
Another reached for one.
Rian quickly pulled the basket away.
"Careful."
The man laughed.
"Are they poisonous?"
"Not poisonous."
Rian hesitated.
"Just... enthusiastic."
Jojo, sitting inside Rian's covered carrier bag, muttered:
"That description is scientifically questionable."
Rian ignored him.
He walked toward Bu Endah's stall.
The elderly vegetable seller had become one of his best customers.
She spotted the basket immediately.
"Rian."
"Good morning, Bu Endah."
"What did you bring?"
Rian placed the basket on her counter.
Bu Endah leaned closer.
Her eyes widened.
"What are these?"
"Kaisar Chilies."
She picked one up.
It was almost twice the size of a normal chili.
She turned it around.
Then smelled it.
Her expression changed.
"This isn't ordinary."
Rian smiled.
"Try it."
Bu Endah looked suspiciously at him.
"Raw?"
"Just a little."
She broke off a tiny piece.
She tasted it.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then her eyebrows shot upward.
"Oh."
Rian waited.
Bu Endah took another bite.
This time she chewed more carefully.
Then she began coughing.
Rian panicked.
"Bu?"
She waved her hand.
"I'm fine!"
Tears appeared in her eyes.
"The heat!"
Rian smiled nervously.
"Too spicy?"
"No."
She looked at him.
"The flavor is excellent."
She took another piece.
"The heat comes first, then the sweetness. There's a smoky taste afterward."
Rian's heart began pounding.
She looked at the basket.
"How much?"
"Five kilograms."
"I'll take all of it."
Rian froze.
"All?"
"All."
She reached beneath the counter and pulled out a stack of money.
"I'll pay you above the normal market price."
Rian stared at the cash.
Then at the basket.
Then back at Bu Endah.
"How much?"
She named the price.
Rian nearly forgot how to breathe.
It was nearly twice what ordinary chilies were selling for.
Five kilograms at that price meant a substantial amount of money from a single harvest.
"Deal."
Bu Endah counted the money into his hand.
Then she added:
"And next week?"
Rian blinked.
"Yes?"
"Bring me twenty kilograms."
His jaw dropped.
"Twenty?"
"Twenty."
She pointed at him.
"If you can maintain this quality, I can sell all of it."
Rian swallowed.
Twenty kilograms.
His first harvest had only produced five.
That meant he needed four times as much production.
His tiny rented plot suddenly seemed very, very small.
"I'll do my best."
Bu Endah smiled.
"Don't do your best. Do better."
---
Rian walked away from the stall with a strange sensation in his chest.
He looked down at the money in his hand.
It was real.
His first serious profit from the Kaisar Chili.
He quickly calculated the day's earnings.
After subtracting transportation and market expenses, he had made a little over Rp1 million from the chili harvest alone.
That was more than he'd expected.
Combined with his previous vegetable sales, his total business revenue had now climbed to approximately Rp3.8 million.
After household expenses, farming costs, rent, seeds, transportation, and other necessities, he estimated that he had around Rp2.5 million in usable savings.
Rian stopped walking.
He looked toward the market.
Then toward the direction of his rented farm.
Two and a half million.
It wasn't enough to buy land.
But it was enough to grow.
Enough to reinvest.
Enough to prove that his little business could become something bigger.
His grin slowly returned.
"We're expanding."
From inside the carrier bag came Jojo's voice.
"Naturally."
"You agree?"
"I was the one who suggested it."
Rian laughed.
"You suggest everything."
"Because you require guidance."
"You're a cat."
"An entrepreneurial cat."
---
That evening, Rian dumped his earnings onto the kitchen table.
The apartment had changed considerably since the beginning of their strange adventure.
The electricity bill was paid.
The refrigerator was full.
There were proper groceries in the kitchen.
The furniture was no longer falling apart.
But Rian had deliberately kept one thing unchanged.
His old kitchen table.
It was scratched.
Ugly.
Cheap.
And it had been there before the miracle.
It reminded him where he had started.
He counted the money again.
Jojo watched from the windowsill.
"Profitable day?"
"Very."
Rian grinned.
"Bu Endah wants twenty kilograms next week."
Jojo's ears perked up.
"Excellent."
"Which means we need more plants."
"Correct."
"More land."
"Correct."
"More serum."
"Very correct."
Rian leaned back.
Then he looked at Jojo.
"You know what else you need?"
Jojo's eyes narrowed.
"Salmon."
"Of course."
"I am glad you're learning."
Rian sighed.
"Fine. One serving every week."
"Grilled."
"I know."
"Premium."
"I know."
"Atlantic."
"I know!"
Jojo purred.
"Then our business relationship remains healthy."
Rian shook his head.
"I can't believe I'm paying a cat a salary."
"Partner compensation."
"Whatever."
---
But beneath the humor, Rian's expression gradually became serious.
He opened his notebook.
Twenty kilograms.
That was the new target.
To achieve it, he needed more planting space.
The adjacent plot.
He remembered the landlord mentioning that another piece of land nearby might become available.
Rian began calculating.
If he reinvested some of his savings into seeds, irrigation, and basic equipment, he could expand production.
If the Kaisar Chili continued selling at a premium, he could recover the investment quickly.
Then he could rent another plot.
Eventually, perhaps, he could buy land.
That was the long-term goal.
Not just survival.
Not just paying bills.
Ownership.
A farm that belonged to him.
A legitimate agricultural business.
Maybe one day, he could supply restaurants across Semarang.
Maybe supermarkets.
Maybe even sell packaged chili products.
Rian's imagination began running wild.
"Kaisar Chili sauce..."
Jojo looked at him.
"Too early."
"How about dried Kaisar Chili?"
"Possible."
"Chili powder?"
"Eventually."
"Premium chili paste?"
Jojo nodded.
"Now you're thinking."
Rian grinned.
For the first time, he wasn't simply thinking about escaping poverty.
He was thinking about building an empire.
A very strange empire.
One powered by discarded food, mysterious green serum, and an orange cat who demanded premium salmon.
---
The next morning, Rian returned to the farm.
He expected to see the usual plants.
Instead, he noticed something strange.
Someone had been standing near the fence.
There were footprints in the soft soil.
Rian crouched.
They weren't his.
He looked toward the fence.
A section of it had been disturbed.
Nothing was missing.
At least, as far as he could tell.
But someone had clearly been there.
Rian's expression hardened.
Jojo approached quietly.
He sniffed the ground.
Then his ears flattened.
"Someone has been watching us."
Rian swallowed.
"Are you sure?"
Jojo looked toward the road.
"Yes."
Rian stood.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Jojo's baritone voice became unusually serious.
"Our business is growing."
Rian nodded slowly.
"So are the number of people who might become interested in it."
He looked across the rows of Kaisar Chili.
The plants swayed gently in the morning breeze.
Beautiful.
Profitable.
And increasingly dangerous.
Rian tightened his grip on his notebook.
"Then we'll have to be careful."
Jojo flicked his tail.
"Finally."
Rian glanced at him.
"Finally what?"
"You've learned that getting rich is more complicated than selling vegetables."
Rian sighed.
"I preferred it when our biggest problem was finding trash."
Jojo considered this.
"No."
"What?"
"I preferred the salmon."
Rian stared at him.
Then burst out laughing.
For the moment, the tension disappeared.
But neither of them noticed the motorcycle parked farther down the road.
Its rider was watching the farm.
And in his hand was a phone displaying a photograph of Rian's enormous red chilies.
The message beneath the photograph was simple:
"I found the farm."