Life in the Wuse II bungalow settled into a comfortable pace, not much different from their previous lifestyle, but still more relaxing.
Daniel hired a part-time cleaner and arranged for regular grocery deliveries, freeing his mother and cousin from many daily chores. Sarah focused on her new and bigger provision shop, which was thriving in the more affluent neighborhood, with a newly hired salesgirl to do most of the work. Elizabeth transferred to a better secondary school nearby, making new friends and becoming more refined in mannerisms.
Daniel found himself managing several streams of activity. He kept up with pre-resumption communication from FUTA, his admission now confirmed. He'd checked the portal one afternoon while managing trades, saw the confirmation for Computer Science, nodded once with satisfaction, and closed the tab. He mentioned it to his mother later that evening.
"That's good news, Daniel," she'd replied, pleased but not overly affected. "University is important."
Even with the new wave of financial security, she was still insistent on a degree. For Daniel, it was a necessary piece of his cover story, not to mention he was genuinely interested in his course of study.
The bulk of his focus remained behind the closed door of his room, putting finishing touches on the final stages of the Rocket Funds launch.
He purchased secure, anonymous offshore hosting for the RF website and app backend, paying with cryptocurrency generated and laundered via MH – a process he was now more familiar with. He finalized the RF app interface, ensuring it looked professional and user-friendly, distinct from the raw MH interface only he could see. He populated the website with more content – FAQs, vague explanations of the "proprietary trading algorithm" (conveniently omitting its true source), and embedded the link to the initial 'interest' WhatsApp group.
His burner social media accounts continued to serve their purpose, posting regular content, interacting with followers, building anticipation. The WhatsApp group grew steadily, now boasting over 150 members. Daniel, using an anonymous admin persona, carefully managed the group, answering queries vaguely but confidently, hinting that the platform launch was imminent and exclusive spots in the 'VIP Trading Group' would be limited.
He prepared the launch sequence:
Announce the official launch date in the WhatsApp group. On launch day, share the link to the Rocket Funds website. Direct interested users to DM the admin for payment details (the N5k fee). Once payment was confirmed (to a dedicated bank account he set up), send the user a private link to the VIP Telegram channel.
In the Telegram channel, provide the actual app download link and basic usage instructions.
It felt like launching a real startup, apart from the fact that this wasn't his product. He felt a slight thrill along with a healthy dose of apprehension.
He spent hours refining the RF user experience within the MH admin settings. He ensured that users would see small, believable profits accumulating based on the N10,000 'starting capital' the app would show them (regardless of the actual capital MH used). Their earnings would appear slower than his own MH results, reinforcing the 90% skim he'd programmed in, masked as the platform's operational cut or a slower algorithm for basic users. The crucial part was ensuring the withdrawal function worked flawlessly for them, solidifying trust. He tested withdrawals from a dummy RF account he created to his own separate OPay, confirming it worked instantly.
In the midst of all this planning, he didn't stop working with his original MH account. He continued the strategy of regular, medium-sized trades, steadily rebuilding his balance after the house purchase. It climbed back past N3 million, then N4 million in current balance. The ease with which it grew was almost routine now. He bought himself a few more luxury items online – a high-end gaming headset, some designer sneakers he'd seen influencers wear, a more sophisticated-looking watch to replace the cheap one he had. Small indulgences that reinforced his new status, if only to himself for now.
He also made sure to maintain contact with Ayo, keeping him updated on the RF 'platform development'. Ayo's anticipation was palpable over the phone. "Guy, just tell me when it's ready oh!"
One evening, sitting in his comfortable new room, the air conditioning doing its job properly, Daniel leaned back in his ergonomic chair. He looked around at the clean walls, the large monitor displaying code snippets for the RF website, the high-end laptop humming quietly.
University admission was sorted, a comfortable house secured for his family, millions accumulating silently. It was a world away from the cramped bedroom in Dogongada. And it would be better. Rocket Fund would launch in a few days.