The low-level data sniffing attempt detected by MH kept Daniel on edge. While MH's countermeasures seemed effective, the persistence of someone trying to analyze his financial flows was deeply concerning. He intensified his research into digital anonymity and counter-surveillance, spending hours reading technical papers and security forums.
He prompted MH again, feeding it the technical details from the sniffing alert log and asking for updated analysis on potential actors matching the non-standard protocol signature. MH cross-referenced the limited data against updated global cyber threat intelligence feeds.
This time, it provided a slightly higher confidence match, pointing towards the private intelligence group codenamed "Nightshade". It also added a new piece of fragmented intel: "Nightshade activity often correlates with high-value target acquisition preparation for corporate clients, particularly in unregulated emerging markets or concerning anomalous wealth generation."
Anomalous wealth generation. That hit close to home. It confirmed his suspicion that the attention wasn't random. Nightshade, or whoever hired them, likely didn't know how he was making money, but they suspected something highly unusual was happening, and they were trying to gather intelligence, perhaps before making a move – be it a corporate buyout attempt (if they thought PeDan had a secret tech), sabotage, or something worse.
Daniel decided against direct confrontation or trying to hack back. Engaging a group like Nightshade directly felt like painting a bigger target on his back. His best strategy remained defense, obfuscation, and building legitimate cover. He further tightened security around PeDan's nascent operations, instructed Mrs. Chukwuma on stricter communication protocols, and diversified his MH withdrawal patterns even more, using smaller amounts spread across more nominee accounts and varying timings. He also invested in premium VPN services with multi-hop capabilities for all his devices.
He channeled his underlying anxiety into accelerating PeDan Investments. It was time to make the first official investment, to plant the first legitimate seed.
His focus was guided by MH's deep market analysis which consistently highlighted underserved sectors with high growth potential in Nigeria, and turned towards AgriTech. The agricultural sector was vast and fundamental, yet plagued by inefficiencies that technology could address.
Using MH's analytical capabilities to sift through pitch decks, publicly available startup databases, and industry reports, and cross-referencing this with Mrs. Chukwuma's initial on-the-ground research into emerging tech companies, he identified a particularly promising target: a small, Lagos-based AgriTech startup named FarmGrid Solutions.
FarmGrid's mission was ambitious yet practical: to bring data-driven precision agriculture to Nigeria's millions of smallholder farmers, who formed the backbone of the nation's food production but often struggled with low yields and limited market access. Their core product was a two-part system.
The first part consisted of robust, low-cost, solar-powered sensor units designed for easy deployment in fields. These sensors collected real-time data on critical parameters like soil moisture content, pH levels, key nutrient concentrations (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium), ambient temperature, and humidity. This data was then transmitted wirelessly, often using existing GSM networks, to FarmGrid's cloud platform.
The second, and equally crucial, part was FarmGrid's farmer-facing interface. Recognizing the limited smartphone penetration and data access in many rural farming communities, they were developing a multi-channel platform. For farmers with basic feature phones, crucial alerts and simplified advice (e.g., "Water your tomatoes now," or "Soil needs more nitrogen fertilizer") would be delivered via USSD codes and SMS messages in major local languages.
For those with smartphones, a simple, intuitive app would provide more detailed dashboards, visual data trends, and tailored recommendations. Beyond agronomic advice, FarmGrid's platform also aimed to connect farmers directly with produce buyers, aggregators, and even commodity markets, providing transparent pricing information and reducing reliance on often exploitative middlemen.
MH's analysis of FarmGrid was highly positive. It highlighted the strong, complementary skill set of the founding team – one an experienced agronomist with deep field knowledge, the other a sharp software engineer with a knack for user-friendly design. The potential market was enormous, directly addressing food security and rural economic empowerment, two areas with significant government and NGO interest.
The risks were typical for an early-stage venture in this sector: working through complex agricultural supply chains, ensuring widespread farmer adoption and digital literacy, potential hardware challenges in harsh field conditions, and the usual funding hurdles. However, the projected social impact, combined with the strong possibility of significant financial returns if they successfully scaled, made FarmGrid an ideal first investment for PeDan.
Acting through PeDan Investments Ltd. (with Sarah's signature on the final documents, guided by Daniel and the corporate lawyer), Daniel authorized a seed investment of N15 million in exchange for a 25% equity stake in FarmGrid. The negotiation was handled professionally by the lawyer Daniel had retained for PeDan, based on the valuation analysis Daniel provided (derived from MH). The N15 million was transferred from the official PeDan Ltd. bank account, providing a clean, legitimate paper trail for the investment. It felt significant – his first official act as an investor, using MH-generated funds to back a real company with tangible impact potential.
MH predicted a high probability of FarmGrid achieving significant growth and profitability within 18-24 months. This was the start of building his legitimate portfolio.
With the FarmGrid investment made, it was time to plant the second seed, something more substantial. He revisited the real estate strategy, focusing again on Lagos. The Lekki Phase 2 Joint Venture (which he had previously conceptualized but not yet acted upon for land acquisition) was progressing in his plans, but it was a slow burn, requiring land purchase first. He wanted something quicker for cash flow, another demonstrable success for PeDan's portfolio to build momentum and a tangible asset base.
Through his contacts (now expanding via Mrs. Chukwuma and PeDan's retained legal firm) and MH analysis, he identified an opportunity: acquiring a small portfolio of already-tenanted residential properties (blocks of flats) in stable, mid-income areas of Lagos like Surulere and Ikeja. These offered immediate rental income and lower development risk compared to building from scratch. MH analyzed several available portfolios, highlighting one consisting of three well-maintained blocks (totaling 24 flats) with good occupancy rates and potential for slight rent increases after minor renovations. The total acquisition cost was projected around N280 million.
It was a massive undertaking, requiring nearly all of his current liquid MH balance at that point. But MH's forecast showed a stable ~8% annual rental yield plus property value appreciation, making it a solid, legitimate long-term investment that would generate significant, explainable income for PeDan Ltd. He authorized the move. Funding it took over a week of the largest, most layered MH withdrawals he'd ever done, pushing the daily limits, constantly monitoring for flags (none were triggered this time, perhaps due to MH's enhanced cloaking or the diversification of receiving accounts from the previous alert). The acquisition was finalized through PeDan Ltd., significantly boosting the company's tangible asset base and providing its first legitimate revenue stream.
This major legitimate investment, however, cast Rocket Funds in an even starker light. The contrast between PeDan's careful, documented acquisitions and RF's explosive, untraceable, high-risk growth was becoming too great. RF felt like a relic of his initial, more reckless phase. Its continued existence, especially with its growing public buzz (however positive), felt like an unnecessary vulnerability, a potential gateway for groups like Nightshade to dig deeper.
The decision was becoming more and more apparent. Rocket Funds had to be shut down. The planning moved from theoretical to practical. He started drafting the multi-stage communication plan for the VIP Telegram group: announce a 'strategic platform pause' for 'major system upgrades', followed by reduced earning simulations, then a final 'migration offer' to a new (non-existent) platform with a small compensation payout. It would be painful, potentially angering thousands of users, but the long-term security of MH and his entire future felt paramount. He aimed to initiate the shutdown process gradually over the next semester. The rocket had served its purpose; it was time to plan for a controlled re-entry.