The meeting was the main reason for Daniel leaving Abuja, and the next day, he took a flight back to school.
Back in Akure, Daniel initiated Phase Two of the Rocket Funds shutdown plan. The slightly reduced simulated earning rates from Phase One had been met with some grumbling in the Telegram channel, but most users attributed it to 'market volatility' as explained by RF Admin.
And they weren't really in a position to complain since RF had earned them way more than they expected.
Now, Daniel posted the next announcement:
"🚀 RF IMPORTANT UPDATE! 🚀 Dear Community, to ensure the long-term stability and security of our platform and to prepare for a major backend infrastructure upgrade designed to handle our incredible growth, Rocket Funds will be entering a temporary 'Platform Pause' for new user registrations, effective immediately.
Existing users can continue to monitor their accounts and make withdrawals as usual, though processing times may take 24-48 hours due to system preparations.
We appreciate your understanding as we work to build an even better RF! Further updates on the upgrade timeline will follow. #RFUpgrade #BuildingTheFuture"
Disabling new sign-ups was the critical step. It capped the network's size, preventing it from becoming an even larger and more unmanageable factor.
It also hinted that the era of easy, open access was ending, creating a sense of exclusivity among the existing 5,500+ users.
The extended withdrawal processing time was a deliberate buffer, allowing him to manage liquidity more carefully and reduce the frequency of large top-ups to the RF withdrawal accounts, which might attract the kind of transaction monitoring MH had warned about.
The Telegram channel lit up with discussions. Some users were disappointed they couldn't invite more friends to earn referral bonuses. Others worried about the platform's future. Daniel spent some time reassuring the users, and let them know that the decision was irreversible for now.
After, he relaxed into his chair, silently breathing a sigh of relief.
'I have to continue this downward trend for now to safely get rid of this unstable entity.'
With Nightshade in the future, this cash cow was no longer feasible to make use of. It was better to go under the radar, at least in this respect.
As for academics, it was going well. Test period was approaching, and Daniel and Bisi usually studied together, both at home and in school.
Their relationship had settled into a comfortable routine of shared academic pursuits and growing personal intimacy.
They went on occasional dates, in restaurants, shopping malls, and even game halls, but much of their time together was spent in a low-key way, simply enjoying each other's company.
But when you're in close contact with the opposite sex for an extended period of time, especially when you're attracted to the person, issues often arise.
A few days later, after a study session in Daniel's house, the two were watching a movie while chilling. Daniel was mostly on his phone, but Bisi seemed a bit restless.
She looked at him and commented casually.
"I heard of a recent study."
"Share." Daniel looked up, taking a sip of water from the glass in front of him..
"It says that not engaging in sex for an extended period can lead to backpain and eventual infertility in men."
*Pfft
Daniel almost spurted the water in his mouth, but was still able to control himself. He put down the glass of water awkwardly.
"Well… it hasn't really been proven yet though. That's why it's called a theory." He scratched the back of his head and said while laughing.
"Hmm… But I wanna do it though." Bisi tilted her head.
"What?"
"I said I wanna do it."
Daniel shook his head.
"It's too early for me to think about that. I'm still a minor."
Bisi shifted even closer to him, resting her hand on his thigh. She leaned forward and whispered into his ears, her hair tickling his neck.
"We don't have to do too much."
Daniel shrunk back a bit and said bitterly, hugging his chest defensively.
"I'm not interested!"
Bisi stared at him with watery eyes.
"Tsk. Hurry and grow up."
Daniel shook his head in exasperation.
She was obviously getting impatient, but it couldn't be helped.
Meanwhile, the operations in the background never ceased. PeDan Investments was making great progress.
Mrs. Chukwuma ran the office in Abuja efficiently, managing administrative tasks and liaising with the analysts and the law firm.
The analysts were busy researching potential new seed-stage investments in EdTech and FinTech, presenting summarized reports to Daniel (via Jude) based on his strategic briefs.
FarmGrid's success had provided a significant boost to PeDan's credibility (at least internally and with their retained professionals), and Daniel felt ready to deploy more capital.
Jude was also starting the process of acquiring a small office space for PeDan in a modern commercial building in Wuse II – a step up from the virtual office. It would provide a more professional front for future meetings and accommodate the slowly growing team.
At this point the total funds generated by MH, combining his direct trading and the RF skim, had now pushed past N450 million. His MH balance, after funding PeDan operations and his personal expenses, hovered around N280 million. The numbers were consistently climbing higher and higher, yet he was growing accustomed to operating at this scale.
The main challenge now wasn't just making money, but managing it, legitimizing it, and protecting its source, all while living comfortable life.
***
A/N
A Life Fantasy is coming to WebNovel very soon!
If this novel is a 6/10, then A Life Fantasy is a guaranteed 8/10.
Anticipate, and please support when it comes out. Much love!
(PS: Should I continue Fortuna's Dominion?)