The smoky, spicy aroma of Suya(BBQ) filled the cool evening air. Daniel sat perched on the low concrete fence outside his compound, flanked by his two closest friends, Ayo and Manny.
Three steaming wraps of suya, generously packed with onions, cabbage, and Yaji(Powered pepper mixture), sat on a sheet of newspaper between them. Daniel had splurged – N5,000 worth. An amount that would have seemed astronomical just days ago.
"Guy, you just dey ball like this na," Ayo mumbled through a mouthful of suya, shaking his head in mock disbelief. He was lanky, always quick with a joke, his ambition usually focused on the next football match or wooing a girl from the nearby secondary school.
Manny, shorter and stockier, chuckled. "You no know say this guy get money now? Chairman Daniel!" He clapped Daniel on the back. Manny was the more pragmatic one, already trying to learn graphic design on his recently bought laptop, and probably into Fraud on the side.
Daniel laughed, trying to appear nonchalant despite the thrill of finally being able to treat others. "Abeg oh, no rope me inside trouble. Because of 5k suya, una don turn me to Baba Isale." (A wealthy elder).
"Werey, wetin you be before?" Ayo shot back, reaching for another piece of meat. "Na since birth you resemble Dangote pikin (Child. Dangote's child)."
All three burst into laughter, the camaraderie a familiar comfort. For a moment, everything felt normal, just three friends hanging out, sharing suya under the Dogongada stars, the distant twinkling lights of the Abuja metropolis providing a backdrop.
They talked about football – Manchester United's latest disappointing result – about which states had the best looking girls, about the endless wait for admission lists. The usual topics. But then Daniel decided to steer the conversation.
"Manny," he began tentatively, "how much did you say you bought that your iPhone 11 again? The UK used one."
Manny chewed thoughtfully. "Hmm, I think around 300k, Gee. What's up, you want to buy a phone?"
Daniel shrugged, feigning casualness. "Something like that. But I am looking for a new one. Maybe… maybe iPhone 13." He hadn't even considered a 13 a week ago. Now, with nearly 50k still sitting in his OPay after the Mama Cass dinner and the suya, and the knowledge that MH could generate more, it felt possible.
Ayo whistled softly. "iPhone 13? Omo, the thing costs oh. Where do you want to see money for 13?".
Daniel smiled vaguely, leaning back against the fence. "God will provide, bro. Man just dey hustle for better days." He kept it deliberately unclear.
"Abi you don start Yahoo (Internet Fraud)?" Manny joked, nudging him.
They all laughed again, but Daniel noticed Manny's eyes lingered on him for a second longer than usual. He quickly changed the subject back to football.
A few minutes later, after the suya was finished, Manny decided to head home – his house was just across the street. Ayo lived a bit further down, so Daniel walked with him part of the way, the conversation quieter now.
"So seriously, guy," Ayo said. "This crypto thing you are doing, it pays?"
"A bit." Daniel admitted cautiously. "But it has its ways. There's a lot of risk."
"If it clicks for you sha, don't forget me oh," Ayo said, half-joking, half-serious.
"I can't forget you broski" Daniel assured him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Once I stabilize, we'll see what we can do."
He watched Ayo walk off into the darkness before turning back towards his own compound. His friends were noticing. The money, even small amounts spent openly, created ripples. He needed to be careful, but the desire to share his good fortune was strong.
Back inside the flat, his mother looked up from her phone. Elizabeth was clearing the last of the dinner plates.
"Your friends have left?" Sarah asked.
"Yes ma. They asked me to greet you."
"Okay." She nodded, turning back to her phone.
He settled onto the couch, pulling out his own phone. Elizabeth came out from the kitchen. "Mummy, the pepper is almost finished oh. Should I buy another one this night?"
Sarah reached for her purse on the small stool beside her. "Okay, Let me give you some money now…"
"Don't worry, Ma," Daniel interjected quickly, pulling out a crisp 1,000 Naira note from his pocket – leftover change from the suya money. He'd deliberately kept some cash on him. "Use this to buy the pepper."
Sarah looked surprised, then smiled warmly. "Ah, thank you, my dear. God bless you."
"Don't worry Ma," Daniel replied smoothly, feeling a surge of satisfaction at being able to provide, even in this small way.
He turned his attention back to his phone, the bright screen illuminating his face. He opened the Money Hack app. The remaining balance stared back at him: NGN 4,380.50. It felt insufficient now. He opened the automatic trading section. He'd let the previous 24-hour trade run its course. The profit was good and undeniable. But what if he'd started with more? What if he'd used the full borrowable limit? The thought was tantalizing. The app description mentioned modifying Rule 2 (the borrowing limit) was possible for the Administrator, but he hadn't explored the settings that deeply yet. The current limit was around N820k. Borrowing that much felt terrifyingly risky.
He checked his OPay balance: around N45k remaining. He checked the MH balance again: N4,380.
An idea sparked. He didn't need to borrow the max yet. He could use his existing profit. He had N45k liquid in OPay. He could transfer that into the MH app (the app description implied it could function as a digital account) and trade with a larger capital base. Or… he could just use the 'Borrow Capital' feature again, but aim higher this time.
He decided on the latter.
It felt safer, keeping his OPay funds separate for now. He went to 'Borrow Capital'. Hesitantly, he typed in NGN 50,000, and clicked confirm. The notification popped up: NGN 50,000 successfully credited…
His MH balance jumped to NGN 54,380.50.
He went back to automatic crypto trading. He allocated the full N54,380.50. Medium risk. He set the timer again: 24 hours.
'If 5k can make over 50k… what can 50k make?'