The next twenty-four hours crawled by with agonizing slowness. Daniel tried to focus on other things – he watched football highlights, scrolled endlessly through social media, even attempted to read a chapter from one of his old government textbooks, but his mind kept returning to the Money Hack app, and the N54,380 silently working for him in the digital space.
He felt a constant anxiety mixed with exhilarating anticipation. What if it failed this time? What if the last profit was just a fluke? What if the app crashed?
He forced himself to act normal around his mother and Elizabeth, helping with chores and making small talk. But inside, he was a bundle of nerves. The previous one had been a mere test. This was supposed to be his first pot of gold.
Finally, evening arrived again. Around 7:15 PM, after a dinner of beans and dodo that he forced himself to savor, he excused himself and went to the bedroom. He breathed in and out.
This felt bigger than the last time. Fifty thousand Naira wasn't a small amount to potentially lose, even if it was technically not his.
He sat on his bed, and opened Money Hack. He went straight to the Account screen.
Balance: NGN 428,715.80 (or $522. $1 = NGN 820)
He stared at it, his eyes almost popping out. Even refreshed the page to make sure it wasn't a glitch. Four hundred and twenty-eight thousand, seven hundred and fifteen Naira, eighty kobo. From fifty-four thousand. In one day.
A happy whistle escaped his lips. Now THIS was profit.
The app was obviously effective. The earlier doubts vanished, replaced by certainty. This was his ticket.
Daniel felt as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders, feeling more relief than anything else.
He immediately went to the 'Borrow Capital' history.
Borrowed: NGN 50,000.00 | Status: PAID
It had repaid the loan again. The N428k was pure, unadulterated profit sitting in the app.
A grin spread across his face. Time for a serious upgrade. Not just for him, but for his family too. His mum deserved a better phone than her mid-range Tecno Camon, and Elizabeth… well, she deserved something nice too.
He made a quick decision. He needed to withdraw a significant chunk of this. He initiated a withdrawal of NGN 400,000 to his OPay account. The confirmation came through almost instantly. His OPay balance, which had been around N45k, suddenly swelled to N445k. Seeing that number reflected in a regular banking app felt incredibly validating.
...
The next morning, Daniel woke up feeling extra refreshed.
"Mummy, mo n jade lo oh," he announced after breakfast. (Mummy, I'm going out.)
"To where?" Sarah asked, looking up from arranging items in her kiosk.
Daniel slung a small backpack over his shoulder. He needed something to carry his purchases. "I want to buy something in town. Something important." He paused. "Should I get some bread on the way back?"
She eyed him, noticing his barely concealed excitement. "Okay dear. Just make sure to be safe on the road. Hold your transport money well."
"No problem Ma." He grinned. Transport money wasn't going to be an issue.
He stepped out into the bright morning sun, feeling a lightness he hadn't felt before. He walked briskly down the street, ignoring the usual calls from vendors. He flagged down the first Okada rider he saw.
"Okada! Lokogoma Junction!"
The rider, a wiry man with sunglasses perched on his forehead, stopped. "300 Naira."
Daniel nodded without haggling and hopped on the back. As the bike merged into the chaotic traffic, Daniel pulled out his phone – soon to be replaced – and booked a Uber ride from Lokogoma Junction to H-Medix at the Central Business District. Planning ahead felt good.
The Okada ride was bumpy, weaving through cars and Tricycles, the wind whipping past Daniel's face. He held on, still feeling the excitement. Four hundred thousand Naira in his account felt surreal.
They soon reached Lokogoma Junction, where the Uber ride was to begin.
He quickly got down, paid the fee, spotted the waiting car, a clean Toyota Corolla, and quickly got in the back seat.
"Good morning. H-Medix, CBD," he told the driver. "I'm paying with transfer."
The driver, a middle-aged man listening to the radio, simply nodded. "Okay."
As the car pulled smoothly away from the junction and onto the wider expressway heading towards town, the scenery blurring past the window, Daniel leaned back against the seat.
He took out his phone and opened the Money Hack app again, just to look at the remaining balance: NGN 28,715.80. Then he checked his Opay again: NGN 445,000. Almost half a million Naira. Earned in less than two days. From basically nothing.
A grin stretched across Daniel's face as he looked out the window at the city flashing by. This was just the beginning.
He arrived at H-Medix, a large pharmacy and general store known for also selling genuine electronics. He paid the Uber driver via transfer and walked into the air-conditioned coolness of the store. He located the electronics section, specifically the glass counter displaying rows of smartphones.
He scanned the options. iPhone 13, iPhone 14… even the brand new iPhone 15 was there, though the price tag was eye-watering. He decided on the iPhone 13 Pro Max, 256GB, was the sweet spot – powerful, impressive, but not the absolute top-end which might attract too much unwanted attention just yet. It cost around N950,000 according to the tag. He mentally calculated. He could afford it, but it would take most of his current OPay balance. 'No. Start strong, but smart.' He opted for the iPhone 13 Pro, 256GB. Still a massive upgrade, costing around N650k.
"Excuse me," he called the attention of the saleslady behind the counter. She looked up, initially uninterested, likely concluding he was just another window shopper based on his simple clothes.
"Good morning," Daniel greeted again. "Please, I want to buy the iPhone 13 Pro, 256GB, Beige."
The saleslady's attitude became more professional. "Okay sir! Right away!"
While she got the phone, Daniel looked at the Samsung section. His mum wasn't tech-savvy; an iPhone would likely frustrate her. The Samsung A54 seemed like a good balance – decent features, large screen, familiar Android interface. About N300k. He pointed it out.
"And this Samsung A54 too, please."
The saleslady beamed. "Yes sir! Anything else, sir?"
He thought about Elizabeth. Maybe a mid-range iPhone? He eventually settled on a iPhone X, with a decent camera around N180k.
"And one iPhone X, 128 GB."
Total cost: N650k + N300k + N180k = N1,130,000.
The money in his account was not enough, but he naturally had a solution for that
He discreetly opened Money Hack again. He needed more funds. He went to 'Borrow Capital'. This time, he typed in NGN 800,000 – close to the limit.
Confirmed.
Balance increased instantly.
He immediately initiated a withdrawal of NGN 750,000 to his OPay. The alert came through while the saleslady was still processing the first two phones. His OPay account balance soared past 1.1 million Naira.
"Okay, that's all," Daniel said calmly. "Total is how much? I'm paying with transfer."
"The total is N1,130,000. Let me get the account details for you, sir." She quickly packaged the phones, treating them like precious jewels.
The answer aligned with the one he had in his head, so Daniel made the transfer, watching the amount leave his OPay account. It felt thrilling to spend so much at once.
They gave him a 5% discount since he spent over a million, so the total was brought to NGN1,073,500.
A fair price.
"Thank you for your patronage! Please come again!" the saleslady said enthusiastically, handing him the polythene bag with the store brand containing the three phones.
He nodded, offered a polite smile, and walked out, feeling significantly lighter in his virtual pocket but carrying tangible proof of his new reality.
Of course, not forgetting the bread.
He booked another Uber, bags in hand, heading back towards home, already anticipating his mother and sister's responses.