The second semester at FUTA began under the familiar Akure sun. Daniel returned to his duplex with most goals achieved. The short break had been both necessary and effective.
Driving back onto campus in his BMW felt like routine now, with the initial novelty somewhat wore off.
Lectures resumed a few days later.
The workload increased noticeably from the first semester. If the first semeser was the introductory phase, then the second would be considered as having entered the door fully. The difficulty understandably increased by a few levels.
His relationship with Bisi picked up exactly where it left off.
The ambiguity was nowhere to be found after their conversation over the holidays, since Daniel had officially asked her out. The results were...
They were officially a couple now.
Not something that seemed far-fetched since they obviously liked each other, but Daniel often chased away such 'arrogant' thoughts whenever he thought of Murphy's law.
But the two were now inseparable, after the semester started.
They studied together, ate lunch together at campus spots, went for occasional dinners off-campus, and spent many evenings relaxing at his house, watching movies, playing games, cuddling, or just talking.
While managing his relationship and academics, Daniel started to pushed PeDan Investments forward. He was ready to go beyond just baby steps and start thinking about the big leagues, though still on a small scale.
With the company legally structured and the first investments (FarmGrid seed funding, Lagos property portfolio acquisition) underway, he needed to build a small, effective team beyond just Mrs. Chukwuma.
He authorized Mrs. Chukwuma to proceed with hiring the two junior financial analysts they had previously shortlisted. Both were bright and ambitious graduates from top Nigerian universities (one from UNILAG, one from Covenant University) with strong quantitative skills, something that was definitely needed for a small Investment firm with limitless potential.
When they were finally recruited, after a short process due to their eagerness, they got to work almost immediately.
Their initial roles included supporting the due diligence process for potential new investments, monitoring the existing portfolio (primarily FarmGrid's performance metrics and the rental income from the Lagos properties), and preparing market research reports based on briefs Daniel provided (gotten from MH analysis).
He also formally retained the Lagos-based corporate law firm specializing in tech and real estate investments. They handled the legal aspects of the FarmGrid investment documentation and the Lagos property acquisitions, ensuring everything was compliant and professionally executed. Basically the henchmen of the organization.
With them around, Mrs. Chukwuma's load could finally be reduced, and his too.
PeDan's immediate goal with the FarmGrid investment was strategic support. Daniel wanted it to be more than just passive capital.
He directed one of the analysts to work with Mrs. Chukwuma to identify potential synergistic partners for FarmGrid – mostly larger agricultural processing companies needing better supply chain data, or microfinance institutions looking to fund farmers using FarmGrid's risk assessment data.
Using PeDan's network to add value beyond just the cash injection was crucial to accelerating FarmGrid's growth and maximizing PeDan's eventual returns, and also to build the firm's legitimate track record.
Daniel reviewed their progress reports weekly, providing some guidance informed by MH's real-time insights into market trends and competitor activities.
Yes. He was definitely serious about transforming PeDan Investments Ltd. from a shell into an active, though small, investment entity with real operations.