Lectures

The first official lectures at FUTA began the following week.

Daniel found himself in LT-1, one of the largest lecture theatres on campus, for CSC 101: Introduction to Problem Solving.

The hall was packed, easily three hundred students, mostly freshers, a buzz of nervous energy and whispered conversations filling the air before the lecturer arrived. The air conditioning struggled against the sheer number of bodies and the Akure heat, making the atmosphere a bit stuffy.

Daniel had chosen a seat near the aisle, about halfway back. He had his MacBook Pro open, a fresh page in his digital notebook ready. He looked around, observing his coursemates. A diverse mix – some looked barely out of secondary school, others a bit older, returning students perhaps. Some were already tapping furiously on laptops, others scrolled through their phones, a few just stared blankly ahead.

The lecturer, a stern-looking man named Dr. Adekunle (No relation), walked in precisely on time and began without much preamble. His voice was loud, spreading easily across the large hall even without a microphone initially.

He outlined the course structure, the importance of algorithms, the basics of computational thinking.

Daniel found himself genuinely engaged; this was the core of what he wanted to learn, the theoretical underpinning of the systems he was already manipulating on a large scale. He took diligent notes, asking a question once when the lecturer discussed pseudo-code conventions.

The lecture lasted for two hours, a fairly standard block. As students began to file out, Daniel packed his MacBook into his Kånken backpack. Walking towards the car park where he'd left the BMW, he noticed a few glances lingering on him. A couple of girls standing by the SOC noticeboard whispered to each other as he passed, their eyes flicking from him to the direction of the car park. He just offered a polite, neutral nod if he made eye contact and kept walking. He was getting used to the attention his car and general presentation attracted.

Later that day, back in his duplex, he received a notification.

It was from a phone vendor.

Daniel had been tracking the release of the new iPhone – the iPhone 16 Pro Max. It had only been officially announced a week or so ago, with pre-orders just opening up globally. Through some online digging, he'd found a high-end importer in Lagos who was already securing a small, early batch for a significant premium.

He wanted it. Not because the 15 Pro Max was lacking – it was an incredible device – but because the 16 Pro Max was new.

It promised an even faster processor, a more advanced camera system, and a slightly refined design. The reasons were simple: it was the best, and he could afford it. The desire for the newest and best was a powerful motivator, a tangible reward for his success.

He'd placed the pre-order a few days ago, paying the N2.5 million price instantly via a complex series of crypto transactions funded by MH, routed through an anonymous wallet to the importer. The courier van arrived that evening and Daniel signed for the package.

Unboxing the iPhone 16 Pro Max felt almost routine now, yet still satisfying. The rumored design changes were subtle but noticeable, like a slightly slimmer bezels, a new 'Action' button that he honestly thought was very unnecessary. He powered it on, the screen even more vibrant than the 15's.

He began the meticulous process of setting it up, Money Hack being the very first app installed and secured, as usual. His 15 Pro Max was immediately designated as his new secondary phone, the 14 now relegated to being a spare, in case of emergencies.

He spent the rest of the evening customizing the new phone, most of the excitement of unboxing a new phone being lost on him cause of how often it had happened lately.

'Anyways. Back to the grind.'

He went back to his desk and continued drafting his strategies. A lot had changed lately, but since he had aimed for the stars, he needed to be at least brave enough to start climbing.