Chapter 4

"Sir," Emeka spoke in a clear but respectful voice, surprising everyone, "are you serious?"Chief Okoro looked at him with a mixture of amusement and disdain. "Of course I'm serious, boy. If you can open that safe, I'll give you everything inside: 100 million naira.""And if I can't?"Chief Okoro responded with a cruel smile. "Then you continue cleaning floors as you should. Do you accept the deal?"Emeka looked at his mother, who had tears in her eyes, but she nodded almost imperceptibly. The boy knew this could be the biggest humiliation of his life, but he also knew something no one else in that room knew: he had seen the pattern in those numbers, and he believed he could solve it."I accept," Emeka said in a firm voice.The office exploded in a mixture of laughter and mocking comments. Employees took out their phones to record what they were sure would be an embarrassing moment to remember.Chief Okoro practically laughed in the boy's face. "Perfect!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to enjoy this. Aisha, bring the boy to my office. Let's watch this spectacle!"As Emeka walked toward the office, his small hands clutched the rag he had been using. His heart beat rapidly, but not from fear—it was excitement mixed with determination. He had spent so long being invisible, being treated as if he didn't matter. Now he had the opportunity to prove that intelligence has nothing to do with the money you have or the clothes you wear.Chief Okoro didn't know he was about to receive the most expensive and humiliating lesson of his life, or that the barefoot boy he had despised was about to change everything. The bet had been made, and nothing would ever be the same.Chief Okoro's office had turned into a circus. Employees crowded at the door, craning their necks for a better view, while others recorded with their phones from every possible angle. The scene was so absurd that no one wanted to miss it: a barefoot boy in patched clothes facing a high-tech safe that had defeated executives with university degrees."Give the genius some space," Chief Okoro said sarcastically, making an exaggerated gesture for Emeka to approach the desk. "We don't want him to be distracted while he performs his magic."Laughter filled the room. Emeka walked slowly, feeling the weight of all those eyes on him. Aisha watched from her desk with an expression that mixed pity and curiosity. Adanna remained in the hallway, unable to enter, but also unable to walk away."Well, maestro," Chief Okoro continued, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his leather chair, "you have all the time in the world, though I suppose cleaning floors hasn't given you much experience with advanced technology."Emeka stood in front of the safe, ignoring the comments. His eyes focused on the electronic panel. Numbers danced on the screen: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17. It was exactly what he had thought: a sequence of prime numbers. But it didn't end there."Have you given up already?" one of the executives asked from the doorway. "There's no shame in admitting this is too much for you."

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