The assassination attempts had shaken Nigeria, but what came after shook Africa.
Across the continent, the story spread: the boy from Enugu, survivor of bullets and betrayal, still building, still fighting. Newspapers in Kenya called him "The African Phoenix." Radio stations in Ghana said, "They fear him because he is us." Youth groups in South Africa carried his picture on banners, marching not for a politician, but for a businessman who had dared to dream beyond borders.
At the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, the atmosphere shifted before he even spoke. Leaders who had once treated him as a promising industrialist now looked at him as a political force, a rallying point.
The chair of the AU leaned forward and said aloud for all:
"You are no longer one state's pride, Mr. Obasi. You are Africa's mirror. When they strike you, they strike us."
The hall erupted in applause.
He did not speak of revenge, though the fire in his eyes betrayed his private hunger for it. Instead, he spoke of infrastructure, trade, and resilience:
Advanced road networks like Enugu's, linking capitals across West Africa.
Low tariffs for agricultural produce, creating an African food highway.
Rapid bill payments through Imperial Bank, ensuring money flowed faster across borders.
Security partnerships, combining private and public systems to protect trade routes.
He promised results, not vengeance. And results were what Africa's leaders wanted.
By the time he left Addis Ababa, three nations had formally signed preliminary agreements with Imperial Holdings—Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Senegal. More stood in line. His empire was no longer a Nigerian story; it was an African reality.
That night, in his suite, he sat alone, replaying the assassination in his mind. He could still hear the gunfire, smell the burning rubber. The desire to strike back was almost unbearable. But he knew the truth:
Europe was older, richer, better connected.
For now, they could still swat him if he provoked them too directly.
So he whispered to himself as he looked over the continental map pinned to his wall:
"Not yet. First, I must become too large for them to kill. Then, and only then, will Africa itself take my side in the fight."
And with that, he called Oreo, Ireti, and his senior advisors.
"We expand. Everywhere. From Dakar to Dar es Salaam. If they want to break me, let them try to break a whole continent."