Lukas jotted as much as he could, but the pace was relentless.
Lana raised her hand mid-sentence.
"But wouldn't that application of the NAIRU model fail if we account for the recent hybrid inflationary behavior observed post-2022?" she asked.
Halbrook smiled. "Excellent. That's the nuance most students miss. It does fail—unless you adjust expectations dynamically. Very few models account for that correctly. Which is why you, Ms. Rhodes, will be presenting on this next week."
Lana blinked. Then slowly nodded. "Understood."
Lukas stared at her. She was intimidating. Brilliant.
By the time class ended, Lukas's notebook was a battlefield of messy thoughts, notes, and question marks.
Professor Halbrook approached him as students filed out.
"Mr. Martin," the older man said. "You've got potential. But you're not there yet."
Lukas stood straight. "Yes, sir."
"Keep showing up early. Keep asking questions. Princeton doesn't make men—it reveals them."
