Chapter 339 The Path of a Prodigy
She had no idea what she was like as a baby in her previous life.
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But this time, though she had the body of a child, she carried the soul of an adult.
Compared to the other children in the orphanage, she was quiet, obedient, and startlingly well–behaved.
Other than when she was hungry, wet, or needed a change, she never cried. Never fussed. She was the calmest, easiest baby in the entire orphanage.
Naturally, the caregivers adored her.
“She’s such a good baby. I’ve never seen one like her. All she does is eat and sleep–doesn’t cause any trouble at all.”
“She’s sweet, sure… maybe a little too quiet though.”
“Right? She looks perfectly healthy. So why would anyone abandon a baby like this?”
“You think she might be… slow? I mean, no one in their right mind would give up a baby this pretty and healthy otherwise.
They gathered around her crib, whispering, watching
One of them squinted. “She doesn’t cry, doesn’t laugh Just lies there with her eyes open, staring at nothing. What if she’s intellectually disabled?”
“Yeah, maybe. She does act a little off.”
“Well, slow or not, at least she’s not a problem child. Less work for us, right?”
Lauren closed her eyes, exasperated.
Morons.
A year passed.
The “slow child” shocked everyone.
Not only was she speaking clearly and walking steadily by age two–she could read. Every single character the caregivers showed her, she knew. Instantly.
The entire orphanage was floored.
“Thought she was slow–turns out she’s a genius!”
“I’ve worked here for twenty years and I’ve never seen child this bright.”
“I taught her the alphabet and she remembered every letter on the first try. She already knows over two thousand words!”
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Chapter 339 The Path of a Prodigy
Lauren sat on a tiny stool, quietly flipping through a book.
She heard every word..
And she didn’t care.
She wasn’t trying to hide her brilliance. She wanted them to see it. She wanted the world to know.
She was going to leave this orphanage long before she turned fifteen.
In her past life, she had dreamed of becoming a schoolteacher–shaping young minds.
But this time?
No.
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Kenneth had been right: it would be a waste not to go into research. With her gifts, she could do far more..
Only by showing exceptional, once–in–a–generation talent could she draw the attention of those at the top.
And only by rising above the Bennett family’s reach could she protect herself.
No matter where she ran, they’d find her.
Unless she became untouchable.
If she got into a national–level research institute–became a person of value to the country–then even the Bennetts would have to think twice before laying a hand on her.
A cold smile tugged at Lauren’s lips.
This time, no one will hurt me. Not again,
And if she didn’t return to the Bennett family, Manman would never spiral out of control. That girl deserved saving too.
Lauren made up her mind–and began studying harder than ever.
For someone like her, kindergarten and elementary school material were child’s play.
By age two, she’d finished every elementary subject.
The orphanage director, teachers, and staff watched her in stunned silence–like they’d struck gold.
But the real shock was yet to come.
Within a year, she’d completed three years of middle school curriculum. At three years old.
By four, she’d mastered high school.
At five, she started entering physics competitions–an won every single one.
Her abilities didn’t just amaze the orphanage.
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Chapter 339 The Path of a Prodigy
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The country had always been hungry for elite talent, and Lauren–so young, yet so brilliant–couldn’t stay off the radar for long-
These competitions were a funnel, a filter, a way to find people like her.
She was always the youngest contestant. Always the most outstanding.
And she was noticed,
In her previous life, Lauren took the college entrance exam at eighteen and was accepted into Northcrest University.
This time, at age five, she took it again.
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But now she was applying to the National University of Defense Technology.
While waiting for her admission letter, she still lived in the orphanage
It had been five years since she was born.
Five years of relentless work. No breaks. No shortcuts.
Even though she had been a straight–A student in her previous life, she never slacked off in this one.
Now that the entrance exam was finally behind her–she could breathe..
Just a liule.
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