Chapter 261: Chapter 261: Plans In Motion (Part 7)

The heavy glass doors swung open silently as Don and Donald stepped into the facility's lobby. The space was modern and pristine, with polished marble floors reflecting the warm LED lighting from above.

Sleek metal and glass dominated the décor, while scattered potted plants added touches of life to the otherwise sterile environment. What struck them immediately was the unusual emptiness – the vast lobby, designed to accommodate dozens, stood eerily vacant.

Don's superhuman senses kicked in automatically as he surveyed the space. His supernatural hearing detected no footsteps echoing through the corridors, no distant conversations, not even the usual bustle of a working facility.

His heightened sense of smell picked up only the faint traces of cleaning supplies and the subtle fragrance of the indoor plants.

He turned to Donald, his expression puzzled. "Does this mean we're early?"

Donald's face scrunched up in confusion as he looked around the deserted lobby. "Maybe, but when I visited this place last year as a prospect it was packed, even the guide said it gets super busy during opening week." He shrugged, clearly unsettled by the unusual quiet.

Don's eyes settled on the reception desk, where a solitary figure sat. He gestured toward it with a slight tilt of his head. "Maybe we got lucky, lets just head over to the lady there and ask, who knows, they could be doing repairs or something."

Donald nodded, and they made their way across the empty lobby, their footsteps echoing slightly against the marble floor.

Behind the desk sat an older woman in a crisp white lab coat. Her silver-streaked hair was pulled back in a neat bun, and wire-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Despite her professional appearance, smile lines creased the corners of her eyes, giving her a grandmotherly warmth.

"Oh hello there," she greeted them with a gentle smile. "Sorry, but if you're here to tour the facility or register to use the equipment then you'll have to wait till the afternoon. We have a prospect joining the junior program whose currently getti-" She stopped mid-sentence as her eyes landed on Don, narrowing slightly in recognition. "Oh my, you're him? The student from the evaluation yesterday?"

The change in her demeanor was immediate. Her professional courtesy transformed into barely contained excitement as she rose from her chair, extending her hand toward Don. "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you. Are you by any chance here for a tour? I could lead you to join the prospect and his group, I'm sure Dr. Rajesh, our head of department, won't mind."

Don felt a small surge of satisfaction as he thought,

'so this is what fame can bring you.'

He maintained his friendly exterior, meeting her enthusiastic handshake with a polite smile. "Sure, we'd really appreciate that."

The receptionist's eyes practically sparkled with excitement as she quickly gathered some papers on her desk. Her movements were organized but hurried, like someone trying to maintain professional composure while containing their enthusiasm.

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She then pressed a few buttons on her computer, then reached for a set of security badges from a drawer.

"Just let me log these visitor passes for you both," she said, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "We normally have a whole process for this, but given the circumstances..." She glanced up at Don again, that same look of recognition and excitement crossing her features. "Well, we can expedite things a bit."

Donald watched this exchange with surprise and confusion, clearly not used to seeing such preferential treatment. He caught Don's eye, raising an eyebrow slightly as if to say,

'Can you believe this?'

The receptionist finished with the passes and handed them over, her hands slightly trembling with excitement. "Now, if you'll just follow me, I'll take you to where the other tour is in progress. Dr. Rajesh is personally conducting it today – it's not often we get such special visitors."

After handing over the card, the receptionist emerged from behind her desk, gesturing for them to follow. "This way, please." Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she led them to an elevator tucked away in a corner of the lobby.

Once inside, she pulled out her access card and pressed the button for the top floor. Donald's brow furrowed as he watched the selection light up. "Is there another facility at the top floor? When I visited last year we were shown one on the other side of the ground floor."

The receptionist swiped her card through a reader, granting them access as the elevator hummed to life. She turned to Donald with a knowing smile.

"Well, you must've been with a standard group. The ground floor facilities are meant for use by all students and prospects of SHU. The top floor is reserved for the university's elite in VR-sports, mainly our VR-FPS representatives."

She shifted her attention to Don, her eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. "Normally we don't see students in hero programs come here, especially those in the Elite Hero Program. May I ask if you plan on taking part in the school's seasonal league?" Searᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Don gave a light shrug, his casual demeanor unchanged. "Well, that depends. I've never actually played before, so I'll have to see if it's something I'm interested in."

Her excitement seemed to amplify at his response. "Even better! I'm sure Dr. Rajesh will be more than happy to assist you with that."

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing a floor that seemed to belong in a different building entirely. Unlike the traditional corporate aesthetic of the lobby, this level screamed cutting-edge technology.

The walls were a pristine white, broken up by massive windows and transparent office partitions that gave the space an open, futuristic feel.

Scientists and technicians in neat lab coats moved between the glass-walled offices. Some clustered around enormous holographic displays that dominated entire walls, manipulating 3D landscapes with gestures.

The visualizations showed detailed terrains - from urban battlegrounds to dense forests - rotating and morphing as the technicians fine-tuned their parameters.

In another section, a team of researchers surrounded what appeared to be a next-generation VR pod. Its egg-shaped design gleamed under the overhead lights as they examined various readouts on floating holographic panels.

The pod's surface was dotted with sensors and neural interface points, suggesting capabilities far beyond standard commercial units.

Donald's eyes widened as he took in the scene, his previous confusion transformed into undisguised awe. "This is... incredible," he muttered, watching as a technician manipulated a holographic weapon model, the projection spinning and disassembling in mid-air to reveal its internal mechanics.

Don maintained his composed exterior, but his eyes showed his interest as they tracked the various activities around them. The level of technology on display surpassed even some of what he'd seen at the Elite Hero Program's training facilities.