Chapter 507 Meeting With The Director
After a week off in New York, Klaus Park returned to Woodbury for the Special Program.
And just as he swiped his ID card at the reception desk, his cell phone vibrated twice in a row.
He quickly put his hand in his right trouser pocket, thinking that it was some kind of message from his roommate group, which by the way had not stopped sending pictures during the whole day off. In reality, however, it was two email notifications from NIST itself.
One of the emails stated that his amount of points had been updated from 940 to 16500, all for the bonus for ranking position and also the bonus for excellently completing the off-campus assessment activity. He was extremely happy with all this 'money', as he could eat in places other than the cafeterias and could buy some new clothes as well.
Obviously, everything was not going to be so great. The second e-mail was a request to come to the NIST coordination building for a talk with Stephanie J. West, Director General of NIST, as soon as possible. Klaus felt a mixture of excitement and apprehension as he read the second e-mail. He wondered what the reason for a meeting with the Director General would be. Was it something to do with his updated points or was there some other important issue to be discussed?
Despite his curiosity, Klaus knew that he could not delay in attending the NIST coordination building. He decided that he would just put his backpack in his room and head immediately to the indicated location.
That being the case, Klaus quickly walked to the men's dormitory A-3 and was greeted by his roommates, David, Nathan and Andrew, who were excited to see him again. They greeted him enthusiastically, asking how his break was and sharing fun stories that happened to them.
Klaus smiled when he saw the excitement of his colleagues. After a quick chat with them, he explained the situation and the need to head immediately to the NIST coordination building.
His colleagues understood the urgency and encouraged him to go.
"Good luck, Klaus! We hope it's not a scolding from the director!" said one of them.
Upon arriving at the building, which was very close to the reception desk and which stood out on campus for being ten stories high, Klaus made his way to the reception desk, where he announced his presence and waited to be directed to Stephanie J. West's office. As he waited, his mind wandered to the possible reasons for the meeting.
Did it have something to do with his recent accomplishments, or could it be about his fight with the Athletic Department staff during the off-campus activity?
Finally, the time came. A middle-aged official approached and said:
"Klaus Park, please come with me."
As requested, Klaus accompanied him to the Director General's office, which was on the seventh floor.
The seventh floor was large, with several and several desks and booths that constituted small offices, but the most important room was on a premium part of the floor, where one had to pass through a password-locked glass door.
The clerk entered the password and opened the door, revealing yet another small reception area. As Klaus passed through the glass door, he noticed that in this new area there were three doors. A door to the left, another to the right, and a third facing the glass door they entered through. He wondered which one would lead him to Stephanie J. West's room.
The clerk indicated the door to the right and said:
"Please go this way. Principal J. West is waiting for you inside."
Klaus thanked the clerk and walked toward the indicated door. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and opened the door.
Upon entering the room, Klaus was greeted by Stephanie J. West, who was sitting behind a spacious desk. She smiled warmly and invited Klaus to sit in a chair across from her.
"Klaus Park, please take a seat," Stephanie said, pointing to a chair in front of her desk.
She was a serious looking woman, with all her elegance, but at the same time she conveyed an aura of confidence and competence, because of her gray hair that reminded Klaus a bit of his grandmother.
"I'm glad you arrived quickly," Stephanie continued. Her voice was soft, conveying a sense of calm. "First of all, congratulations on your recent successes in the program. You have shown impressive talent and dedication."
Klaus approached the table, feeling a mixture of pride, gratitude, and shyness. "Thank you very much, Principal West. I am honored to be a part of the program and to have the opportunity to contribute." replied Klaus, maintaining his confident posture.
Stephanie nodded, her blue eyes shining with admiration. "Well, I called you here today because we have a project in mind for you. We think your skills and leadership would be valuable to this initiative."
Klaus raised his eyebrows unconsciously and he leaned back slightly. "I'm flattered, Principal West. I would like to know more about this project. I am someone who is quite busy, but I can dedicate myself to setting aside some time." expressed Klaus with his voice showing restrained enthusiasm.
Stephanie smiled, pleased with Klaus' response. "Of course, Klaus. Before we get into the details, there is one other person I would like to involve in this conversation. I believe you know Isabella Nairn, Coordinator of the Archery Department, of which you are a part. It would be great to have her here for us to discuss this project, is that okay with you?"
"Of course, Miss Nairn is someone I respect very much."
At that moment, Stephanie pressed a button on her internal phone to let her receptionist know that Isabella could come in.
Klaus looked at Stephanie, wondering about Isabella's presence. He was aware of Isabella's reputation as an experienced and respected leader, but why would she soon be involved in this new project. While waiting for Isabella to arrive, Klaus felt a mixture of emotions, including anticipation and doubt.
After a few seconds, Isabella entered the room with her classic serious expression. She greeted Stephanie and Klaus before sitting down in a chair next to Klaus.
"Hello, Mrs. West. Hello, Klaus." greeted Isabella in a firm, friendly voice.