Okay. So according to the sign, he was at Hope Spring Apartments. He had never heard of such a place before, but that did not necessarily mean it was not true. Lee had known at once that this was not the Village Hidden in the Sand, however, even if he had never been to Gaara-san's homeland before. The Land of Wind was a vast desert, but this place ... If there had been something like this in the Land of Wind, he had a feeling he would have heard about it long before now. From Gai-sensei, if no one else.
Granted, it could have been genjutsu, but he did not think that would have started before he had even made it to the exam.
Well, all right -- the proctors in the Hidden Leaf Village had cast genjutsu to keep them from going to the right room to check in for the Chūnin Exam the last time he had attempted it. Maybe this was something similar? But he had already delivered his application and consent forms and checked in. And if they were using genjutsu to 'thin the herd' again, then he would fail before he had even had a chance to prove himself. With a sigh, Lee wished that Neji were here. If this was some kind of trick, his Byakugan would see through it in an instant. But sadly, Neji was not here, and so Lee had to rely on nothing more than his own devices and everything that Gai-sensei had taught him.
He knew better than to waste his chakra trying to release the genjutsu, however, and so he was forced to follow up on the only other clue he had: the key in his hand, with the number 115B engraved on it. Which probably corresponded to his room number, now that he thought about it, but he figured that he would find out soon enough. After a bit of exploring, Lee located the stairs, and not long after that, his room. As nice as it was to know that he had been right, however, he still did not like this at all. Gai-sensei would be so disappointed if he did not make it to the Chūnin Exams.
No, he could not think like that. Because if this was genjutsu, then he was already being tested. And if it was not? Then he did not know what it was. Apart from another challenge, and one that he would meet head on! Never mind that he did not have much of a choice...
After turning the key in the lock and removing his sandals at the door, Lee set about exploring his new abode shortly. It was much nicer than his home in the village, he had to admit, and he was surprised to find ... well, it looked like there was another person living there, already. He was to have a roommate, it seemed. But the other bedroom looked entirely pristine, and so Lee stowed the computer he had apparently been given in one of the drawers in that room, and after retrieving his sandals and locking the exterior door behind him, he set off to explore the area more fully.
Before long, Lee came upon a huge building that simply begged to be investigated further. The interior reminded him a bit of the area withing the tower, where the sudden death elimination matches occurred during his previous attempt at the Chūnin Exams. Although this room was actually bigger, if possible. Inside, the air was cool, if -- artificial-smelling, and he fairly goggled at all the sights and sounds. This place was unlike anything he had ever seen in the village, or on any of his missions, either.
So caught up in the strange sights and sounds as he was, Lee actually started when someone nearby spoke to him. If this was part of his exam, he was afraid that he would not be making a very good impression. Still, gathering information was part of the life of a shinobi, so he may as well put his training to use.
"I do not know," he answered, turning to face the man who had spoken. He did not care for subterfuge as a rule, but in the strictest sense, his answer had been true. He did not know if this man could help him find something, because he himself did not know what he was looking for. Apart from a proctor, perhaps. "What is this place?" he asked then, gesturing about the vast expanse of the building. "I have never seen anything like it."