Chen Ke emerged from the manager's office, finding that the office outside had undergone a transformation, returning to the same dark silence as when he first entered. The typewriter was properly placed on the desk, and the white sheets of paper scattered on the floor had disappeared.
He ignored it and continued up the staircase, his leather shoes squeaking with each step.
Suddenly, darkness enveloped him and Chen Ke sensed some changes: The concrete steps had turned into wooden ones, and it was so dark that he could no longer see the walls on either side.
Chen Ke stretched out his hand to feel for the walls around the staircase, finding nothing but emptiness. Ahead and behind stretched an infinite expanse into baffling darkness. He knew this was another one of the Foundation's tricks.
He climbed for a while, the staircase seemingly endless. Chen Ke simply stopped and looked back downstairs. In the darkness below, the dull face of a man flickered in and out of view.
