Which excerpt from Nikolai The Nose best helps to establish the straightforward and matter-of-fact tone of text?

The excerpt that best helps to establish the straightforward and matter-of-fact tone of Nikolai the Nose is:

"Major Kovalyov woke up that morning and discovered there was a nose in the middle of his face."

This sentence immediately introduces the bizarre and fantastical event of the story without any preamble or attempt to explain or contextualize it. The language used is simple and direct, with no embellishment or figurative language. This sets the tone for the rest of the story, which is told in a similar straightforward and matter-of-fact manner.