The man signaled for the others to stop. He walked over to the bar alone, sat down next to Chen Chuan, and glanced at the ice water in his hand. "Old Huang doesn't know any better," he said apologetically. "Sorry about that."
He told the bartender, "Get him a hot drink." The bartender quickly and efficiently replaced the glass with a hot beverage.
The man said, "I'm the owner here. My surname is Ai. The person you're looking for…" He asked tentatively, "Is he a friend of yours, sir?"
Chen Chuan said, "I suppose so."
Mr. Ai looked at him. "Sir, since you've found your way here, we have to extend you this courtesy. But I need to be clear: we had little to do with his capture. We have no grudge against your friend; someone just told us to do it. We have to answer to others to make a living. We didn't really have a choice, did we?"
Chen Chuan looked at him. "You seem very frank, Mr. Ai."
