He let a small, amused breath out through his nose, the sound of a reasonable man confronted with an absurd mistake.

“I think there’s been a serious misunderstanding, Ms.

Lin,” he said smoothly, and he even shifted his weight slightly in front of me, a performance of a husband shielding his wife.

“I’m a financial adviser.

If this is about my brother-in-law’s business at the port, I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong man — I have no operational role in his filings.

I’ve given him some informal advice, nothing more.”