A dispute at an Internet cafe  in Shanghai turned ugly early yesterday morning when one man stabbed another in the stomach with a knife. The man was still in critical condition last night.

Police in Zhabei District refused to comment on the case yesterday, but according to local media, the attacker, who identified himself as "Crow" online, is still at large.

The incident occurred in the Zhonglu Space Internet Cafe on Zhabei's Pingshun Road at 2 AM yesterday.

Liu Tao, the 22-year-old victim, said he was surfing the Internet at the bar with several friends when a dispute broke out between him and Crow. He did not say what triggered the dispute.

"We agreed to meet at the cafe entrance to solve the dispute," Liu recalled.

However, the quarrel soon turned into a fistfight during which Crow allegedly took out a flick knife and stabbed Liu in the belly.

By the time police arrived on the scene, Crow had already fled.

Liu, covered in blood, was taken to Shanghai No. 10 People's Hospital for emergency treatment.

The wound is about two centimeters in length and eight centimeters in depth, said Dr. Dai Zhifeng.

(Shanghai Daily October 11, 2005)