As the bus crawled through the Beijing traffic, James quickly became a source of local irritation. He kept trying to adjust his tweed jacket, accidentally poking the bonsai tree owner with his elbow, who responded with a long, impassioned speech in Mandarin.
"I believe he's suggesting my lineage is questionable due to my poor posture," James whispered to Mei.
"He is telling you to stop crushing his miniature cedar," Mei corrected, her face perfectly blank.
James decided to defuse the situation with politeness. He reached into his satchel for his second-most valuable possession: a pristine, unused packet of digestive biscuits.
"A peace offering!" James said, holding the biscuits out to the angry gentleman. "A light snack to improve Anglo-Sino relations! Excellent with tea, naturally."
The man looked at the biscuits, then at James, then burst out laughing. The rest of the bus followed suit. Mei sighed, looking deeply ashamed to be associated with him.
"You have just made a great cultural blunder, James," Mei informed him flatly. "You gave a man a biscuit when he clearly wants a bowl of hot noodles. It's insulting."
"It's a digestive!" James protested. "It aids the... well, the digestion!"
Suddenly, Mei's phone vibrated. She held it to her ear, listening intently, her face darkening. She spoke rapidly in Mandarin, then hung up.
"We have a problem," she announced. "The chip, which I hid... is now in motion."
"But you said you secured it!" James cried.
"I secured it in a private location known only to me. It seems our friends have an operative with access to the highest levels of our security grid." Mei looked sharply at James. "I am taking you to the only place they won't expect us: the local market where I was last seen."
"But that's where I lost my Earl Grey in the first place!" James protested. "That's hardly a genius plan!"
"It's about re-establishing the origin point," Mei said. "And besides, my contact runs a stall that sells excellent hot roasted chestnuts. We'll need the sugar for the confrontation."