James arrived at the Temple's East Gate with a triumphant—and still very clumsy—flourish. The Temple was massive, with huge stone lions and, in the center of the courtyard, a truly enormous Stone Tortoise sitting on a pedestal.
Mei was already there, leaning against the tortoise, arms crossed, looking fiercely impatient.
"You're five minutes late," she said, without preamble. "And you smell vaguely of chestnuts and instant ramen."
"I had a slight detour involving bamboo and a very confused operative," James explained, catching his breath. "But I made it! You can't fault my determination."
Mei looked him up and down. "I am continuously baffled by your existence, James. However, we have bigger problems." She pointed to the Tortoise. "The courier has arrived. He is hiding the chip inside that ancient monument."
James squinted. The tortoise had a massive, ancient shell, covered in carvings. "Inside? How?"
"There's a mechanism," Mei said, pulling out a set of thin metal picks. "A secret compartment activated by the full moon or—in a pinch—a well-placed series of pressure points on the shell. Our courier is initiating the sequence now."
As if on cue, a small panel slid open on the Tortoise's side. A nervous-looking man in a janitor's uniform quickly reached in to retrieve something.
"Go! Intercept him!" Mei commanded.
James, still feeling the rush of his bamboo escape, took off. But instead of tackling the janitor, he noticed the true prize—a beautifully preserved, antique metal container resting right beside the open compartment, placed there by the courier as he worked.
It was his missing, precious Earl Grey Caddy.
"My tea!" James yelled, leaping forward not for the courier, but for the caddy. He snatched it up just as the courier grabbed the microchip.
The courier, startled by the manic tourist obsessed with a metal tin, bolted. Mei cursed, took off after the courier, and left James standing there, clutching his caddy.
James took a deep, satisfying breath, holding the familiar weight of the metal tin. "Ah. Perfect," he sighed. He then realized he was alone again, and Mei was sprinting toward the main temple, pursuing the chip, while he was left with an empty tin and an heirloom teacup still waiting for its legendary brew.
"Wait! Mei! You forgot your incredibly clumsy distraction!" he yelled, chasing after her.