Artifact Reading Inspector

Chapter 28: Artifact of the Treasure Ship (2)

The only case of a massive number of Chinese artifacts coming to Korea in a very legal and normal way was when the artifacts were fished out from the ship that had sunk in the sea near Sinan. Of course, Haejin was interested.

“Yes. I will do it.”

“Then, could you come to the Hilton Hotel tomorrow at 10 a.m.? You can appraise it there.”

“Okay. I will see you tomorrow.”

Haejin lazily spent the rest of the night and was eating breakfast at a nearby bistro when Byeongguk called. He said Haejin should come by if he wasn’t busy, so Haejin went straight to Insadong after breakfast.

“Hey, Eunhae is buying the painting.”

Byeongguk was grinning widely, so it seemed he would sell it at 1.3 billion.

“She told me she would yesterday. She asked me to talk to you… have you agreed on 1.3 billion?”

“She said she can’t and offered 1.1 billion. She also wanted the record of the restoration process.”

That was a surprise.

“Oh… she doesn’t look like she’s good at negotiating, but I guess she is.”

“She seemed na?ve, but once we started talking about the price, she was so strong. Therefore, I agreed to back off a little.”

However, Sujeong pouted and added.

“You didn’t back off… he insisted he should get 1.3 billion while I told him to take it at 1.1 billion. It’s not a perfectly preserved painting, and I thought a billion at first. So, I felt sorry for Eunhae to buy it at 1.3 billion. So, I told dad to take that offer, and he turned all sulky and complained so much…”

“You call your dad sulky?”

“I said sulky because you were sulky. Then, what should I say? You have earned enough, so I hope you don’t go after money anymore. I am quite skilled now. I will be successful here at Insadong as a restorer, so please relax now.”

Sujeong didn’t like Byeongguk being so keen about money. Maybe she was worried that his greed might make him go back to prison.

“Khmm… okay.”

“Then, I should give dad a hundred million and two hundred million to Haejin, right? That leaves me eight hundred million. I will set a decent shop at Insadong with it. I will make the interior luxurious, so people that pass by will think, ‘what is this place?’. Sujeong was full of dreams while Haejin, feeling sorry for her, said, “You don’t know the price for a shop in Insadong. You know the 30 square meter accessory shop across the road? It’s five hundred million.”

“… no way. You’re telling me I cannot open a shop with eight hundred million?”

“You cannot put up a sign that says antique restoration in front of a 30 square meter shop. There won’t be a place for the needed equipment.”

“But how do you know so well the prices of the shops?”

“I thought about opening a shop, just like you. Park Haejin Appraising Agency.”

That was real. He couldn’t keep being called forever, so he asked for a real estate agency.

Additionally, Insadong was a town where you couldn’t settle in by earning like others.

“Ohhh! That’s cool! So?”

“I did some research. Merchants here don’t shut down their shops or leave easily. There are many foreigner customers, so profit is always good. So, I thought about a first or second floor instead of the ground floor, but there were no empty shops there and setting a shop would cost a lot.”

“Hu… should I go elsewhere?”

Byeongguk sat next to Sujeong.

“If we get 1.3 billion…”

“Oh, forget it! We have agreed on 1.1 billion… what about the areas near Insadong?”

“I asked, and it is not as expensive as I thought, except for the Gwancheoldong area.”

“Then, let’s do this; I will open a restoration shop on the ground floor, and you can open an appraising agency on the first floor. Isn’t that going to be great?”

Sujeong was having happy thoughts again. Haejin stood up.

“Okay, let’s think about it. I am going. I have to go to the Hilton Hotel.”

Byeongguk smiled.

“You got a case? You have been an appraiser for a little while, and cases are flooding in. You will be rich soon. I should have stopped robbing and learned from your father instead.”

“Not anyone can become a grave robber.”

“Well, that’s right… huhuh. Okay, go. I will finish the deal with Eunhae.”

“Okay, then I’ll go. Oh, will you come with me?”

Haejin nodded and was about to leave, but then he looked at Sujeong. She had been bored so her face brightened up.

“Okay!”

Haejin arrived at the Hilton Hotel and called the number that had called him yesterday. The man came to greet him in no time. He was in the middle of his 30s and was wearing a neat suit.

“Hello, I am Yang Jeongjin.”

“Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Park Haejin. This is a restoration expert, Oh Sujeong. I came with her because I might need her to appraise, is that a problem?”

Jeongjin thought about it and smiled.

“Okay. Could you wait for a moment?”

“Sure.”

Jeongjin called someone. He soon hung up.

“It is okay. Please come here.”

They followed him to a suite room. There was a man over 60 years old sitting on a big sofa in the living room. There was an old water bottle on the table and, at the end of the room, you could see a man in his 40s. He was standing with his hands politely folded.

“They are here.”

“Umm… come here.”

The owner of the suite room called them. Haejin didn’t recognize him but, judging from the situation, he had to be the chairman of Yuseong.

“I am Park Haejin. You want me to appraise an artifact?”

Haejin spoke as soon as he and Sujeong sat down on the sofa. The man’s eyes sparkled.

“Yes. Do you know who I am?”

It meant do you know who you are speaking to… they are all so authoritative. Being in a high position apparently changed people.

“Are you the chairman of Yuseong Group?”

“Yes, I am Song Haecheol.”

“I see. I heard you know my fee?”

Instead of answering, Haecheol stared at him. Haejin didn’t avoid the gaze and looked back.

Haecheol smiled.

“You are bold, just as I was told. I heard you took some money from Vice Chairman Lim Sungjun.”

Haejin had thought Haecheol had heard about him from someone other than Yaerin, and he was right.

It was clearly Lim Sungjun.

“I didn’t take, I got the money I deserved. I guess you don’t enjoy paying appraisers?”

“Fences and grave robbers are all the same.”

Haecheol knew Haejin would feel offended but still said that. Haejin thought there had to be a reason.

“Nevertheless, you called me. Is there a reason?”

“If Vice Chairman Lim acknowledged you, there has to be a reason. You are also the first fellow to humiliate my granddaughter twice. I was a little surprised. She might seem like a tempest who is rude and doesn’t know manners, but I’ve never seen her get humiliated by someone like that.”

“I know you love your granddaughter, but as she does not have any professional knowledge about antiques, I think it can happen…”

Haejin thought Haecheol was overestimating him because of his overflowing love for his granddaughter, but he answered without changing his expression.

“There is only one reason I rose to my position. I am never wrong about people. Even my own children. Anyway, in that perspective, I thought you are worthy enough to be here.”

“Then you will accept my fee.”

“Yes, but not just like that.”

What on earth was that now?”

“Not just like that… what do you mean?”

“If you fail to appraise this properly, you must accept my terms.”

“Then, I don’t have any reason to appraise this. It’s not like it will pay me much…”

Haejin pointed at the water bottle with his chin and crossed his arms. Haecheol frowned for the first time.

“You are rude.”

“It is so strange. People in high positions always think I am their employee. Do I look like an employee of Yuseong? If you need my help, offer a deal, not an order. What can you give me?”

Haecheol glared at Haejin with a stern face. Then, he spoke.

“I will give you 10%. But, if you fail, you must accept my terms.”

Now Haejin wondered what Haecheol was up to. He was clearly thinking Haejin would fail and was luring him into accepting his terms.

Sujeong didn’t like it, either. She poked Haejin’s arm. It meant they should leave, but Haejin’s rebellious spirit came up.

“Give me 30%. Then, I will follow your terms if I fail.”

Both Haecheol and the man standing with polite hands were surprised. 30% meant if the porcelain was ten billion, Haejin would take three billion in that spot.

“That is too much. Certainly, too much.”

Haecheol shook his head with a determined expression as if that was impossible, but Haejin was stubborn as well.

“Then, there will be no deal. I have no reason to accept this term, anyway.”

Just because Haecheol was sitting at a high seat, it didn’t mean he was the winner of every deal. He could lose a little according to the situation, and he didn’t seem to like it. However, he made up his mind. He looked at the polite man and spoke.

“What about you? Will you accept it?”

Apparently, Haecheol had made a deal with him before Haejin arrived.

“Yes. I accept.”

Haecheol then turned back to Haejin.

“Good. I will give you 30% of the appraised price if you appraise this. But, if you fail, my term is this; you must become my personal appraiser.”

Haejin had wondered what that term is… he was dumbfounded and blinked his eyes. Haecheol added.

“I will treat you well. Your salary will be as high as Yuseong’s board members’. So, you are not losing at all.”

“Well, we’ll see about that. But how are you going to prove that I am wrong? You cannot be thinking of taking this to Oxford.”

The United Kingdom was the country that did the most reliable appraising of porcelains, but the problem was it couldn’t be brought there.

According to the laws about management of artifacts, sending artifact abroad to determine its authenticity is illegal. Even if they took it, bringing it back to Korea would be hard. Avoiding the law enforcement would be hard, even for Yuseong.

“I have a way. Then, you accept the deal?”

Haejin had no reason to refuse. He had an appraising skill that could never fail.

“I do. I am thirsty, so please let me get some water.”