Artifact Reading Inspector

Chapter 33: Fishing (3)

Three days passed. In the meantime, Saeyeon Gallery’s new exhibition had become quite an issue in Insadong and among the wealthy antique collectors.

“You’re here! You look good today and nice to meet you again, sir. Hello, Ms. Sujeong.”

Haejin had earned a lot recently, so he bought a new pair of suit. Eunhae noticed it. It was funny that she was calling Byeongguk ‘sir’; however, Haejin couldn’t tell her not to, so he let that go.

“Oh, you are getting prettier.”

“You are also getting much prettier!”

Haejin ignored the girls’ meaningless compliments and went to the exhibition room.

“There a lot of people. This exhibition seems to be quite famous.”

Haejin saw people who looked quite rich going around through the exhibited artifacts.

“Thankfully, people are interested in this exhibition. The paintings I got thanks to you are especially popular.”

Eunhae went deeper into the room. As it was their first visit, Eunhae was trying to show them how it was going.

“The concept of the exhibition is Coming Home. I was originally planning just an exhibition of paintings, but thanks to the paintings you helped me with, I named it Coming Home. So, I have put Yoon Duseo’s painting and Lee Inmun’s painting at the end of the exhibition.”

Eunhae explained calmly.

Haejin asked, “Hmm… did anyone ask about the price?”

Eunhae turned elegantly like a model and smiled mischievously.

“Which painting are you talking about?”

“All of them. The one I bought, Yoon Duseo’s and Lee Inmun’s.”

“Hmm… you are not that curious about Yoon Duseo’s and Lee Inmun’s actually, right?”

“No, I am. Really…”

In fact, Haejin wasn’t curious at all, but as Eunhae was a big part of his plan, he didn’t want to disappoint her.

“Haha, I am joking. People keep asking about Yoon Duseo’s and Lee Inmun’s price. I haven’t written the price on purpose. I think I will sell them on last day. Oh, and two days ago, my uncle… no, the Vice Chairman came. I told him you have bought that painting and he immediately reacted.

She pointed to the fake of Sinsaimdang that was in the middle.

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“He reacted?”

“He asked how much it was. If it had been someone else, I would have smiled and said nothing, just as you told me; however, I couldn’t do that to my uncle. So, I just told him I sold it at two billion.”

“Wow… now I can see that you are quite bold, too.”

“Huhu. I did that because if I had said a lower price, he would have immediately called you to buy it back. Just as I thought, after I said two billion, he didn’t say anything more about it. Yaerin also came with him, and you remember her appraiser? Oh, this isn’t the right place to talk. Let’s go in my office.”

They couldn’t talk in front of so many people, so they all went into Eunhae’s office.

“Do you mean Oh Jaepil?”

“Yes. He saw that painting and tilted his head. So, I was really terrified, but when I told him you had bought that, he couldn’t say anything! Yaerin asked him if it was really Sinsaimdang’s, and do you know what he said?”

“I don’t know. What did he say?”

Eunhae’s cheeks trembled as she restrained her laughter. She mimicked a man’s thick voice.

“The lines are delicate and have dignity. Impressive. It is quiet and elegant but so colorful. These are the typical characteristics of Sinsaimdang. Hahaha!”

Eunhae laughed out loud. Haejin had been a little nervous when hearing that Oh Jaepil had seen his painting, but things had gone as he had expected.

Appraising painting is based on deduction when there is no scientific tool. It meant the results could differ by an individual’s thought, but it is hard for anyone to counter a famous and trustworthy man’s claim.

As they already had experienced Haejin’s ability, it would be even hard to flip his results.

“I guess that Oh Jaepil is a famous appraiser?”

Sujeong leaned back on the sofa and asked.

“Yes, he is quite famous in this field. But… Byeongguk, as you know, a forgery of that quality is not easy to make on one’s own.”

Forging a western painting and forging eastern painting are completely different in everything, including ingredients, process, coloring and technique.

Eastern paintings are commonly painted on hanji, and this hanji has to be made by hand, and one must find old dust and cover the painting with it to make it look centuries old.

If you bake it in the oven like western painting, it would be burnt.

To conclude, it was hard to believe one person was behind multiple high-quality forgeries coming out in such a short time.

Then, Byeongguk spoke seriously.

“I once sold a real Sinsaimdang’s painting three years ago.”

“Really? Where did you get it? There’s no way it was in a tomb…”

“Umm… no. I was excavating near Beijing and sold a bronze buddha of the Yuan period to a Chinese merchant. As the buddha was worth a lot, I thought I would be able to get a fortune, but he offered to give me a painting instead of money.

“I would have dismissed that and found another merchant or call the shop owners I had made deals before, but the painting he brought was a landscape of Sinsaimdang.”

Originally, Sinsaimdang was famous for landscape paintings, but her Plants and Insects became even more popular.

This was after Uam Song Siyeol saw Sinsaimdang’s Plants and Insects and said, “The painting was created by her hands, but I cannot feel any trace of a human as if the sky created it, so the essence of the five elements and the energy of nature has gathered. It has achieved true harmony. She deserves to be the mother of Yoolgok.”

It meant it was only right that she gave birth to the great scholar as she was so good at art, but Siyeol said that to praise Sinsaimdang as a mother who gave birth to Yoolgok Lee E rather than to praise her ability. From then on, others recall Plants and Insects when they think of Sinsaimdang.

“So, you made the trade?”

“I did. I was losing a little, but I had no choice. The longer I had the buddha in my hands, the bigger the danger I would be in. So, I gave in, took the painting, and tried to sell it at Insadong, but they immediately accused it as a fake. They said that Sinsaimdang’s landscape painting couldn’t just suddenly appear.”

“Oho… so?”

“At the time, I thought it might be. There are more than a few fakes around. However, they said they would buy it right away after less than a day. That is when I thought something was wrong.

“Think about it. It’s not like they took the painting. They just had taken photos of it, and the result of the appraisal flipped in less than 24 hours. That doesn’t happen often.”

“It doesn’t. Unless they were told by someone…”

“So, I asked if there were many fake paintings going around. I thought they would of course say yes, but they said no. They said they had doubted me just in case.

“Anyway, at the time, I sold the painting at the right price, so I just let it go. Now, however, to think about it, it was definitely strange. Right?”

“I think there is a fake making place somewhere in this country. One with a great expert…”

The mood turned heavy. Eunhae, who had been listening, interrupted.

“Anyway, the situation became even stranger after you bought that painting. As my uncle and Yuseong are both sure it is real, the appraisers who used to think it is fake are finding it hard to talk out loud.

“Someone called me saying that she is waiting for you, now they cannot say that it’s a fake.”

This is why Haejin had come to Saeyeon Gallery today. The bait Byeongguk casted had been bitten.

“It is faster than I thought.”

“Hmm… so you didn’t put up all this for no reason. Anyway, the person who wants the painting is someone who we know well.”

Eunhae nodded and assumed how things were going. As soon as she finished talking, Byeongguk shouted.

“Yang Sojin! She is the middleman once more.”

“Yes. She came to see paintings and was very surprised to know that the owner of the painting is you.

She will probably contact you in a few days.

“And if words get out that none other than Yang Sojin has shown interest in that painting, it would be hard to dispute about its authenticity. If anyone offends her, he or she won’t be able to work in this field anymore.”

It was not just Yang Sojin. If a rich owner of a family corporate group bought it, the existing argument would be extinguished. Both gang members and businessmen hated getting humiliated.

“Did she ask how much I paid for it?”

“Yes. I just smiled, just as you told me. I am trusting you now. If things go well as you have said… I will pay you later.”

Haejin had met her in private and told her his plan lest she tries to mess up because of her worries.

“Let’s talk about it when it’s all finished. Then, all we have to do is to wait.”

There was nothing else to do than to wait, literally. However, Haejin got a call much sooner than he had thought. Sojin called him that evening.

“I want to buy the painting.”

Sojin was straightforward. They made an appointment for three days later, at a hotel in Seoul.

However, when Haejin got there, he couldn’t hide his shock.

“Hello. We have met once before.”

Manager Lee Minsung of Hawjin Electronics was there. What on earth was he doing there? Was he trying to buy the painting?

“Oh, yes. Did the Vice Chairman send you?”

“Yes. He was greatly surprised to know you have bought that painting. He couldn’t come as he was busy and sent me instead.”

“Oh…”

That was unexpected. Haejin couldn’t even think of selling a fake to Sungjun, regardless of the money.

“Let’s sit, shall we? You look much better than the last time.”

Haejin’s body had been full of energy and his skin had turned smooth since he started to use magic.

He was a little nervous about that energy as he could sleep only after working out to exhaust himself.

“Thank you, but it is a little strange to sell a painting without it.”

“The painting is in the gallery, so there is no reason to bring it here. We are all busy, so let’s get it done quickly. I heard you bought it for two billion?”

Yang Sojin’s ability of getting information was really great. Haejin quickly looked at Minsung. He tilted his head, it meant he or his people didn’t tell her that.

Probably, Eunhae told that to people around her and it went to Sojin. Eunhae had to take care of her employees first.

“Yes.”

Minsung interrupted before even Sojin opened her mouth.

“We will give you a billion more. Isn’t three billion enough?”

What should Haejin do? Haejin tried to think of a way to calm Minsung who was throwing money away, then Sojin smiled and spoke.

“I will give you double that.”

Was it Haejin’s imagination, or did Minsung’s face really turned white? Sojin added.

“In cash. Tomorrow.”