Artifact Reading Inspector

Chapter 8: New Work (2)

Haejin’s heart took a roller coaster ride, as if Eunhae just said that she loved him.

Curious about me? She probably doesn’t mean that she wants to date me…

“Ha! Don’t get nervous. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Haejin was a little disappointed, but he kept a straight face lest Eunhae misunderstood.

“Haha, really? Then, I was surprised for nothing.”

“Hmm… most men quite like me but, this time, I somehow feel like I have been dumped. Am I wrong?”

Haejin realized he could not let her take control. He answered even more boldly.

“I’m not that kind of guy who falls in love easily because of their appearances.”

“Oh, then you are saying that I am beautiful. Thank you.”

She was a strong opponent.

“Kmm… then, you want something from me?”

“Actually, I manage a gallery that my grandfather left me.”

Inheriting a café was great enough, but she had inherited a gallery. She was a real silver spoon owner.

“That’s great.”

“It might look great to others but, to me, it’s not easy. You heard it yesterday, I was conned.”

It was something that people would find embarrassing; however, she sounded calm when mentioning it.

“Yes. I heard.”

“I hurried because I thought I could get a good artifact, but I was conned. The problem is that I cannot tell the police. My family… no, if others find out about this, I will probably lose the gallery.”

At first, Heajin thought that her family is probably not normal but, clearly, there was a dispute within the family.

“You are in a trouble.”

“Yes. But it’s not just because I lost the money. I can forget about that money but, if things like this keep happening, words about my mistake could get out. Yaerin hates me, but she would never speak about that out loud, so I’m not worried about her… anyway, I cannot let others know about this.”

“The woman you had a quarrel with yesterday, is she Yaerin? Her lips must be heavier than I thought. She didn’t appear to be so…”

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“No, her lips are lighter than a feather. It’s just that I know one of her secrets, too. So, she won’t be able to babble about mine.”

“Oh… then you want me to catch those frauds quietly…”

“Pft! Oh, I’m sorry.”

Haejin almost felt a little mad, but her smile made that feeling melt like snow.

“It’s okay,” Haejin said.

“It’s not like you’re a private detective. I want you to help me.”

Haejin now recalled the man who was Yaerin’s appraiser.

“You want me to be your private appraiser?”

“Yes. I know it’s rude. We just met, but I am asking because it is urgent. Think of it as me recruiting you. You will receive as much as a section chief.”

“Section chief….”

“A salary of 8,000 with a 400% bonus. I will also give you additional bonuses when you get me good artifacts at a low price. Plus, you will get a half-size sedan. It would be the company’s car, but you can use it as your own. After a year, you can become a full-time employee if we both agree.”

Those were excellent conditions. If it had been before Haejin got the porcelains, they would have been even greater. However, the best part was that he would get to work with Eunhae. Haejin’s answer, however, was not what Eunhae expected.

“I am sorry. I don’t think I can take your offer.”

“Hmm… why? I would like to know the reason.”

“I’ve always dreamt of being a playboy. Call me if you need my help. I will help you from time to time as a freelancer. Of course, I will keep your secret if you want.”

Eunhae stared at him with a strange expression.

Then, she crossed her arms and asked, “I guess I was too arrogant. I thought you would think my offer was good enough after you told me that you work in the construction industry…”

She said, ‘work in the construction industry’ instead of ‘construction worker’. She was very considerate. She was rich, therefore it was easier for her to look down on others. It appeared that she had been educated well.

“Your offer is good. However, I didn’t work as a construction worker just because I needed the money. I wanted to show my father… should I call it defiance? Anyway, I earn enough money through the hard way on purpose for that reason. Well, it’s not like I have great ability, but I have no reason to do physical labor now. I am also not poor enough to have myself tied to a job… let me just say, I just want to live with ease.”

“I see. Then, will you work for me if I treat you as a freelancer?”

“Of course, I will always work for you, Miss Eunhae.”

“Ha, I like that. Good. Then, I will officially give you a case. Please come to my company to talk about the details. Have you heard of Saeyeon Gallery?”

Haejin had not just heard about that place, he had even been there.

“You mean the gallery in Bukcheon?”

“Oh, you know it well.”

Haejin knew it very well. He had seen the artifacts his father sold abroad exhibited at Saeyeon Gallery a few times. Therefore, he was surprised.

The artifacts had been sold as stolen goods in China and other countries, so Haejin wondered how they ended up in a gallery in Korea. However, it’s not like he could ask the director where she had gotten it, so he just backed off. And… that director was in front of him now…”

“Hmm… okay. I will see you there tomorrow. I am already excited, about the case.”

“I am also glad that we got to work together.”

Eunhae drove Haejin back to the bookstore again.

She asked where he lived, but he didn’t want to tell her. He couldn’t tell her that he lived in the slums where even thieves didn’t dare to rob you.

At first, he had just planned to sell the porcelains but, now that he thought about it, he realized that he couldn’t live without antiques.

He had done physical labor to stop his father from grave robbing. That was no longer necessary, so he thought since things turned out this way, he should move to Seoul and start over.

Although my father lived the life of a grave robber, I will become a real antique appraiser. No, I will do even more than that. I will find that evil art dealer who threatened my father and made him die like that and I will also retrieve the Korean artifacts that were taken away from us.

As he thought, his heart started to pound. He didn’t think everything had just happened by coincidence. Maybe the recent events were a sign, telling him to fulfill his father’s dying wish…

Haejin kept making some crazy excuses while biting his lip. He couldn’t take it lightly, so he was going to start from the beginning.

If he could really get back the Korean artifacts scattered abroad, if he could retrieve them from those who took them away and argued that it was part of their collections, wouldn’t that be more meaningful?

That night, Haejin looked up at the night sky and planned what to do with his future for the first time.

The next day, he went straight to a nearby housing agency and found a studio that was closer and at the right price. He had to spend 10,000,000 of the money he had left as the deposit, but he still had 5,000,000 won left.

He took a taxi and went back to his home and packed his things till late evening. He didn’t have much to pack since he gave the things he couldn’t move or didn’t need to his neighbors. He had only three boxes of things he needed. He had them delivered to his new home and came back to the hotel. It was just past midnight.

The next day, he checked out from the hotel, went to a nearby department store and bought a pair of suit. It cost 500,000 won but he thought it was necessary. He had to look like an expert, so he couldn’t go to the gallery wearing something casual.

He arrived at Saeyeon Gallery at around 11 o’clock. It was the perfect time to talk about business and have lunch together.

He went into the gallery where he first spotted a huge flower vase with luxuriant colors. It had the painting of a deer playing in the mountains. It was in great condition, so its color was clear and looked beautiful.

Anyone would think of it as a precious artifact. The vase was not unfamiliar to Haejin, his father had excavated it and sold it to a Chinese dealer.

People who were interested in porcelains knew that the vase had been made in China, but it had been brought into Korea without a problem. That was strange.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Her voice was clear and beautiful, just like her face.

Haejin turned his head. Eunhae, in a tight H-line skirt and a blouse, was looking at the vase proudly.

“Yes, it’s a good artifact.”

“It was one of my grandfather’s favorites.”

“Oh… you must have liked him a lot.”

“He really loved me. Although he is now gone, when I miss him, I keep looking at the things he liked. Then, I feel like he is talking to me.”

She was sensitive. If it had been anyone else, Haejin would have thought that person was whining, but he somewhat felt sorry for Eunhae. Was it because of her beauty?

“I can see why he loved you so much?”

“Hoho, really? Shall we go in? We cannot talk about business here.”

“Okay.”

Eunhae took Haejin to an office deep in the gallery.

As people of wealth and power often visited, her office was in a simple white mood but luxurious with valuable paintings.

“Actually, I need your help urgently. A while ago, the man I’ve been mainly dealing with got a problem, so I have to find someone new… but I don’t know who to trust.”

“Got a problem. Does that mean he… um, should I call you CEO?”

Haejin didn’t know what to call her. She smiled.

“You can call my name. The CEO or the director doesn’t fit my age.”

“Your title wasn’t on your name card.”

“Officially, I am the director of the department, but I didn’t write that on that name card. It’s not for people I meet for business.”

Haejin didn’t know if that was true, but it made him feel good.

“Oh… I see. Khmm… to continue, you got a problem, meaning the broker gave you an artifact with a problem?”

“Yes. He fooled me with a fake. I am looking for him now, but I have a bigger problem than finding that fraud. I don’t have enough artifacts for the upcoming exhibition.”

“The jade buddha we found at the preview?”

“I am keeping it in mind, but you talked so loudly, therefore I might not be able to get it. I can only a spend a certain amount of money at auction this year.”

“I see. Then, do you mainly get artifacts through brokers?”

“I get 70% of them from auction and get the others through Insadong. As you know, there can be really good artifacts in Insadon that are at a really low price, but there can also be some fakes. Just like in this case, so I get worried every time I make a deal.”

“I have a question. I don’t think you keep all the artifacts you get in this gallery… what do you do with them?”

“The group buys them often. Actually, my cousin really wanted the vase you saw at the entrance. He said he wanted to have it…”

“The group…”

“Hwajin Corporate Group. My cousin is Hwajin’s vice chairman.”

Wow… I assumed she was from a rich family, but she is a member of the family that owns the biggest enterprise in Korea…

“Oh… what a great family!”

“No. Strictly speaking, we have nothing to do with Hawjin. Not even 1% of it is at stake. Anyway… are you going to help me?”

She didn’t have to ask.

“Of course.”