Artifact Reading Inspector

After Jaewon left, Eunhae stared at Haejin.
Because of her unique aura, her gaze was hard to ignore.
Haejin eventually asked first, “What?”
“Just curious. You seemed to have known each other since he was very young, but you were already appraising back then… you have such strange appraisal skills, so I am thinking, ‘it could be’, but it is a little… strange.”
Haejin’s heart dropped.
“What is strange? It can happen.”
“It can’t. Do you know how many appraisers I’ve met so far? Every appraiser known in Insadong has spoken with me for more than 10 minutes while I tried to hire you as soon as I met you. I had never done that before…”
“Why did you do that?”
“I don’t know. I don’t understand it but, for some reasons, I could trust you. It’s like you caught my attention.”
Eunhae rested her head on her hand and looked into Haejin’s eyes. She was certainly charming.
“You caught my attention, too.”
That was an unexpected answer, and Eunhae turned red.
She looked away and bluntly said, “Stop joking and tell me. Were you interested in antique as a child?
How did you get interested in it?”
Haejin thought about lying, but he decided to tell the truth. They shared the same fate already and, from what he had seen, he thought she could be trusted.
He had to acknowledge the fact that she had given up the gallery, which was everything to her, to protect its artifacts.
“My father was a grave robber.”
“Oh… I thought it was possible, because of your uncle. So?”
Her eyes had curiosity rather than accusation. It made it easier for Haejin to talk.
“When others attended preschool and elementary school, I followed my father when he traveled around the world, to Japan, China, India, and other countries. He would excavate artifacts out of the tombs, and I would examine them. At first, he brought me with him because he couldn’t leave me alone as I was so young, but later, I followed him because I wanted to.”
“My God….”
“My father felt guilty for being a grave robber. Nevertheless, he had learned nothing else and didn’t know anything else. He couldn’t find another occupation. I know that what he did was wrong. Even though he never robbed graves in Korea and never sent Korean artifacts abroad, that doesn’t mean he can be forgiven for the robbery he did in the other countries.”
“I don’t deserve to accuse you and your father. My family has done far worse.”
She nodded bitterly.
“Now that I think about it, I think I might have been the reason why he couldn’t give up grave robbing.”
“You?”
“Yes. Since I was old enough to go to middle school, I was fascinated with seeing and learning from the artifacts he robbed. I examined all of them: potteries, paintings, and sculptures. And I visited museums and galleries, in the areas where we went to rob graves, to study while other children studied math and English.”
“Wow… that’s funny. You really lived a different life.”
“Yes. At the time, I thought it was cool. While my peers were studying in front of desks, I studied what they didn’t and talked about it with adults. I even taught them sometimes. It was truly thrilling. In short, I was so full of myself, but my father thought it was my path.”
“Parents cannot stop their child when they found out his or her gift.”
“Yes. So, he kept robbing graves and sold the artifacts to take me to museums and galleries around the world. I used to think he was wrong, but now, I think he had his reasons.”
“That was one hell of a life.”
“Now, can you understand? Why I am a decent appraiser at such a young age?”
“Hahaha! You are too good to be called decent. Oh, we’ll be late for dinner. Let’s go.”
The appointed time had come closer. Damon had sent them the address, but they couldn’t get there on foot. They had to get a cab, so they left right away.
“It’s later than I thought.”
“Western people don’t like being late very much. He must be sad as you told him his painting is fake, so we should go early to comfort him.”
Eunhae looked even happier after hearing about Haejin’s past.
“Why does it feel like I’ve lost something?”
“Haha! You want to hear about my past?”
Haejin had thought he knew well about Eunhae, but looking at her sparkling eyes, he thought maybe he didn’t know her well yet.
“You’ve heard about mine, so you should tell me about yours to be fair.”
“Umm… then call me Eunhae in private, you’re much older than me. Only then I’ll tell you.”
“What?”
Haejin stared blankly at the sudden condition, but she was embarrassed. So, she started leaving first.
“Wait for me!”
Haejin thought about it in the cab, but he couldn’t do it.
The place they arrived at was a luxurious restaurant that befitted Charles Saatchi.
They went inside, guided by a waiter. Charles Saatchi was already there, but there was one more person who Haejin didn’t expect.
“I’ve been waiting.”
“Oh, yes. But…”
Haejin looked at the unexpected guest.
The guest stood up and said, “Please don’t misunderstand. Mr. Saatchi here invited me.”
Jaeogmin waved his hand, but Haejin couldn’t help getting suspicious. He especially didn’t like those lips that curled up as Jeongmin glanced at Eunhae.
“I see. Anyway, thank you for inviting us. Let’s sit.”
“Shall we?”
Charles Saatchi sat first. The three Koreans dragged their chairs and sat down.
Then, Charles Saatchi ordered food and talked to the others who were studying the mood without saying anything.
“I hope getting here wasn’t a problem?”
“Of course not.”
“I like meeting new people. Especially people like you who have a great passion for art. You excite me every time.”
Jeongmin agreed with Charles Saatchi.
“So am I. Meeting someone who works diligently like you makes me look back on myself. I am so honored to be invited in such a meeting.”
Jeongmin was flattering Charles Saatchi, and Haejin started to lose his appetite already.
“Hahaha! Mr. Oh, you are a great talker. Korea has many talented people, I envy that. Including Mr. Park here…”
Haejin couldn’t stand it anymore and started speaking.
“Mr. Saatchi, have you assembled the three of us because you want to tell us something?”
He had thought there had to be a reason before he got here. Honestly, even though Saatchi was grateful to him, Haejin had still determined that his painting was a fake. He couldn’t be feeling good about it.
However, he still asked to have dinner together, so Haejin guessed there had to be something he had to say.
However, Haejin didn’t imagine that Jeongmin would be part of it.
“Why don’t we delay talking about business before eating? I don’t like to be interrupted during my pleasant eating time.”
Charles Saatchi avoided answering. No, considering his position, he delayed it. He didn’t have to care about anyone’s feelings.
“Shall we?”
Haejin had no choice but to taste the wonderful dishes of a Michelin two-star restaurant. Only then he could hear about Charles Saatchi’s intention.
“I am very interested in Daeyang Entertainment’s offer. Actually, the art market is in a state of transition. Even though there are limited works of art and their value is still soaring up because of the rarity, the world is still full of unknown artists waiting to be discovered…”
Haejin couldn’t hide his disappointment to find out that Saatchi had brought him here to talk about that.
“So?”
“I’ve decided to develop a market in Asia with Mr. Oh here, and I want you to join us. Korea, China, Japan, and South East Asia… it will be a huge market. And, we will take most of that market.”
“Umm… no, thank you. I am content with what I have.”
Art is hard for ordinary people to approach.
Especially in contemporary art. Antiques are beautiful even to ignorant eyes, but contemporary art requires psychoanalytical thinking.
In short, the explanation of an expert is needed for non-experts to understand contemporary art, and this means that the expert can fool non-experts if he or she wants it.
Saatchi was expecting the market would get bigger quickly if the young and handsome Haejin introduced contemporary art on TV.
“I don’t understand. It will be a great opportunity for all of us. Visitors will flood into your museum and the paintings you sell will be sold in a flash. I guarantee that Korea would have another billionaire in three years.”
Everyone in that room knew who that new billionaire would be.
“Money is good. I don’t hate money, either. However, I’m afraid that is not the path I should take.”
Haejin stood up. Eunhae, surprised, also stood up.
“I’m disappointed. I thought you were a wise man…”
Charles Saatchi frowned. When Haejin first saw him, he had thought he looked like a real gentleman with his white hair and wrinkled face, but now, he looked like an old man full of greed.
“I am disappointed, too. I thought you loved contemporary art itself, but you love it because it is good for making money. I will use the fee you promised me well. I’ll also leave tomorrow.”
“My, my… Eastern people sometimes show an incomprehensible repulsion toward money, and you are no different. Very well, I cannot force you. I can make another star appraiser… then I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in London.”
“It has been my pleasure. Then…”
Haejin lightly bowed to Saatchi as he lifted his wine glass and smiled. Then, he left.
He then asked Eunhae, who came after him, “Do you think I should have accepted that offer?”
Eunhae shook her head hard.
“No! They were trying to use you as their face and make money! That’s too wicked…”
Calling it wicked wasn’t 100% justified, but Haejin felt a lot better after Eunhae agreed with him.
Haejin had refused as it was against his code, but he was also a little worried.
They spent the night at the hotel and took the plane to Korea in the morning.
The trip had met a strange end, but as Haejin had gotten a huge sum of money as the appraisal fee, he decided to consider it a good trip. Besides, there had been another unexpected gain.
“But how did you know I would bring a buddha?”
Soon after Haejin arrived in Korea, Jaewon called him, asking him to appraise and sell his artifact…
Jaewon carefully brought an old gilt bronze buddha that was 20cm tall and asked the question.
“I just did.”
Haejin tried to answer naturally, but he was very puzzled: this wasn’t the buddha he had expected.
Haejin clearly remembered the buddha his father had given to Jaewon’s mother. His memory had to be right.
And the one Jaewon brought was also in his memory, his father had left it in China.
Was this really an unexpected gain? Haejin couldn’t be sure now.