Artifact Reading Inspector

In short, Haejin was going to let Byeongguk excavate legally. Of course, Byeongguk grinned widely and poured more makgeolli in Haejin’s cup.

“Well, sir director, no… sir appraiser, please, drink.”

“Oh… please don’t do that. Anyway, please do well. I think some very valuable artifacts are in that tomb.”

“Of course! You can trust me. Oh, and… there’s a bad rumor going around in Japan. Have you heard of it?”

Byeongguk sounded grim as he changed the topic.

“What kind of rumor? Is it about the yakuza invading Korea because of Ogura’s tomb?”

Byeongguk gravely shook his head.

“I’m afraid it is nothing to joke about.”

“Why? What is it about?”

“Words about Ogura’s tomb being robbed are spreading among archeologists, historians, and artifact collectors in Japan.”

“Words are spreading? Was there news about it? But I’ve never read a single article about it!”

“Of course, the Japanese media is not talking about it. Ogura Takenoske is admired as a great man in Japan. For that kind of man choosing to be buried with the valuable artifact of another country? That can’t be good. So, of course, the media is quiet about it.”

“Then, how is that story spreading so quickly if the media hasn’t said anything about it?”

“The rumor started with professors. It is going around so fast, therefore someone with power must want it to spread so quickly. Think. They didn’t even know where that tomb was, but now they are sure it has been robbed. That should be impossible unless someone is behind it.”

That made sense.

“I think you are right.”

“The rumor is going around professors who teach archeology and history, so imagine how trustworthy people are finding it. So, even collectors believe it.”

“But there is not a single line about it on the newspapers? That’s strange.”

“You know Japanese society is more closed than any other country. They block any news that would be bad for themselves… anyway, words have gone out, and the hatred for Koreans is being aroused among collectors including the yakuza.”

Almost all collectors with money in Japan were connected to the yakuza.

The yakuza and the people paid by them are the ones who have been supplying Japan with foreign artifacts since the end of World War 2.

What Byeongguk was saying was that from now on, the yakuza and the wealthy Japanese collectors could show their hatred very openly at any time.

“Hmm… okay. I will not go to Japan for a while.”

“And that’s not all, Japanese money will flood into Insadong. You know what that means, right?”

It meant Japan was going to suck in Korean artifacts. Additionally, it meant smugglers in Korea were about to act.

They could release a huge amount of forgeries or do Horidasi things (ripping off people and practically stealing artifacts from them) to meet that great need.

“But there’s nothing I can do about it, it’s not like I’m the Insadong police…”

“I’m not saying you should be the police. But they might try to fraud you, so you should be careful.”

Haejin smiled. He could see the past of an artifact, so he didn’t think he would ever be fooled by the Japanese.

“Haha, they will never get to fool me, so don’t worry.”

“Yeah, right?”

Byeongguk smiled and drank makgeolli again. They hadn’t drunk like that for some time. After that, Haejin went home and fell asleep.

The next day, Haejin went to his museum and got a call from the Diplomacy Service in the morning.

“Good morning, Mr. Haejin. Do you have a moment?”

“Of course.”

The man started to explain with a grim voice.

“First, we tried contacting the Arab Emirates instead of America directly. We reached Prince Sahmadi. However, he told us what happened was much easier than we thought. It made us think you were being very trusted by him.”

“Oh, really? Hmm… then what happened?”

“It turned out that the woman who used to be Princess Hassena’s closest friend and secretary poisoned her drink.”

“What? What the…”

Haejin was dumbfounded. Hassena had said that Saliyah was like family, she could trust her the most… so she couldn’t have imagined that she would try to harm her.

“Did you see her when you were with Princess Hassena?”

Haejin couldn’t answer that question for a moment, but soon he came to his senses.

“Yes, of course. I never imagined she was capable of such a thing. She was so loyal to her princess when I was with them.”

“That’s what the royal family of Abu Dhabi said. She was like the princess’ avatar, and they hadn’t thought she would betray her like that. They were shocked, too. They are replacing all the attendants of the princes and princesses.”

“Haa… okay.”

“We’ve done everything we can, and we cannot give you more information.”

It meant they were not going to help Haejin anymore. They had helped him to be on good term with the Arab Emirates, but they had other matters to take care of.

“Okay, thank you.”

“My condolences to you.”

“Thank you.”

“Then…”

Haejin hung up and felt sad again. Even though he had known Hassena only for a few days, and she had insisted on their marriage without hearing Haejin’s opinion, she had been the first woman Haejin had ever considered marrying.

He was about to go to drink makgeolli to a nearby restaurant, but then he got a call from a strange number. It was from Seoul, so Haejin found it strange, but he took it.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Park Dongryul.”

It was Prosecutor Park Dongryul who had come to Haejin to threaten him. However, he sounded angry, so he was quite pissed off.

“And? Do you have something to say?”

“You have some very special friends, right? I didn’t know you were going to get the help of the NIS, and you really hit me off guard!”

Sanghun had gotten him properly. The prosecutor was really mad.

“Well, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Haejin pretended to be ignorant, and Dongryul raised his voice.

“Hey, Park Haejin, you’re making a mistake. You dare to mess up with a prosecutor? You’d better brace yourself.”

“Well, okay.”

Haejin hung up and immediately called Sanghun.

“Mr. Jeong, Prosecutor Park Dongryul just called me, and he yelled like a mad boar! What on earth have you told him? Have you threatened him to make him lose his job or something?”

Haejin sounded urgent, but Sanghun burst into laughter.

“Hahahahaha! He was like that? Hahaha!”

“But this is nothing to laugh about! What if he comes at my museum with a confiscation warrant?”

“He won’t. He just barked for the last time because backing off like that would be so humiliating.”

“You’re sure about it?”

“Yes.”

Haejin found that hard to believe.

“Then, what did you tell him?”

Sanghun spoke, very amused.

“I dug up his private life, and it turned out he was a very funny guy.”

“How?”

“He is a womanizer.”

“A womanizer?”

“Yes. He has a girlfriend he is about to marry, and her father is Senator Hong Haeseong of the ruling party. But Lim Hyoyeon is not the only woman Dongryul is seeing behind her back. He is sponsoring a woman, a hostess. He receives bribes from a construction company and gives that money to that woman.”

Haejin was shocked.

“That man is unrecyclable trash!”

“Hahaha! Yes. I didn’t have to even threaten him properly with that. I just mentioned it. Then, he lost his temper like a mad dog… but what could he do? He soon rolled his tail… he will stop bothering you, soon. He cannot do that more unless he is really willing to lose his job.”

Now, Haejin was relieved.

“That’s good.”

“But don’t do anything suspicious for a while. Pay taxes well and don’t do anything that has to do with your father. Oh, and then there’s what you did with us, but he won’t be able to go after you with that. He would have to face our director first.”

“That is really reassuring.”

“Haha, I don’t know if I can be complimented for selling off my boss. Oh! And we need your help. I think we have found that Lichtenstein’s painting which Hwajin lost.”

“Where?”

“At a farm in Changnyeong, Gyeongnam. There are that and a few other expensive-looking paintings. Our agents went there with an appraiser, but I think we can be even more sure if you could appraise them.”

“What? Is it in Changnyeong?”

“Because of some very tricky smugglers. Quite a number of artifacts went through their hands, but the police haven’t been able to find any proof. They would have missed those thieves if they had handled this.”

“Then, how did you capture them?”

“Technically, I didn’t. I just went in and stole a painting.”

“You stole it? Haha…”

Haejin laughed in shock.

“Getting a search warrant and all that is hard. That’s why the police have failed so many times. They do not fall into traps, and they are so smart and good at their job that they barely leave any trace. So, I just took that Happy Tears painting and ran. They must be panicking by now.”

Sanghun couldn’t help but laugh for a long time.

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Then I’ll go to your museum.”

“No, I will go to Changnyeong. Let’s meet there.”

“But it’s far away… anyway, okay. I will send you the address. See you there.”

Haejin immediately left the museum. Eunhae looked like she wanted to tag along, but she had tons of things to do, so she had to stay.

He arrived at an abandoned container box at the mountainside of Changnyeong after three hours of driving. He got off from his car and knocked, and a familiar man opened the door for him.

“Oh, you’re here.”

It was Sanghun.

“I thought we departed at the same time, but you are already here.”

“Because I am fast. Please, come in.”

There were three more men inside, but they ignored Haejin and did their work. Inside, there was a painting wrapped with newspaper on a shabby table.

“This is it?”

“Yes. One of our agents wrapped it. As it is expensive, we might be accused later if we don’t do this.”

“Let me take a look first.”

Haejin slowly unwrapped the painting.

It was Roy Lichtenstein’s Happy Tears, indeed.

“This is like a scene of a cartoon. Anyway, is this real?”

Sanghun shook his head as if he couldn’t see why that painting was so expensive.

Haejin pretended to drink water and looked into the past. It was to check if it was real, but it was also to see how it had been stolen.

“Huh?”

Haejin suddenly exclaimed, and Sanghun quickly asked, “What is it?”