Chapter 11: First Step as an Antiques Appraiser (1)  

Haejin barely managed to keep a straight face.

The man was so handsome that Haejin thought if he had been a woman, he would have fallen for him.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Jongmyeong. I heard that you helped a lot my Eunhae. Thank you.”

Ha… even his voice was great. That low voice could win a girl with just a 5-minute phone call.

However, that ‘my Eunhae’ made Haejin feel sad.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Haejin.”

“I am surprised to see such a young man who is knowledgeable about antiques.”

“Haha, I am a little young in this field.”

“My Eunhae seldom compliments and relies on someone, so I was impressed to hear about you.”

That stupid ‘my Eunhae’… but the way Jongmyeong looked at Haejin was not as hospitable as his words. He seemed to be on guard. Well, Haejin thought if he were in Jongmyeong’s position and Eunhae brought another guy, saying she relies on him, he would not like him either.

“She doesn’t really rely on me. I just solved her case as a freelancer… well, I guess she said that because I am worth my salary. Hahaha!”

Eunhae took the cups of juice an employee brought them and came to the table.

“That worries me. Maybe we should have talked about the money in advance. I hope you don’t get disappointed…”

Actually, the appraising fee of auction agencies wasn’t that expensive. It was just that appraiser agencies would not have been able to discern forgery so perfectly as Haejin did in such a short time.

Appraising fee of auction agencies were all about hundreds of thousands won, everywhere in the world. However, the more expensive the artifact was, the more appraising cost. Appraising fee of artifacts which cost more than a hundred million differed greatly, depending on time, place and situation.

“First, let me tell you my term. My fee is 1% of the appraised price, without negotiation.”

“If it is fake?”

“It’s the same. 1% of the money you would have lost if it had been judged as real. If you don’t want it, you can give me any amount you want.”

Eunhae had promised Haejin a big reward, but even she looked surprised. If she agreed to his term, she would have to give him fifty million won just for appraising once.

Eunhae didn’t offer the price first because the appraising fee of that field was, more or less, determined. She thought Haejin’s request wouldn’t be that different from that price…

She didn’t expect Haejin would come up with a price that was much higher than what she had planned.

Lee Jongmyeong, surprised, interrupted them.

“I admit that you have greatly helped Eunhae. But the appraising fee of France’s Drouot Estimation is 0.5% of the appraised price. Moreover, it’s 0.5% only if the price is 152,000 Euro or higher and, for artifacts cheaper than that, the fee is much lower. It gets even lower when it is not real.”

“But that’s a group and I’m an individual. Of course, as I said earlier, if you don’t accept it, you can pay me as much as you like.”

Eunhae smiled bitterly.

“Then, there will not be the next deal.”

“I guess that could happen.”

Haejin had asked a little too much, but that wasn’t because of Eunhae’s fiancé.

He had requested to be paid a lot because he was confident that he was the best appraiser in the world with his knowledge and experience he got from his father. Additionally, he also had his unique magic.

“Hu… what should I do…”

Eunhae bit her lips. Jongmyeong tried to comfort her while looking at Haejin.

“Could you give us a moment?”

“Of course. I will wait outside.”

Even though Eunhae was linked to Hwajin and had a gallery that sold and bought artifacts worth billions, giving fifty million as an appraising fee wasn’t easy. So, Haejin was thinking to accept it if Eunhae said she couldn’t take his term.

He had helped her this time because of their coincidental meeting at the preview and he was taking his first step as a real appraiser, so failing to receive that fifty million won was okay for him. The only thing made him sad was that he had to say goodbye to such a beautiful woman.

After five minutes, Jongmyeong opened the door and came out.

“We are done. Please come in.”

Haejin went into the office again where Eunhae looked very troubled.

“What is your answer?”

Eunhae kept hesitating and then spoke, “I am sorry. I don’t think this gallery can accept your term.”

“Well, that can happen. It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

Haejin didn’t show his disappointment, he just stretched out his hand.

Eunhae looked so sorry when she took his hand. Her hand was quite soft, Haejin could feel that she was sorry through that handshake.

“Here… I hope I get to see you again.”

“I don’t know. Then, goodbye…”

Haejin left the gallery with a white envelope Eunhae gave him. He went back to his new home where he opened the envelope. There were exactly a hundred fifty thousand notes.

“Hmm… that’s disappointing.”

Haejin could understand Eunhae made the hard decision because fifty million was big, but the amount was too small compared to the five billion and legal problems if it hadn’t been for him.

Ziiing…

Then, Byeongguk called him. Has he arrived in Seoul already?

“Hello?”

“It’s me. You’re in Seoul, right?”

“Oh, yes. Have you already arrived?”

“Yes, I just got off at Seoul Station. Do you know the Four Season Hotel in Junggu?”

“That hotel is really expensive. Have you made a reservation there?”

“I have a meeting there this evening.”

Byeongguk always took care of matters fast. He often rushed like that, but this was his nature. He couldn’t change it.

“That’s fast. Have you found the buyer already?”

“Then, you think I asked you to appraise it when I had no one to buy it? I just sent a photo without mentioning money, so the buyer would already have a price in mind. So, all you have to do is appraising it well.”

“Hmm… who is the buyer?”

Making the deal at a hotel was a little strange.

Normally, when rich people bought antiques, they would be brought home. There were many forgeries so they wanted to have the items appraised by experts they trusted before they bought it.

On the other hand, deals were often made outside, when the seller could not trust the buyer.

Rarely, it would happen that the buyer came to the house of the seller and leave without paying them.

Of course, that was only possible when the source of the antiques couldn’t be told.

In this case, the seller would call the buyer to a hotel or a gallery he knew. The possibility of this happening was proportional to the artifact’s value.

“Why? You’re worrying that I’m dealing with a gang?”

“I don’t worry about gangsters. The gangs of this country know nothing about antiques. I am worried that it is someone very powerful, but you cannot trust them.”

Like a politician…

“You are smart, just like your father.”

“Be careful. You know you might be the only one who loses.”

“I have sold things to those high people many times. There are no such bastards these days. Plus, I asked them to meet at a hotel because I am being careful. The buyer will send someone else.”

Well… Haejin had only heard and watched from the side, but Byeongguk had been making deals for decades. He must know better.

“The buyer is sending someone instead of coming himself? He must be someone more important than I thought.”

“Hhhh… you would be surprised to find out. Anyway, come quick. We don’t have much time.”

“Okay, but you must pay me well.”

Eunhae looked at the door from where Haejin went through and sighed.

“Hu… I think I made a hasty decision.”

Jongmyeong leaned against the sofa and scolded her.

“What are you talking about? Is it normal to ask for fifty million for appraising just one artifact? He was so full of himself after appraising a few times… what does he know for you to give him fifty million? Do you think they would leave you alone when they find about it? They would just think you are mad!”

“I know, but…”

“Let’s say you gave the money to him. Then, what are you going to do about accounting? You waste fifty million as the appraising fee and don’t even buy the artifact? Who would let that go? He prevented you from wasting five billion? That’s right but running a company doesn’t work that way. They would suspect that you took that money as your private secret fund!”

Jongmyeong was right, but Eunhae shook her head.

“Hu… I think I made a mistake. I didn’t expect Haejin would ask so much. I should have talked about the fee first…”

Eunhae bit her lips and sat down blaming herself.

Jongmyeong didn’t want to see her do that. He got up and approached her.

“There are many experts. If you are so nervous, I will find you someone.”

“I have seen many experts. I had three experts with me when I bought that fake the last time. They didn’t tell me for sure it was a fake after an hour of appraising. Oh, and you had recommended one of them.”

Eunhae replied sharply while Jongmyeong’s face hardened.

“You’re blaming me?”

“It’s not that. I’m just saying I decided too soon. I think I should have given him my personal money.”

Jongmyeong smiled and reclined on the sofa again.

“Very well. Why don’t you call him? I saw earlier that he has already fallen for you. It’s time to use your beauty, right?”

“Don’t be sarcastic.”

Eunhae’s face hardened. She looked so cold that she looked like someone else. However, Jongmyeong stopped mocking her.

“What? Are you interested in him, too?”

“Jongmyeong!”

“Oh, stop it. This is what I get for helping you. Keep it in mind, neither you nor I can afford to care about others. If you fail to keep your position, you will lose me as well. You know that.”

Eunhae looked away. She was mad, but she needed Jongmyeong. He glared at her for a while and left the office.

“Ha… this woman gives me headaches… anyway, fifty million for appraising one artifact? That guy is crazy.”

Jongmyeong called someone while leaving the gallery.