Artifact Reading Inspector

Chapter 121: Portrait of Titus (2)

Of course Haejin had heard of it. Titus was the son of Rembrandt. His portrait had been sold at 2.5 billion won on Christie’s Auction in1965.

So now, it would be sold at over 20 billion. So buying it at 5.2 billion was great fortune.

“Of course I’ve heard of it. Who on earth is willing to sell it at 4.7 million?”

“Umm… It’s too complicated to explain on phone. Plus, you will have to see it with your eyes. In fact, I am not even sure it it’s real. The organization I’m going after wants that painting, so it’s probably not fake, but I can’t be sure that it’s real… Anyway, it’s complicated. You must come here.”

“Okay. I’ll go.”

“This time, come to my hotel in New York.”

My hotel? For a second, Haejin doubted his ears.

“You have a hotel?”

“Technically, it’s my family’s. Anyway, meet me there. I’ll make a reservation in your name.”

“I can’t wait to see what kind of hotel it is. Then I’ll see you there.”

Haejin hung up. Eunhae was watching him with wide eyes. Haejin was sorry.

“I’m afraid I will have to go alone this time. I’m sorry.”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about it. And as a director, I should keep sending you abroad as you always come back with huge money. I’ll just think I’m sending a star to do concert.”

“Hahaha! You’re right. Oh, and…Is it possible for our researchers to excavate in Kimhae?”

“Kimhae? Are you talking about Kimhae, Gyeongsangnamdo?”

“Yes.”

“If anything is found there, local excavation organizations would lunge at it.”

“That’s why I asked. Is there any way?”

Eunhae crossed her arms and thought about it. Then she snapped her fingers.

“We should claim priority to that area. You have something from Eunhae, right? I’ll ask Cultural Heritage Administration with it.”

Eunhae’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She wanted to see the proof.

Showing her the earring wasn’t a problem, but telling her the exact spot was.

Haejin had to give her a story that she could believe and speak to Cultural Heritage Administration about.

Haejin took out the earring he had found at Ogura’s tomb.

“I took this from the tomb. There’s a record that says this was stolen from a tomb of Geumgwan Gaya in Kimhae. Ogura never got to rob the tomb, so there is no evidence, but I know where that tomb is.”

Eunhae was shocked by Haejin’s lies. She jumped to her feet.

“Really?”

That claim had no proof, but at the same time, no one could prove it was not the truth. Plus, it had great impact.

“Treasures of Geumgwan Gaya are sleeping there. Just when Ogura Takenoske was about to steal them, Korea was liberated and he was forced to return to Japan. This earring is the only artifact he managed to get from that tomb. Ogura chose to be buried with this because if the world finds out about this, the tomb would be found, too.”

“Wow…”

Eunhae stared at the earring for long time. Then she confidently nodded.

“Okay. Our researchers will excavate that tomb. I’ll make it happen.”

“It doesn’t have to be us, but it has to be an institution that can be trusted. Frankly, there are too many untrustworthy people…”

Eunhae knew what he meant. She smiled bitterly.

“Don’t worry. It will be fine.”

The next morning, Haejin was took a plane to New York. As Eunhae was taking care of everything for him, he could leave without worries.

When he arrived at JFK Airport, a man Eric sent was waiting for him. He took Haejin to a hotel in New York. It was five-star luxury hotel.

“Mr. Holton is waiting at restaurant. I will take your luggage to your room.”

“Oh, thank you.”

After Haejin checked in, the man disappeared with Haejin’s luggage. Haejin headed to the restaurant.

A waiter took him to a corner of the restaurant. Eric was staring at his iPad.

“I knew you were rich, but I didn’t know you had this kind of hotel in New York.”

“You still don’t understand much about money. I was board member of Face Note. I had great share. This hotel is only part of my family’s wealth.”

“I envy you.”

“But you don’t have to. You becoming rich is only a matter of time. Of course, it will take some time… But my father and his father also took time to get wealth. That’s why I can live like this now. Your children will thank you too.”

“That’s not helpful much.”

Eric grinned and called someone.

“This fellow must be hungry, so bring some food. If it’s not good, I would be humiliated, so tell the chef to take some care. Okay?”

The beautiful woman with blond hair smiled at Haejin.

“I’ll take Mr. Yoris. Sir, please wait a little.”

She turned around and left. Eric winked at Haejin.

“Actually, I’m dating her.”

“Her?”

“Yes. She looks so innocent and weak, but she has wild side.”

“Wow…”

“Why? Are you jealous? You have the most beautiful woman at your side. You shouldn’t be jealous of me.”

Eric spoke as if he was offended. Then he put his iPad in front of Haejin.

“This is the painting.”

Haejin took the iPad. It showed a painting of a child with pretty hat.

The child was so cute that he could have been a girl. It looked that way more so because his face was white because of Rembrandt’s unique style of maximizing light.

“It is what I thought it would be…”

“Isn’t it weird? That you can buy this famous painting with only 4.7 billion dollars.”

“It was sold at 2.2 million in 1965. Of course I can’t understand.”

Eric took a sip of wine and started to explain.

“At the time, the man who bought this painting was a businessman called Norton Simon.”

“He built Norton Simon Museum in LA, right?”

The museum has considerable amount of paintings after the Renaissance. There are very famous and magnificent paintings like Rembrandt’s, Manet’s, Renoir’s, and Gogh’s.

“Yes. No one would find it hard to believe that this precious painting is still there. I couldn’t believe it, either. But while going after that troublesome organization, I found out they are working on a family here in New York. It is middle-class family, but not rich. Still, they had that family get huge loan with investment in real estates as bait.”

Eric’s definition of being rich was very different from Haejin, so Haejin couldn’t fully believe him about that, but what mattered was that organization would not have made them to that for no reason.

“So?”

“Luckily, a man who supplies seafood to this hotel is a member of that family. So I had an employee here to ask him secretly. But he was a much better actor than I thought. I was surprised. My, to think he has been wasting such talent… He should have become an actor instead of a hotelier…”

Eric was being distracted. Haejin interrupted.

“What did he say?”

“Umm… He said the man bragged about having Rembrandt’s painting. My smart employee said he couldn’t believe him, so he finally got invited to his house and was even offered dinner. He took this photo.”

“Ha… Then this wasn’t taken at Norton Simon Museum…”

“Yes. This is the painting that was in that man’s living room.”

Finding out whether a painting is real only with a photo is not impossible, but it’s not easy, either.

And as this painting was of great quality, appraising it without seeing it was risky.

“Hmm… With only this photo… I can’t…”

“You can’t tell?”

“Yes. I’ve been to Norton Simon Museum before.”

“A painting appraiser must visit that place.”

Eric nodded.

“I remember seeing this painting… But to think about it now, I can’t see any difference between the painting I saw then and this painting.”

“If you can’t see any difference, they must be the same painting.”

“According to this photo, yes. But it might change when I get to see it with my own eyes.”

Eric smiled as if it was interesting. Then he asked.

“But how did they find out that man had this painting? Well, let’s they somehow did. Maybe the man talked about it or someone saw it in his house. Then how did they become sure of it being real? They must have been sure as they designed such trap to lure him in. And what I want to know the most… IF this painting is real, why is that painting in that man’s house? It was Norton Simon’s most favorite painting.”

Haejin was also dying to know that. To find that out, he had to get to that painting. With magic, he would be able to find out how it had escaped from the museum.

“I wonder that, too. Oh, but you asked me to buy this painting at 4.7 million dollars. How am I supposed to buy this? And Why is the price 4.7 million?”

Eric smiled like a child with good toy. He tapped the iPad.

“The owner of this painting owes 3 million dollars. Soon, the land he has bought out turn out to be useless, and he would have to repay that money if he doesn’t want to lose his home. Even interest for a month is too much for him.”

“They really are dirty.”

“Yes, they are. And the painting’s owner was unfortunate. He used his company as security, so he cannot get away unless he gives up the painting.”

“Then 4.7 million is…?”

“More than what he needs to clear his debt. The owner will hand over the painting to you, not to them if you give him that money.”

“Hmm….”

Haejin didn’t like it. If the painting was real, then he would be doing the same thing with those who exploited paintings by using other’s suffering did.

“Why? Does you conscience disagree?”

“I don’t want to go down to that.”

Haejin grimly shook his head. But Eric’s smile didn’t disappear.

“Okay, then… Oh, you know Mat Vellin, right?”

“Of course. He is appraiser of Prince Sahmadi.”

“He called me. Someone very important is coming to New York. We should have a meal together.”

They had been talking about Rembrandt’s painting, but suddenly Eric talked about something else.

Haejin couldn’t know how to react.

“Well… Eating a meal together is not aproblem.”

“You will go to Korea with her later.”

“She is going to Korea with me?”

“Yes. You’ve met her before. I heard you invited her to Korea.”