Artifact Reading Inspector

“We think that porcelain was used in the palace in the days of Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty. Please check.”

As soon as Wang Mingwan finished talking, Hyoyeon put on her unique arrogant smile. Then, she put on a hand on the splendid piano that was in the middle of the room while saying, “So many of you are here. I am very glad to see you all, I was so worried that many of you might not come. Hahaha!”

“Hahaha!” It wasn’t that funny, but everyone in the room burst into laughter. It was so weird…

It was as if everyone was forcing themselves to laugh.

“As you all know, I just inherited a gallery. So, I have lots of thoughts on how to change it,” as she said that, she looked at Eunhae and Haejin. She was surprised to see that they had actually shown up.

Haejin then asked quietly to Eunhae, “How did you get the invitation?”

“I didn’t do anything special. I know her, so… I just asked for it,” Eunhae replied.

“And she gave it to you?”

Eunhae pouted, clearly angry, “Ha… she acted like a real princess. I promised we will buy a lot, and she gave it only then as if she was bestowing us with huge honor. However, you know that this isn’t just a simple private auction, right? Regardless of the actual value of the artifacts, people around us will spend a huge sum of money just to impress Hyoyeon. Don’t even think about buying at a low price.”

Haejin had explained how things were going to Eunhae, and even Wang Mingwan understood that.

“I don’t know… even if these people are all children of chaebol families, can they bet tens and hundreds of billions? It’s not like they can get receipts,” Haejin commented.

Getting the receipt meant the difference between using their own money and the money of their companies. If they could bet using someone else’s money, betting tens of billions wasn’t impossible.

“No, they can get receipts. Each chaebol family here owns a museum or a gallery,” Eunhae said.

“All of them?”

“Oh, you are underestimating chaebols. Why would they build and manage galleries? Just to fund art and culture? Or to entertain chaebols and their wives as they might get bored of staying at home?”

“So, it’s all about taxes?” Haejin guessed.

Eunhae explained, “More accurately, it is to make a legal secret fund. It a trick that can be plainly seen. It isn’t much different from the reason why all chaebol corporations have their own construction companies.”

“Oh…”

She continued, “Today, each of them will bet using the funds of their gallery. Of course, that money is all from the corporation. It wouldn’t be a problem as it would look like the corporation is funding art for the public. They must be thinking it is all the better as they have more money than they can spend.”

“Hmm… well, we don’t have any choice. It’s not like I will be spending my own money.”

Wang Mingwan didn’t say anything even though she was hearing everything through the small microphone on Haejin’s tiepin.

While they talked like this, Hyoyeon kept giving that useless speech. However, it was about to end now.

“… is China. You know that, right? That is why I have worked so hard for this event. Hahaha. Anyway, I am about to start a small auction only for you, so please, bid with enthusiasm! Let’s start now!”

Hyoyeon stepped back, and a woman in a neat black suit took her place. She looked familiar. Haejin looked at her for some time and realized that she was the auctioneer of Korea Auction.

She pointed at the dish and started to explain, “This dish was used by Yongle Emperor of Ming, China. It was for washing brushes, and the dragon in the middle is clear and lively. Its five toes mean that it was used by the emperor himself.”

The dish was in the shape of a flower with petals. The shape was in harmony with the dragon pattern in the middle.

Dragon patterns sometimes appear on Blue Flower White Porcelains, and the number of its toes indicates who its owner was.

According to the records, in the Han dynasty, only the emperor, the first and the second prince could use dragons with five toes. The third and fourth prince could only use dragons with four toes.

But in later times, only the emperor of China could use dragons with five toes. The king of Korea could use dragons with four toes, and the king of Japan was only allowed three toes.

Dragons with five toes rarely appear in the later Joseon period. The dragon of Gyeongbokgung Palace’s Geunjeongjeon Hall, instead, has seven toes. It is because Heungseon Daewongun, father of the Emperor Gojong, wanted to strengthen his son’s power and make him equal to the Qing emperor.

Anyway, as Haejin listened to the auctioneer, he got behind the dish and saw the other side… he didn’t even have to use magic. It was clearly real.

“The price starts at 500 million, and there is no limit to the price. The auction starts now.”

As it was a private auction and only a few were there, the rules were simple. However, the tension was the same as those huge auctions.

“One billion,” a man, in his early 30s, said while raising his hand instead of a paddle and winking at Hyoyeon.

Haejin was dumbfounded at this,

“Really, a wink at a billion? It’s not like it’s your money…” Haejin muttered, then he yelled while raising his hand, “Two billion.”

This time, Hyoyeon looked at him in surprise and started moving towards Haejin.

“Why is she coming?” Eunhae didn’t like it, but it wasn’t like she could stop her cousin. So, she just watched.

“What, you are really going to buy?” While Hyoyeon asked, the buttery man called 2.5 billion. He glared at Haejin with jealousy as if saying, ‘I won’t let you take her from me!’

Haejin didn’t like that look, but he was there only to retrieve all the real artifacts, he couldn’t say, ‘you can have it all’. It was a shame.

“Three billion!”

“Wow… you really have money?”

Haejin didn’t open his mouth because he didn’t want to talk to Hyoyeon, but Eunhae spoke instead, “I told you, we got some extra funds recently. We are planning to purchase if there are good objects.”

“Wow… you are really good at your job. Or is this oppa good as his job?” Hyoyeon asked.

“He isn’t your oppa!” Eunhae said.

However, Hyoyeon smiled and stroked down Haejin’s arm. That gesture had a meaning behind. It was a silent sign that made the other men march to the front in jealousy.

The buttery man then yelled four billion.

“Every man who is rich and spends a lot is my oppa. Unfortunately, I’ve met only a few of such men,” Hyoyeon then said.

Well, there weren’t many men who could spend even more than her.

“Five billion!” Haejin calmly called the price, and the people around him started to look at him with awe and doubt.

On the other hand, Haejin remained calm. He had no reason to get excited or worried as the money he was betting wasn’t his.

“Six billion!”

“Seven billion!”

“Wow… I wonder how high it will go!” Hyoyeon spoke that out loud to hype the mood.

“Eight billion!” The buttery man’s voice started to shake. Eight billion was too huge to be spent so easily, even though it belonged to the company.

Additionally, the man next to him, who appeared to be his personal appraiser, was explaining something urgently. He was probably saying his employer shouldn’t bid again.

Haejin pretended to think and got away from Hyoyeon. He looked down and asked, “Objectively, the right price is about eight billion. Should I bid again?”

Even though he had been told to buy every real artifact, he wanted to be sure again. He was asking if they could spend so much on the first artifact, but…

“Retrieve all of them. That is our plan.” Wang Mingwan sounded determined.

Haejin didn’t have to ask again. He slightly nodded, raised his hand, and yelled, “Nine billion!”

“Oh…”

“Who on earth is he? Does anyone know him?”

People started to talk among themselves. Although Hyoyeon was surprised, she touched Haejin’s chest and smiled, “Wow, oppa, what happened? You were not capable of this only a while ago. Have you won a superball in America?”

“Can you remove this hand and talk? You would be losing if I get nervous and fail to raise my hand again,” Haejin was showing that he didn’t like it with a joke.

However, Hyoyeon reply was different from what he expected, “It wouldn’t be too bad. You know I am younger and prettier than Eunhae. You might be a good match for me, oppa.”

“You are changing the topic too fast. I just bought a 9 billion dish for washing brushes,” Haejin said.

In the meantime, the buttery man finally gave up. Haejin could feel he was looking at him with anger, but he couldn’t meet his eyes.

The man wanted to take Hwajin, and Haejin respected his dream. However, he had to stand in his way. It was his job, and he felt sorry for him.

“The gentleman in the grey suit bought this dish at nine billion. Congratulations.”

Clap clap!

As the people applauded, their eyes had pure surprise and admiration.

“But oppa… you have the money, right? I am a little worried.”

“It will be sent to your account immediately,” Haejin replied.

Hyoyeon liked that answer. She poked Haejin’s chest with her finger. Then, she turned back and went into the bedroom again.

“Wow… that sly fox… oh, how much I hate her.” Eunhae couldn’t let herself ruin everything, so she just watched, but she didn’t like it. She stumped on the carpet with the pointy heel of her shoes.

“Just ignore it. I hate her as well. You know that, right?”

“Ha… but you didn’t look like that,” Eunhae commented.

“No, I could barely handle it.”

“If so, you should have become an actor instead of an appraiser. What you just did was enough to win an Oscar…”

“Khmm… anyway, you did well. And now…” Haejin stopped when he saw the bedroom door open and Hyoyeon walk out. More accurately, it was because of a man in his 20s who followed her from behind.

He had thick eyebrows and was short. He had piercings on both ears and had a long tattoo that started behind his ears and ran down his neck. He seemed to belong to a club or bar.

However, he had a white porcelain pillow as big as a child’s head in his hands. He looked around and smiled.

He resembled a predator looking at preys with joy… he then carefully put down the pillow on the table and looked around again. Next, his lips curled up while taking a step back.

It meant he was going to watch how things would go, but Hyoyeon didn’t scold him. She started to brag about herself again, “I found this when I was in Xian a while ago, and I was so surprised. How could they make a porcelain pillow? Isn’t it hilarious? Anyone’s head would be flat after sleeping with it. Hahaha! But, I put my head on it, and it was strangely comfortable. I couldn’t touch it again because I didn’t want to break it, but it is so strange. Isn’t it a great technique? I don’t know who will get to buy this, but I hope the winner will use this and tell me how it feels.”

After the long gibberish, the auctioneer began to talk again, but then Haejin felt that weird feeling again.

It was as if his body was floating.