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Artifact Reading Inspector (Web Novel) - Chapter 134 Enemies are Everywhere (1)
Chapter 134 Enemies are Everywhere (1)
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Haejin went in with Eunhae. Officially, she was the director, so she had to hear everything that concerned the museum.
“Hello. I am Prosecutor Park Dongryul from the district prosecutors’ office of Seoul’s South.”
The man stood up and showed his ID. He was small, only about 170cm tall, but he was fit, and his gaze was sharp.
“Nice to meet you. Please, sit.”
Haejin sat down, Eunhae then brought some juice and sat next to him. Dongryul found this interesting.
“I’ve already met Ms. Eunhae here earlier. I thought she was the director, but I guess you are the actual owner of this museum.”
“It was named after me, after all.”
“Then I guess Ms. Eunhae manages the museum and you only do the appraisal.”
“Yes.”
“You two look so good together that I wondered if you were about to get married.”
Haejin wondered why he said that sudden comment, but Eunhae just smiled awkwardly and didn’t deny it. She even turned red, so she wasn’t offended.
“Khmm… why have you come here? Don’t you usually send men under you when you want to know something?”
Haejin changed the topic in embarrassment. Dongryul suddenly turned grave and said, “But the matter is too serious to make someone else ask you for me.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I know that you are just back from America. Please explain what you did there.”
Haejin was puzzled. He thought Dongryul would ask about Hwajin’s stolen painting, but he asked about what happened in the States…
“Why do you want to know that?”
“Oh, you see, a while ago, a painting was stolen from a famous corporation. Do you know anything about it?”
This was going in a strange way.
“How am I supposed to know anything when your question is so vague? So?”
Dongryul straightened his black horn glasses and sharply pressed, “I looked for some people with criminal records who have done a few deals with that corporation, and you came out. And the painting was stolen only four hours before you left this country. What do you think?”
Dongryul looked at Haejin with confidence as if his deduction had just revealed everything.
“What the…”
Eunhae, who had been listening quietly, was about to start arguing, but Haejin stopped her.
“I’ll talk to him.”
“Yes, you have things to say, right?”
“First, I stayed at a hotel that belongs to a businessman, Eric Holton, to appraise a painting for him. Then, I participated in Sotheby’s auction and appraised there. I came back immediately after the auction. I arrived last night.”
“Was that part of the pre-arranged schedule?”
“No, I was invited by Eric Holton.”
“Who is this Eric Holton?
Instead of explaining, Haejin searched the internet with Eric Holton’s name and showed the results to Dongryul.
“Let’s see. Hmm… Face Note’s Director, and… huh? Member of the Holton Family? You really met him?”
“Yes, you can call his office. They will let you know that I was invited by him.”
“Really? Hmm…”
Dongryul hadn’t expected that kind of answer, he stroked his chin and started thinking. It told Haejin that he had come without any real or circumstantial evidence.
There could be only one reason: someone must have told him that a painting had been stolen and Haejin was the prime suspect.
“Why? Do you think I haven’t stolen that painting because the man who invited me is a billionaire?”
Dongryul’s gaze became even sharper.
“Do you realize who you are talking to?”
“Of course, I do. You are prosecutor Park Dongryul, right? Who sent you here? Vice Chairman Lim Sungjun? Or that stupid girl?”
“What?”
“I thought a prosecutor with conscience had come to find the painting and bring justice. I was a fool, I shouldn’t trust you people… if you think I’m the thief, find proof and come back with a warrant, okay?”
Haejin stood up, but then, Dongryul, with shaking fist, yelled, “You dare to mock a prosecutor? Do you think I don’t know your father was a grave robber? I know you are trying to sell every artifact you have illegally. I will make you pay for it, so wait and see!”
He was outraged, but Haejin smiled and added, “Well… you do that. But you must know one thing, you should be smart and find out about the situation first when you try to be loyal. If you bite just anyone to be as loyal as a dog, you might end up biting your own master’s leg. If you mess up with the illegal trade of artifacts, your master will get rid of you first.”
Haejin scolded and went down while Dongryul was still shaking in rage. Eunhae got him a cup of cold water and asked, “Sir, do you know that the stolen painting is Happy Tears?”
Dongryul’s eyes shook. Eunhae smiled and patted his shoulder, then she continued, “If you handle that in the wrong way, your career might end there. And… you should always be careful about what Hyoyeon says. She is still like a teenager in puberty… she doesn’t know a thing. You shouldn’t have yourself ordered around by her.”
“I, I…”
“Letting yourself fall into her hands is a bad idea…”
Eunhae left her office and went to the restoration room. She thought Haejin would be there, and he really was. He was staring at the incense burner in the middle of the room.
“We will show it to the public on the first day of next month.”
“Oh… thank you.”
“You should thank our restorers.”
“Is he gone?”
“Yes.”
“What a fool… but it’s strange. There’s no way your uncle is that stupid… they never said anything about the theft officially. Why would they suddenly send a prosecutor?”
“I think Hyoyeon did that on her own.”
“Wow… the heiress of Hwajin is that powerful? Enough to control a prosecutor?”
“Hyoyeon is not exactly bright, but there is one thing she is good at: seducing men. Her charm combined with her wealth is more than enough to move a prosecutor.”
“Hmm… anyway, I think he will continue to bother us.”
“Isn’t there anyone who can help us? Someone more powerful than a prosecutor?” Eunhae asked.
However, there were only a few people in Korea who had more power than prosecutors.
“Well, I don’t…”
But at that moment, Haejin recalled a man. He immediately took out his phone and called him.
“Oh, Mr. Park!”
“Hello. How have you been?”
“As usual… anyway, why did you call me? Oh, I never told you what happened afterward, right? The Terracotta Soldier safely arrived in China. It was appraised again, and it was real. You haven’t received your payment from Director Wang Mingwan, right?”
It was Jeong Sanghun of the National Intelligence Service.
“She called me to say thank you, and she also sent me the money.”
“That’s good. Thank you for helping us.”
“I should thank you more for letting me display the Double Dragon Sword at my museum.”
In fact, Haejin was really grateful for them in not insisting to take it to the National Museum. Haejin had received more than enough money for his hard work in Japan, so if they had insisted, he would have given it without much protest.
“It would have been impossible if it hadn’t been for you, no matter how much we spent on it.”
That was enough with the greetings, it was time to get to the point.
“And… do you have some time?”
“Time? Yes, I have a feeling I should make time if you want to see me,” Sanghun replied.
“Hahaha, thank you. All the better for me.”
Sanghun seemed hurried, as if he had been waiting for Haejin to call, and said, “Then, I will go to your museum. No, should I wait at the parking lot?”
Sanghun had a feeling about what kind of matter it was.
“No, I will give you an address. Let’s meet there.”
“Okay.”
Haejin told him to meet at the parking lot of a shopping center in Jamsil. Then, he talked to Eunhae.
“I think I might be able to get someone to help us.”
“Who is it?”
“I will tell you after I talk to him.”
Haejin left the museum and went to the shopping center. He parked at the parking lot and waited. Sanghun soon called him.
“I am in Line H8. White Lacetti, 6785.”
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
Haejin felt strange with meeting like that, it was as if they were filming a movie.
He walked for a little with a 500ml water bottle. He soon spotted Sanghun’s car and climbed into the passenger’s seat. Sanghun then smiled.
“Funny, isn’t it?”
“It is, I guess that’s why you let me do this?”
“Hhhh… there are people who like this kind of things sometimes. Anyway, as it is you doing this, I guess it is about an important matter? I’ve been so curious on my way here.”
Haejin’s smile faded and started to talk.
“Actually, there’s this troublesome matter. But… I must ask you something first.”
Haejin drank water and casted the magic that made one confess the truth.
“What is it?”
“If you can bring down Vice Chairman Lim Sungjun of Hwajin, will you do it? If it’s for justice.”
“What? Then I will… do it, of course.”
He answered as if there was only one answer. If he had tried to lie, he would have been surprised by his own answer, but he remained calm.
Haejin was glad to see it. He was about to talk, but Sanghun spoke first.
“Actually, I was going to call you.”
“What? Me?”
“Yes. We’ve been keeping an eye on you since the Diplomatic Service started to watch you.”
“Oh…”
Of course, Haejin was known for being about to marry the Arabian princess. For the intelligence agents to not know about it would have been strange.
“As for the case that happened in America, we cannot find out anything about it. It is such a sensitive matter that they don’t tell us anything. I want to help you, but I can’t. Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. And there’s actually a reason I wanted to meet you.”
“Okay, please tell me.”
“A painting was stolen from Hwajin a while ago. It’s…”
Haejin was about to continue, but Sanghun interrupted him.
“Oh, you mean Monet’s painting?”
What, now?
“What? Monet’s painting?”
“The painting that was stolen from Hwajin… weren’t you talking about Monet’s painting?”
Why did that family keep losing paintings? This was getting even weirder.
