Time Was Running Out
Just three days before the loan was due, a major art fair was taking place in Japan. It was uncomfortably tight, but it was the sole secure travel route. Until then, the ginseng would be stored in a climate-controlled safe.
After agonizing days of waiting, the flight to Japan unfolded as planned. The ginseng root was handed over to the black market dealer, who shared James’s valuation and already had a buyer lined up.