Chapter 69: A Star Is Born
Ordinary automobile insurance companies assess a vehicle’s value according to the principle of depreciation, meaning that its value decreases over time.
New cars are worth more, while older cars are worth less. It is an entirely commonsense principle.
However, under that principle, the value of every old car and classic car eventually approaches zero.
Even if the actual market price is tens of thousands of dollars, the reality for classic-car owners is that, if an accident occurs, the compensation they receive may amount to no more than scrap value.
Bluechip Insurance was the company that exploited this blind spot in the market.
It introduced a system known as Agreed Value, redefining classic cars not as consumable goods but as assets.
(Translator’s Note: Agreed Value — A form of collectible-vehicle insurance in which the insurer and policyholder agree in advance on the insured vehicle’s value. It differs from ordinary coverage based primarily on depreciation or current cash value.)
Put simply, the company recognized a vehicle’s market value, set the insured value accordingly, and guaranteed that amount.
However, it was not realistically possible for Bluechip to personally verify every vehicle it insured.
Therefore, it formed partnerships with companies such as Sterling and Blackwood that possessed their own grading systems and accepted those grades as they were...
“Walter, do you understand what you’re saying? You want us to place the credibility of Blackwood’s appraisal grades ‘under review.’ Do you have any idea how great an impact that will have on the industry...?”
On the forty-second floor of Bluechip Insurance’s headquarters, in a large conference room overlooking the skyscrapers of Chicago through floor-to-ceiling windows, the company’s CEO tossed a stack of documents onto the table as he spoke from the head seat.
“Mr. Higgins, I understand the gravity of the matter very well. That is precisely why I am making this request so seriously.”
Standing in front of the CEO, Walter pushed up his glasses without showing the slightest sign of shrinking back.
“Whew... Enough. Forget ‘Mr. Higgins.’ Are you really certain about this?”
Samuel Higgins, Walter’s college classmate, let out a long sigh and asked again.
“You’re the one who said we should maintain proper manners at work. Tsk... Anyway, Sam, have I ever brought you nonsense before?”
Walter, who had been maintaining formal decorum until moments earlier, pulled out a conference-room chair and dropped heavily into it.
“No. Damn it... You secured proper evidence, right? We have to prepare this thoroughly before making it public. Otherwise, we could face a retaliatory lawsuit.”
Slide—
Instead of giving a long answer, Walter handed Samuel a tablet.
Displayed on the screen were the detailed Blackwood listing and inspection grade for the silver Mercedes-Benz 280SL he had recently purchased.
“You know this car was my dream car, right? I missed the one at Sterling and barely managed to win this one from Blackwood. I intended to keep it for the rest of my life, so I even checked its A3 grade carefully. But... Whew. Swipe to the next page.”
Samuel slid his finger across the screen, and the reassessment grading the car as B4 appeared in a long list.
As he slowly examined the details, his expression rapidly twisted.
“Ha. These bastards really planned this.”
“That isn’t all. Afterward, I contacted several recent buyers I could reach and investigated a few more cars. Two additional vehicles are also suspected of grade manipulation. I’ve left them with a trustworthy inspector I recently met, so the results should come soon.”
“But who is this Jason Kwon? His name keeps appearing throughout the report.”
Samuel pointed to one area of the screen as he continued reviewing the material.
“Ah, he’s the person who first alerted me to the manipulation. I also asked him to inspect the other suspicious vehicles I just mentioned.”
“Hmm... I’ve never heard the name before, but he was able to uncover evidence of manipulation this precise. He is trustworthy, of course?”
The corner of Walter’s mouth lifted slightly at Samuel’s question.
“Of course. I watched him inspect the 280SL at the scene with my own eyes. I was too furious to appreciate it at the time, but looking back, it gives me chills. Even Douglas, Sterling’s chief inspector, was left speechless. That should tell you everything. You’ll probably keep seeing this name from now on.”
“...That demanding old man? Whew, understood. I’ll bring the matter before the board immediately. You should prepare yourself too. You said you were filing a personal lawsuit as well. You’re going to be incredibly busy.”
“If it means landing a blow on those Blackwood bastards, I’ll gladly do it.”
Seeing the fire in Walter’s eyes, Samuel pressed his fingers against his temple.
This may become the largest lawsuit in the company’s history...
“Elena, is that true? You really secured an exclusive interview with Jason Kwon?”
“Yes. Given his personality, I thought there was a high chance he would refuse, but fortunately, he agreed.”
Elena Monroe, senior editor at the internationally respected classic-car magazine Heritage Classic, answered with a light smile.
“Excellent! Should I assign the lead photography team? Do you need a note-taker, someone to record the interviewee’s words and gestures? Ask for anything you want!”
Even inside the office, where cold air blew from the air conditioner, the editor-in-chief was sweating profusely as he shouted in excitement.
“No. If I drag an entire crowd with me, we’ll probably be thrown out before the interview even begins. I’ll go with only a very small photography team.”
“Really? Understood. Then I’m counting on you. This is the most important article in the issue, so make sure you come back with something good!”
“Hehe, don’t worry. I’ll go prepare immediately.”
...
...
Vrooom—
“Next in the news: the legal battle between Bluechip Insurance, a major force in the classic-car industry, and Blackwood Inventory continues to intensify.”
The news anchor’s voice flowed from the radio in Elena’s Mercedes as she drove toward Second Life Motors.
“Alistair Blackwood, owner of Blackwood Inventory, who had remained silent until now, completely denied the allegations, stating that ‘there was absolutely no intentional company-wide manipulation of vehicle grades.’ Describing the incident as merely an error in the inspection system, he bowed in apology and pledged company-wide efforts to prevent a recurrence.”
“Hmm...”
Elena rolled up the window and turned the knob to increase the radio’s volume.
“However, despite the owner family’s explanation, collectors’ anger is unlikely to subside easily. With the possibility of a class-action lawsuit being raised by those who suffered direct losses...”
(Translator’s Note: Class-Action Lawsuit — A lawsuit in which one or more plaintiffs pursue claims on behalf of a larger group whose members allegedly suffered similar harm.)
A class-action lawsuit. This is only going to become more interesting.
Her head tilted to one side as she held the steering wheel.
America was a nation of lawsuits.
The tendency to serve legal papers at the first sign of a dispute had practically become part of the culture.
One reason was the American system of punitive damages.
(Translator’s Note: Punitive Damages — Damages intended to punish particularly malicious, fraudulent, or reckless conduct and deter similar behavior, rather than merely compensate the victim’s direct loss.)
When the defendant’s conduct was malicious or socially harmful, damages were not limited to compensating the victim’s actual loss. Courts could impose astronomical amounts large enough to shake an entire corporation.
The case in which an elderly woman received a massive award after being burned by hot coffee because McDonald’s had failed to provide a proper lid was often cited as a simple example of the power of the American litigation system.
(Translator’s Note: McDonald’s Hot Coffee Case — Refers to the 1992 incident involving Stella Liebeck, who suffered severe burns from McDonald’s coffee and later brought a widely publicized product-liability lawsuit. The passage’s description is simplified.)
And classic-car collectors tend to have plenty of money and strong pride...
The more insulted they felt, the more likely they were to pour unlimited firepower into the fight.
Screech—
“Woof! Woof!”
Arriving at Jason’s restoration shop at the appointed time, Elena smiled brightly at the puppy barking loudly at her.
“Hello, Dusty!”
He was still wary of her, but perhaps slightly less so than the first time.
Rattle, rattle, squeak—
The photography team’s van arrived next.
Three staff members climbed out carrying cameras and lighting equipment.
“Jason! It’s been a long time. Have you been well?”
Elena removed her sunglasses and greeted Jason.
In addition to her usual sharp professional focus, a peculiar sense of anticipation showed in her eyes.
“Hello, Elena. I’ve been busy, thanks to you. Please sit down first. Would the others like something to drink?”
“Oh, we’re fine! Just act comfortably as though we aren’t here. And... um... I’m a huge fan!”
One of the young men on the photography team stopped setting up his camera and approached Jason energetically.
“A fan...? Of me?”
“Yes! I’ve followed the news about your restorations ever since the Corvette—the E60 M5 and the recent Super Bee too. I’m incredibly curious about what car you’ll work on next.”
“Ian? That’s enough.”
“Ah, sorry. I’ll get back to work!”
At Elena’s words, the man scratched his head and hurried back toward the team members installing the lights.
It was not that Elena could not understand how Ian felt.
Since their previous interview, she too had been quietly following Jason’s career.
Though I never expected him to grow this quickly.
It felt wrong to call the situation good fortune, but this incident would certainly make him a major topic of public attention.
He was bound to gain fans across the entire country now.
“I’m sorry. He normally isn’t like that, but he’s been excited since we left this morning...”
“No, it’s fine. I’m a little bewildered, though. Please sit.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Elena elegantly crossed her long legs and sat in a camping chair.
“By the way, you look incredibly calm. The entire industry has been turned upside down by what you exposed.”
“I was just listening to the news about it. But aside from having to appear as a witness a few times, there isn’t really anything for me to interfere with.”
Hearing Jason’s answer, she placed the tip of her pen against her lips and tilted her head slightly.
This is exactly what I find so fascinating about him. He seems composed, yet there’s a quiet boldness underneath. When you talk to him, he feels like someone who fears nothing in the world, but he never behaves recklessly...
Elena studied Jason’s face before speaking again.
“I see. In any case, thank you once again for agreeing to the interview and granting us exclusivity. You received a lot of requests from other media outlets, didn’t you?”
“Yes, from several. But I politely declined because I thought there was a high chance my views would be distorted. However...”
“However?”
Her ears seemed to perk up like a rabbit’s.
“I thought I could trust Heritage Classic. I saw how the previous interview was published. And I thought that if the article carried an exclusive label, the annoying requests from other outlets might decrease.”
“Hehe, I see. Then shall we begin? The photography will focus mainly on the shop, and I repeatedly warned them never to photograph your face, so you don’t need to worry. You may also skip any question that feels inappropriate.”
Elena placed a small recorder on the workbench.
These were the terms they had agreed upon in advance when Jason granted her the exclusive.
“Yes, understood.”
“Then, first...”
Elena’s manner during the interview was quite different from the first time.
She remained serious and professional, but she was subtly more cautious, and her tone carried a deep respect for the person across from her.
However, the questions themselves clearly reflected her sense of duty as an editor and went directly to the heart of the matter.
She showed him Blackwood’s inspection manual and examined the gap between its written standards and reality.
She asked about the criteria for distinguishing deliberate concealment from an honest mistake.
She also asked whether, as a working professional, he had any proposals for restoring the trust the industry had lost.
“Finally, your actions became the butterfly’s wingbeat that caused this enormous storm. Weren’t you afraid?”
Having reached what would be her final question, Elena held her breath.
It might be somewhat impolite, but it was essential if she wanted to convey his convictions vividly to the readers.
After hearing her question, Jason turned his gaze outside for a moment.
Across the broad wasteland illuminated by the sun, low grasses and dry branches swayed gently in the wind.
When he slowly began to speak, however, there was not the slightest tremor in his voice.
“...Not at all. If the same situation happened again, I would do exactly the same thing. Besides, I’m not the one who should be afraid. The people who manipulated the grades are.”
At that moment, Elena felt a faint shiver run through her entire body.
She quickly raised her pen and wrote a short phrase in an empty space in her notebook.
[The Icon of Integrity]
“Then we’ll end here. This confirms it as the cover story for our next issue.”
“What? The cover...?”
“Oh my, you didn’t know? This article will be our main feature.”
“Was that so?”
Click, click—
Amid the shutter sounds from the photography team, who had waited so as not to interrupt the interview, Jason showed a bewildered expression for the first time that day.
To be fair, this is also the first time since I joined the magazine that someone has become the main feature after only their second interview.
Looking at Jason’s face, Elena became certain.
It was time for the rough gemstone that had lain buried in the desert to rise to the next stage.
And she would be the one to help pull him there.