My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 640

“But it seems like things went wrong somewhere,” Park Do-joon observed.

“That’s clear.” Lee Ji-soo agreed.

‘Imagine,’ Park Do-joon thought, ‘growing up being told you’re a genius and the future of the family, only to discover in college that your true talent lies in a completely different area. And then, before you can even process that, someone forcibly changes your major. How would you react?’

‘Not well, naturally.’

‘He must have felt like he was falling from grace instantly.’

Perhaps Kang Gu-chan wasn’t disappointed in Kang Seok-du, but instead wanted him to pursue what he was genuinely good at, rather than struggling on a path where he lacked talent. But Kang Seok-du likely wouldn’t see it that way. It wasn’t just about a change in direction; it was about having everything he believed was his being taken away.

‘Moreover, I hear his brother is merely a decent successor. He probably ignored and looked down on him.’

‘But suddenly, he’s cast aside, and the brother he scorned inherits the company? He must feel like he’s plummeting into an abyss.’

“So, his personality became twisted, I suppose,” Park Do-joon concluded.

Jeong I-yeon shook her head. “If that’s the case, this is going to be incredibly difficult.”

“Huh? Why? Isn’t there evidence?” Lee Ji-soo asked.

“We’ve been tracking him, but we don’t have direct evidence.”

Without concrete proof, they couldn’t arrest him.

“And if you’re right, Kang Gu-chan will go to great lengths to protect Kang Seok-du.” Park Do-joon added.

He likely feels a tremendous sense of guilt towards Kang Seok-du, and in that situation, his only recourse is to desperately try to shield his son.

“This case isn’t going to be resolved easily, it seems.” Park Do-joon sighed involuntarily.

“The media is surprisingly quiet, though. Is Kang Gu-chan’s influence at play?” Lee Ji-soo inquired.

“That’s part of it, but this isn’t something you can rashly confirm and report.”

This wasn’t just a simple murder; it was an act of terrorism that resulted in seventeen deaths. When Park Do-joon began investigating, there were fourteen fatalities, but the toll eventually rose to seventeen.

“If they report this recklessly, it’ll create chaos.”

What if the media excitedly names someone as the culprit, only to be proven wrong? That person’s life would be ruined. It’s not as if they’ll retract the story later and admit their mistake.

“Moreover, Kang Gu-chan wouldn’t stand idly by, as you said.”

For someone like Kang Gu-chan, silencing a reporter would be trivial. He could also file lawsuits for damages.

“It would be different if the culprit were someone powerless, though.”

In that scenario, no one would care about the person’s future. A sensational headline is more important to reporters than an individual’s well-being.

However, if the other party has the power to resist, or even manipulate the media, reporters have no choice but to tread carefully.

“This is how things usually are, though,” Lee Ji-soo said with a click of his tongue. He was learning that the world wasn’t as straightforward as he’d once believed.

“By the way, did you check with the university? There has to be a trigger, right?” Park Do-joon asked.

“Yes, there was.”

Park Do-joon had instructed Lee Ji-soo to investigate the university for a trigger – the underlying cause of the incident. No matter how wealthy someone is, how flawed their personality is, or how suddenly they were abandoned, it doesn’t justify turning to extreme hatred towards the less fortunate.

Of course, one might harbor general resentment towards the poor. But committing murder based on that resentment is a completely different matter.

Every murder has a trigger; it’s just that most people are unaware of it.

“Fortunately, it seems we’ll easily uncover it this time.” Park Do-joon said.

“What is it?” Lee Ji-soo asked.

“A new graduate student joined that lab a year ago.”

“So?”

“They say he’s an exceptional genius.”

“Genius?”

“Yes, Kang Seok-du is also considered a genius in his own right, but apparently, there’s no comparison.”

Kang Seok-du mastered the fundamentals of mathematics in the second year of middle school, but he didn’t do it alone. He had expensive private tutoring, and they essentially spoon-fed him the information.

Of course, even with such assistance, it’s still impressive for a second-year middle school student to grasp those concepts.

“But it seems this new person is different.”

“To what extent?”

“If Kang Seok-du is a prodigy, then this person is a true genius.”

“Ah~!”

The difference between a manufactured genius and a genuine one is significant.

Kang Seok-du may have had the title of genius bestowed upon him through extensive tutoring, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to research prowess or insightful thinking.

He might be good at memorization, but his lack of genuine insight is likely why he couldn’t inherit the company.

“But I heard that this person is a recipient of basic livelihood security [government assistance for low-income individuals].”

“That’s unexpected. A graduate student on basic livelihood security?”

Typically, people from impoverished backgrounds enter the job market immediately after graduating from college. Some recipients of basic livelihood security even forgo college altogether to prioritize finding employment.

“Is this a case of a diamond in the rough?” Lee Ji-soo wondered.

“Pardon?”

“If someone is exceptionally talented, they’re bound to attract attention and support. It’s impossible to hide it.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Because he was on basic livelihood security and lived with his grandmother after his parents passed away, he initially planned to get a job right away.

But his intelligence was extraordinary. He showed promise from middle school, and even in high school, teachers recognized that he was on a completely different level.

“So, it seems the high school even provided financial support for his college tuition.”

They formed a group to fund his education because his talent was so remarkable.

“The professor said he spent nearly two years persuading him to pursue graduate studies instead of seeking employment immediately after graduation.”

“That’s impressive.”

Professors often encourage students to join their labs because it benefits them, but persuading someone for two years is still noteworthy.

“Yes, and it seems the university is also providing him with scholarships.”

“From the university? For a graduate student? That’s quite unusual, isn’t it?”

“Right?”

Universities typically focus on nurturing undergraduates, while graduate students are often viewed as essentially working. In reality, graduate students are called students, but they do receive some compensation, albeit a meager amount.

“To support him to that extent and nurture him…”

“Yes.”

“I understand the situation now,” Park Do-joon said.

“Yes. Everything he had was denied.”

Research and studying were his only strengths. Despite being deprived of everything else, he persevered, believing he could still succeed in this field, only to have a superior genius emerge.

“He was broken.”

A massive, insurmountable obstacle. A genius much younger than him. He was defeated without even putting up a fight.

“A CEO of a major company once said that when he went to college, he felt surrounded by monsters, so he simply quit.”

He was intelligent enough to become a professional manager at a large corporation, but he initially studied physics at a prestigious university. However, he had always considered himself a genius, and upon entering that environment, he realized he was surrounded by individuals far more gifted than himself, so he abandoned physics early on and transitioned to management.

“Kang Seok-du had already been broken once, though.”

He lacked the talent, or rather, he was below average, so he couldn’t become a successful businessman. The only thing he clung to was the title of genius.

“That was taken away from him.”

“Yes.”

Initially, he would have been treated as a genius. After all, he was a prodigy. Moreover, he was the son of the Teriam Group, wasn’t he? So, everyone around him would have valued him.

But then a true genius appears? He couldn’t help but be compared in every aspect.

“Then he starts looking for something he can excel at.”

“That’s right. And that’s money.”

A poor recipient of basic livelihood security. Someone who can’t even afford tuition and relies on external support to study.

The only thing Kang Seok-du was superior in was wealth.

“That was the trigger.”

A penniless individual reigning above him. He couldn’t accept that.

“He was unlucky.”

Perhaps if he had been ordinary, or if he had grown up in an ordinary family, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point. Since he wouldn’t have a company to inherit, he would have grown up being praised as a genius, pursued research, and seamlessly joined a large company as a researcher.

At the very least, if that genius researcher had gone to another lab, avoiding the constant comparisons, maybe Kang Seok-du wouldn’t have changed so drastically.

“I understand the situation now.”

“By the way, Kang Gu-chan will try to cover up the incident by any means, right?” Lee Ji-soo asked.

“He probably will. Unfortunately, Kang Gu-chan is a good father, in his own way. So, he’ll try to save his son. As I said before, he also feels responsible for his son turning out this way.”

“How do you know? He’s a man who abandons his children so mercilessly.”

“No. He didn’t abandon him, but rather redirected him. That’s different.”

If he had abandoned him, he wouldn’t have sent him to graduate school. But knowing that he lacked talent, or rather, knowing that he was below average, he didn’t hesitate to abandon his initial plan and change the course of his child’s future.

“This is not going to be easy.”

“Hmm…”

“Besides, you said he has a brother.”

“Yes, two years apart.”

“Right. But even though he has a brother, the succession structure is said to be finalized for the younger brother, so how can the family be normal?”

“Huh?”

Only then did Lee Ji-soo realize. He had been solely focused on Kang Seok-du, neglecting everything else.

“Think about it. He’s even the older brother. But they said, ‘The younger brother is smarter, so the company will be passed on to him later.’ Then the parents and children would sever ties and fight, and there would be rebellions and chaos.”

“That’s true. But why didn’t that happen? And come to think of it, what’s that brother’s job?”

“The CEO of an entertainment company.”

“Not the main business, but the CEO of an emerging business…”

“Right. Perhaps the older brother became a form of support for the younger brother, Kang Seok-du.”

But the brother accepted that. Simply because his father told him to? Or because he knew his brother was too smart to compete with?

Sibling rivalry isn’t something that one person gives up on just because the other is smarter.

“Then?”

“The parents have to manage it well. But would you agree and accept the words, ‘The younger brother is smarter, so you give up everything’?”

“Ah, I see what you mean.”

For the eldest to understand the situation and accept his position, the parents must persuade him effectively. And he made that decision.

“It wouldn’t work if they were bad parents.”

“No, it wouldn’t. Why do successors in companies engage in dogfights?”

Isn’t it because the parents don’t allow them to give up? Knowing that they lack the ability to run a large corporation, they don’t let them relinquish their claim, and eventually, they resort to lawsuits, tearing the company apart?

“Considering those factors, Kang Gu-chan is a good parent. Moreover, he’s a parent who feels indebted to Kang Seok-du.”

“Ugh.”

In that situation, he’ll try to protect his child at all costs because of that debt.

“Then, if we ask that brother for help…” Lee Ji-soo suggested.

“It’ll be difficult.”

First of all, that brother isn’t vying for succession. His younger brother is in a situation where he’s been eliminated as a successor. Whether his brother goes to jail or not, he’s the heir apparent.

“Rather, if he finds out about that fact, his father might be disappointed and strip him of his successor position and give it to a professional manager.”

“Ah~!”

In that situation, the brother has no reason to help.

“Decisively, that person is someone who handed over the CEO position to his younger brother anyway. Looking at that, we can’t say they have a bad relationship.”

But you’re asking him to help prove his brother’s guilt? It’s pointless.