My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 181

“You know, there are people who treat dogs like fashion accessories. It’s the same with these guys.”

“Ugh.”

Woo Jin-sung groaned. It was true; some celebrities were like that. They’d gush about loving dogs, but the moment the dogs got bigger, less cute, or became a handful, they’d abandon them without a second thought.

It had happened several times in the entertainment industry, causing some celebrities to face public backlash.

They’d appear on TV, cuddling and kissing dogs, only to be caught abandoning them as soon as the cameras stopped rolling.

“Except, instead of dogs, people become the accessories.”

“…Crazy bastard!”

“Once they start objectifying someone and seeing them as a tool, they’ll try to control them in whatever way is most convenient.”

Park Do-joon said, tapping the printed paper.

“Threats, violence, intimidation, and so on.”

What Lee Don-joong was trying to do to Woo Joo-hye was exactly that.

“Entertainers are surprisingly perfect targets as trophy wives.”

“What? Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

“Of course, I’m not disparaging the profession. But as a profiler, you need to understand not just the tendencies of the perpetrators…”

The characteristics and tendencies of the victims also had to be classified so that, in an emergency, they could judge who was at high risk and protect them first.

If they just left the victims alone, they wouldn’t be able to prioritize who needed real protection, which would inevitably complicate things.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, in that sense, Woo Joo-hye is the perfect trophy wife material.”

A famous entertainer who was still only twenty-eight years old. Her potential for future growth was also high.

From her debut, she swept the rookie awards, and last year she even won the Best Actress award—a trophy to be proud of. That was Woo Joo-hye.

“But when Woo Joo-hye started distancing herself, his pride was hurt.”

“No, is dating something you can control?”

“No, it’s not. The problem is that stalkers don’t accept that.”

The common characteristic of stalkers is that they have extremely little patience and don’t consider the other person’s perspective.

“Stalkers have a very strong hatred for not being accepted. In other words, they often try to ensure that if they can’t have the person, no one else can either.”

At least a stalker who just follows you around is threatening but not immediately dangerous.

“But when they fall into the delusion that they own the other person, that’s when it becomes really dangerous.”

Lee Don-joong probably thought that because Woo Joo-hye was an advertiser, he was treated well a few times, and he mistakenly believed that he owned her.

“But isn’t stalking an act done out of love?”

“That’s a misconception. It’s a result of people not distinguishing between unrequited love and stalking. Stalking is closer to an obsession related to possession than love. They’re just packaging it as love themselves.”

Love should be based on respect and consideration for the other person. If there isn’t even minimal respect for the other person, can you really call it love?

In fact, the crime of stalking occurs when there is no minimal respect for the other person.

“But isn’t rejection common between men and women?”

“Usually, that’s right. More precisely, most of the time, the man approaches and the woman rejects.”

Unless the man is really handsome, this is usually the typical process. But if they gave up every time, humans would probably have gone extinct centuries ago.

A type where the woman gradually opens her heart later as the man continues to approach. In fact, it is one of the universal dating processes between men and women.

That’s why there’s even a saying, ‘There’s no tree that won’t fall after ten chops’ [meaning persistence can overcome any obstacle].

“The problem is that’s a tree, and people are different.”

It is possible to continuously contact and show affection even when a request for a relationship is rejected.

“But when you start interfering in the other person’s daily life, that becomes stalking.”

For example, sending flowers to the other woman? The woman receiving them may be annoyed.

But can it be said that this has invaded the realm of daily life? No, it’s not. First of all, you don’t even know who sent it, and there’s no damage related to it.

However, barging into the company with flowers or going to the woman’s house and knocking on the door without warning is clearly an act of invading the realm of daily life.

“It’s not an equal position with the other person, but a claim of ownership that you have to accept me. The problem is that in these cases, the possibility of murder is very high.”

“Murder…”

“You know I warned you, right?”

“Yes.”

“I only mentioned the possibility of an incident occurring, but carrying it out is another matter. There are many gangsters, but only a very few of them actually commit murder. It’s the worst of the worst. Most cases are the same, but in the end, the ‘beginning’ is important.”

At first, Woo Jin-sung didn’t understand what that meant and stared blankly at Park Do-joon. It wasn’t until a long time passed that he realized the meaning of those words, and his face turned pale.

“Are, are you saying that Lee Don-joong has experience with murder?”

“Yes, judging from the planned crime, that’s right.”

“Ha, but other stalkers also commit murder often…!”

“Other stalking crimes are usually crimes of passion. Not planned murders.”

News of stalkers murdering the other person and their family after being rejected for a relationship or hearing the words ‘let’s break up’ comes out several times every year.

“But if the current accident is actually an attempted murder case, then it’s a planned crime. Furthermore, if you look at the method, it was done almost exactly the same as a past incident. There are often cases like this, learning from accidents and using them for crime.”

In fact, many criminals learn from accidents and use them for crimes. A famous insurance fraudster initially realized that he could easily make money with insurance, and then he committed crimes by having people around him take out insurance and then murdering them.

“From the fact that he learned from someone else’s accident and applied it to a crime, it’s not just a coincidence. Of course, if it’s really an attempted murder.”

At those words, Woo Jin-sung’s face turned pale. Then what should he do?

Bodyguards? No matter how great the bodyguards are, they can’t stop large vehicles from crashing into them at full speed.

If Park Do-joon hadn’t warned them this time, everyone on board would have died.

“First, for safety, I recommend processing it as a serious injury and announcing it to the outside.”

“Seriously injured?”

“While people are paying attention, Lee Don-joong won’t be able to do anything else. In the meantime, we have to catch Lee Don-joong’s tail.”

That was the only way.

“Is that all?”

Woo Jin-sung bit his lip as if he was angry at the thought of having to wait.

“Ah, of course, if you help us a little, our investigation will be smoother.”

“I’ll do whatever is needed. Please make sure that crazy bastard can’t do this again.”

“I intend to do that too.”

Stalking is a crime like a mental illness that can never be cured. This time, Woo Joo-hye is the target, but later he may target other entertainers.

In fact, it is more common than you think for stalkers to change targets and follow them around.

“Besides faking Woo Joo-hye’s condition, if you do one more thing, it will help the investigation.”

“What is it?”

“Tell the reporters the truth.”

“If you’re talking about the truth?”

“That you’re being stalked. To be exact, one press conference with the gist of ‘suspected’ is enough.”

“That’s all it takes?”

What does that mean? But Park Do-joon knew for sure that it would help the investigation.

“Yes, that will be of great help to the investigation.”

# Traces Remain on Tools

When Park Do-joon came back from meeting with Woo Jin-sung, Lee Ji-soo had already checked the data.

“You’re right, sunbae [senior colleague]. I checked with the ready-mixed concrete factories around, and there was no company that supplied ready-mixed concrete to that vehicle.”

“See? I knew it.”

There aren’t many ready-mixed concrete factories, and it’s not difficult to check.

“And I got a call from Investigator Kim Chan-beom, and he said that when he opened the ready-mixed concrete truck, the concrete was already hardened.”

“I knew it. Contact the National Forensic Service and ask them to pinpoint the exact time it hardened. Have you checked the accident records?”

The ready-mixed concrete truck may be late due to traffic or other reasons, making it unusable for construction. But for the ready-mixed concrete inside to harden to that extent, it would have to be at least a day.

In other words, it’s not just a simple delay, but the ready-mixed concrete truck must have been left unattended for a considerable amount of time for other reasons.

“Yes, but there were no accident records.”

“Then check the vehicle maintenance records. Anyway, such special vehicles won’t be serviced at regular repair shops, so it won’t be difficult.”

“Yes, sunbae.”

While Park Do-joon was organizing things, news slowly started to come out in the media.

-Woo Joo-hye in critical condition.

-Woo Joo-hye reportedly crushed by a ready-mixed concrete truck.

-Woo Joo-hye death rumors. Agency silent.

“It’s a mess, a mess.”

The team leader clicked his tongue as he came inside.

“Did anything come out?”

“Yes, some anomalies have come out.”

Park Do-joon told the team leader what he had found out. The team leader rubbed his chin as he listened.

“It’s definitely strange.”

“Do you remember any incidents related to Lee Don-joong?”

“Not really?”

Well, if it’s an incident related to Lee Don-joong, it would be an IT-related incident, not this one.

Furthermore, considering the number of web hard [online storage] incidents that come in there every year, there would probably be tens of thousands of them.

“You think he’s ever killed someone?”

“I think there’s a high possibility. It’s too meticulously structured for something he’s doing for the first time.”

“Well, I heard the story too. The highway police seem to think it’s just a simple traffic accident.”

Kim Chan-beom said he would help, but that’s only as one of the internal police officers helping, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t change the higher-ups.

“I don’t know why they’re being quiet about it, but they say she wasn’t seriously injured?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“So, it seems like they don’t think it’s serious either.”

The media is talking about a traffic accident, and there’s nothing the police can say about it.

The culprit was caught at the scene.

“We can’t suddenly announce that it’s an attempted murder case, can we?”

“That’s right. So, I’m thinking of meeting the perpetrator first.”

“The driver? Will he talk?”

“We have to make him talk.”

Park Do-joon smiled slyly.

The driver of the ready-mixed concrete truck, Joo Dong-kyung, was hospitalized. A private room in a hospital specializing in traffic accidents. He was not meeting anyone there.

Well, I understand. Reporters must be swarming around, causing a commotion.

“Police.”

But no matter how much Joo Dong-kyung avoids others, he can’t avoid the police.

Profiler