My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 26

A Natural-Born Profiler – Episode 26 (26/725)

# Not All Parents Are Respectable

“Father, what brings you here?”

Bae Man-seong, the second son of Chairman Bae Deok-gi, was startled by his father’s sudden visit.

“How have you all been?”

“Yes, come in. It’s a bit… modest, but…”

‘Modest? Did he say modest? He needs a reality check.’

Park Do-joon thought as he entered.

Ordinary people dream of owning an apartment, but he calls a 300-pyeong [approximately 10,672 square feet] mansion with an underground parking lot and garden modest.

‘Well, that’s the way it goes, I guess.’

Not that he’s jealous. That’s just how the world is. There’s no point in being envious.

‘But he’s being more deferential to Chairman Bae Deok-gi than necessary.’

Of course, he knows that the expression ‘it’s a bit modest’ is often used to downplay one’s possessions. However, from the moment Bae Deok-gi entered, the atmosphere inside turned cold.

Bae Man-seong and his wife were on tenterhooks, unable to say a word, and their second son seemed to be keeping his distance, watching them carefully.

‘Chairman Bae Deok-gi wasn’t a very good father, was he?’

Usually, grandchildren have affectionate feelings for their grandparents. At the very least, they would greet their grandfather and say something when he comes.

‘This atmosphere tells me a lot.’

It’s not just a matter of dividing assets. If they were simply greedy for the inheritance, they would be acting friendly.

“What seems to be the problem?”

Bae Deok-gi asked subtly when he noticed Park Do-joon seemed to be thinking about something. Of course, Bae Man-seong’s face turned pale at his subtle question.

“Ah, Father, this person is…”

Not ‘this guy,’ but ‘this person.’

‘It’s not just respect for me he’s showing.’

Unlike the others who are wearing suits, he is dressed casually.

Moreover, he was behind Chairman Bae.

That means he could be seen as a subordinate.

Nevertheless, Bae Man-seong is using honorifics because he knows that Chairman Bae Deok-gi doesn’t keep just anyone around him.

‘In other words, he must think there’s a reason he brought me along. Well, he’s not wrong.’

Park Do-joon looked around the lavish house and said,

It’s clean and well-decorated, but it doesn’t feel welcoming.

A space where even the slightest bit of dirt is unwelcome.

‘Bae Man-seong and his wife aren’t likely to be germaphobes.’

They say you can understand a person by their environment. What this means is that this environment is oppressive.

It might sound like a leap, but it’s actually true.

To be precise, it’s the result of such an oppressive environment.

‘They’re not the ones who clean up.’

Of course, a housekeeper will come and clean. However, people inevitably leave traces as they move around. They might casually throw their clothes anywhere, spill something, or leave used items lying around.

‘But everything is in its designated place.’

You can tell by the angle even if you don’t know the original location. The remote control is neatly placed, pointing towards the TV. And the cushions on the sofa are neatly arranged.

Chairman Bae Deok-gi came suddenly, so there was no time to tidy up. So, this is how it usually looks.

“It’s not a healthy environment.”

“Is that so? I don’t find it strange.”

“It seems the Chairman likes this kind of environment. But it’s a rather abnormal environment. Children usually learn from their parents.”

Bae Man-seong’s face turned pale at those words. Just now, Park Do-joon essentially told Bae Deok-gi, ‘You failed to raise your son properly.’

“I didn’t have a father figure myself.”

Unexpectedly, Bae Deok-gi said something unexpected.

“I thought so. The way you treat your children should be different from the way you treat your employees, but you don’t seem to understand that.”

“Is that so.”

Bae Deok-gi didn’t say much, nodded indifferently, and went further inside. Then, he sat on the sofa.

“Where’s Chang-in? Bring him here.”

At those words, Bae Man-seong glanced around and went to the room to bring Bae Chang-in.

‘He didn’t come out on his own, as expected.’

Bae Chang-in is inherently incompatible with Bae Deok-gi.

There are often people who don’t get along, and sometimes it happens between parents and children.

Of course, most children learn from their parents, so it’s not very common, but there are cases where parents and children are truly incompatible.

‘Completely opposite personalities.’

Seeing Chang-in trembling as he was dragged out by his father, Park Do-joon could tell for sure.

‘Pajama pants, a stretched-out t-shirt, unkempt hair, and even a beard.’

Not exactly hygienic. He hasn’t been inside the room, but judging by the situation, it’s bound to be as messy as an average man’s room.

‘They don’t get along at all.’

A stark contrast to the other family members who were perfectly groomed despite the sudden visit.

“Tsk, tsk!”

Bae Deok-gi clicked his tongue as he looked at Bae Chang-in.

“Pack your bags.”

“Father!”

Is it because they are still his parents? Bae Man-seong and his wife were startled by those words.

“Even so, you can’t just kick him out. Of course, Chang-in isn’t very ambitious, but still… he’s never caused any real trouble. Unlike the others, he hasn’t done drugs or chased after women at clubs…”

“What are you talking about?”

Seeing the two men unable to understand, Park Do-joon shook his head.

As expected, Bae Deok-gi seems to have been running his family like he runs his company.

“Wait a minute. I think there’s a misunderstanding, so let me interject.”

“Father, who is this person anyway?”

“He’s a friend’s son. A profiler.”

“A profiler?”

Everyone looked bewildered at the unexpected words.

Well, there’s no obvious reason for a profiler to be here.

“First of all, my profession isn’t important, so let’s sort out the situation first. You can’t just make things happen because the Chairman says so. ‘Make it happen no matter what’ is something that only works in the military.”

In a company, you might have to do whatever it takes with just one word from the Chairman, but these people are family.

“And Bae Man-seong, you’re not actually trying to expel Bae Chang-in from the house, are you?”

“Then?”

“Sigh, this is something you should be discussing with a family counselor, not me…”

He doesn’t know much about this area either. But would a chaebol [South Korean conglomerate] family go to family counseling?

“Let me put it simply. Bae Chang-in has a lifestyle that is the polar opposite of the Chairman’s style.”

“Opposite lifestyle?”

“That’s right.”

Unlike Bae Deok-gi, who pursues a clean and perfectly organized life, Bae Chang-in embraces a more relaxed and casual style.

“In simple terms, the Chairman and Bae Chang-in are so different that it’s more comfortable for them to be apart.”

“Even so, to kick him out of the house…”

“No, you’re not kicking him out of the house, you’re suggesting he become independent.”

“Become independent?”

Bae Chang-in’s eyes lit up.

‘As expected.’

Perhaps Bae Chang-in also desperately wanted to be independent. But he couldn’t because of the circumstances.

“Yes, the Chairman’s style oppresses those around him. Conversely, Bae Chang-in’s style nurtures those around him while leaving them alone. But the Chairman and Bae Man-seong’s power is too strong.”

Naturally, Bae Chang-in, who nurtures those around him, is bound to be suppressed by them.

“In my opinion, Bae Chang-in is a typical ‘insider style’ person.”

“‘Insider’? That guy? Not a hikikomori [Japanese term for a social recluse]?”

The person who just spoke was Bae Man-seong’s second son, Bae Chang-in’s younger brother. And he said ‘that guy.’

“Where did you learn such language!”

Bang!

Bae Deok-gi immediately noticed and shouted, causing the second son to cower.

“Did you see that? This is how the family coexists, by disregarding Bae Chang-in.”

“But if he’s an insider, he meets friends and…”

“It seems Bae Chang-in has a different idea about that, so it’s not just that he likes games.”

Park Do-joon glanced at Bae Chang-in as he spoke.

“What do you think, Bae Chang-in? Do you have people you can call friends?”

“I do. But…”

Bae Chang-in glanced at his mother. He seems to have a hard time speaking.

“Speak, you have to become independent anyway.”

Seeing that, Bae Chang-in smiled bitterly and said,

“Mom told me not to hang out with them…”

“No, why are you blaming me for that? I’m telling you to meet kids who are on your level.”

‘I knew it.’

People from wealthy families often say things like that. But it’s not easy to meet people who are on your level.

First of all, families at a similar level to Bae’s are less than 0.001% in Korea.

‘And those people don’t need Bae Chang-in’s help.’

So, they won’t bother to associate with Bae Chang-in.

Park Do-joon looked at Bae Chang-in and asked with a bitter smile,

“What do you think when you see other chaebol’s peers, Bae Chang-in?”

“Pardon?”

“You must have met them at least once.”

“Uh? That’s…”

After glancing around, Bae Chang-in finally said cautiously,

“They seem pathetic.”

“Pathetic?”

Bae Chang-in couldn’t speak freely. Well, it’s risky to talk negatively about other chaebols.

But Bae Deok-gi said to him,

“Tell me. I want to know what you really think.”

“Actually, they’re just… like idiots.”

“Like idiots?”

“They believe that the world is supporting them since they were young… Well, it’s not entirely wrong, but most of them still live with that thought even when they’re old. Every time I meet them, they talk about who they slept with, who they went on a trip with… Some of them seem to be doing drugs too.”

Park Do-joon nodded as he listened to those words.

It’s not just about being on the same social level. No matter how high the level is, you can’t get along if your values are different. The saying that birds of a feather flock together didn’t just come out of nowhere.

“But there must be some decent people too, right?”

There are guys who have become spoiled and foolish because they are drunk on money, but conversely, there are also people who have strong principles and learn from a young age.

At those words, Bae Chang-in scratched his head and said,

“I’m not on their level.”

At those words, Bae Chang-in’s mother’s face hardened.

Well, she probably hadn’t considered that they might not be on *his* level.

“You feel that way?”

“I don’t say it out loud. But you know it’s true.”

Bae Chang-in is the first son of Bae Man-seong, the second son of Bae Deok-gi. In terms of the succession battle, he’s not a major contender. You can only think about the next generation after his father, Bae Man-seong, secures the management rights.

Therefore, from the perspective of the successors of other companies who are actively preparing for management succession, he is not a person to be concerned about.

It would be different if it was just about becoming friends, but that’s not easy.

They are likely to classify the people around them as either tools or allies. Everything is a war for succession.

Moreover, they have a sense of superiority and are bound to treat people like Bae Chang-in, who have no real chance of succession, as insignificant.

A Natural-Born Profiler