My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 349

That was what Hong Woo-jong wanted to know.

‘I became useless after the last election.’

In the last election, he subtly slandered the opposing candidate, helping us win easily, but he hasn’t been particularly helpful since. In the first place, a two-term assemblyman can solve most problems with a single phone call. Knowing this, Han Sung-ki was desperate.

“It’s difficult to attack both of them directly.”

Both of them have already been directly attacked. So, directly attacking them is impossible. If we fight with stocks, Hong Woo-jong, who is in politics, cannot beat Hong Geun-jong, who runs a business.

With slush funds and actual earnings, it’s not possible to win by fighting with stocks.

“So, I think it’s better to start by cleaning up the other side first.”

“The other side?”

At those words, anger flashed in Hong Woo-jong’s eyes. He is a greedy person. No, it would be more accurate to describe him as avaricious. Giving up on one side is something that should never happen to him.

All or nothing. That’s Hong Woo-jong’s personality. But give up on one side? Did he sense that anger? Han Sung-ki hurriedly made excuses.

“It’s about securing a position in the political world first.”

“What?”

“The other side is nothing yet. They have the title of successor, but at the same time, they don’t have anything substantial within the company.”

“So?”

“Conversely, this side has a clear line as a two-term assemblyman.”

“So, you’re saying I should hand over the company to that bastard?”

“That’s not it. If you secure your position properly in this political arena, it’s easy to go over there for a while and then come back.”

“Go over there and come back?”

“Yes.”

In other words, once you win the succession war and become the successor, you can properly get rid of the two of them, put up a figurehead president, and challenge the next election to start the fight again in the political arena without any problems.

“The other side has only one chance, but this side has many.”

That’s not wrong. In the first place, where is Hong Woo-jong’s current district? It’s the district where his factory is located. In fact, it’s a neighborhood that lives off the money from his factory, so he can become a member of the National Assembly anytime he runs.

“So, what do you want me to do? Are you saying I should give up my seat as a member of the National Assembly now?”

“Of course not. That would only make you look bad.”

Hong Chang-sik spent a lot of money to make him a member of the National Assembly, and now he’s giving that up to join the succession war? That’s like saying to Hong Chang-sik, ‘Please kick me out.’

“Then what should I do here?”

“You need to raise someone who won’t stab you in the back later.”

“Stab in the back?”

“Yes.”

You shouldn’t raise someone who, when you come back later, doesn’t know their place and says, ‘I’m the district representative here, why should I give up?’ If you get stabbed in the back later, you’ll be too busy dealing with it, and conversely, you might get hurt.

“Someone like that……”

Doesn’t exist. Hong Woo-jong realized that fact and frowned. There is no one who is truly loyal to him. Or, to be precise, there might be, but as a psychopath, Hong Woo-jong has no way to understand or read those emotions.

“Do you have anyone to recommend?”

“If you’re looking for a good subordinate, no.”

“Are you making fun of me right now?”

“No. The term of a member of the National Assembly is long.”

The term of a member of the National Assembly is four years. There is plenty of possibility that a person’s mind will change during that time. Furthermore, if this succession competition drags on, it could take 8 or even 12 years in the worst case. The more terms a member serves, the more they will be intoxicated with power, and if you’re unlucky, even if you win the succession competition, you’ll end up being controlled by the member of the National Assembly.

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“Instead of trusting humans, trust their weaknesses.”

“Trust their weaknesses?”

“Yes, if you create a weakness that can definitely destroy them and hold onto it, you can use it to kick them out later.”

“Hold onto a weakness?”

Of course, it’s a good idea. But there is no suitable method. Bribery? There isn’t a politician who doesn’t take bribes. Even Hong Woo-jong, who is rich, takes bribes.

Cheating? What’s the problem with a powerful person having one or two women?

“Don’t you have anything better?”

A weakness that can only do what he tells them to do, and if it blows up, not just their life as a politician, but their entire life will be completely ruined.

“Of course, that’s important, but what’s more important is who it is.”

“Who?”

“If you take a local thug and try to find a weakness, there’s no way that bastard can win the next election, right?”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

No matter how much money and support Hong Woo-jong gives, if he pushes someone with no name recognition and nothing, it will only end up being a waste of money.

“The best thing is to create a weakness in a suitable person.”

“Create a weakness?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, so is there a suitable guy?”

That’s a good idea. If there is no weakness, then create one. A weakness that he can hold onto tightly and that will force them to be loyal to him forever.

“There is one suitable person.”

Of course, Hong Woo-jong had no interest in people who could become politicians in the area. Because he was planning to continue himself. Rather, if there was someone who threatened his position, he would desperately try to bring them down. That’s why he couldn’t possibly know a suitable person to replace him.

But Han Sung-ki knew. He thought he had to do something about the fact that he had no use, that he was about to be discarded, so he tried hard to gather information.

If he had worked that hard during his time as a police officer, he would never have quit as a corrupt cop.

“His name is Oh Bang-hwan.”

“Oh Bang-hwan? Who is that?”

Of course, he must be a local notable, but Hong Woo-jong couldn’t remember him because he meets so many people in the district.

“He runs the Ogi Academy Foundation.”

“Ah, that bastard?”

The Ogi Academy Foundation is an educational foundation based in this area. It is a so-called local notable and at the same time has a strong influence in the area.

Of course, it’s not a very big place. Under it are Ogi Elementary School, Ogi Middle School, and finally Ogi High School and Seonghong High School, for a total of four schools.

“Having four schools, it’s suitable, but.”

However, it is not a university, but a middle and high school, so it is not exactly a wealthy educational foundation. But he is someone who wields some power in the area. In Korea, if you work in education, you are considered a respectable person. Of course, the truth is a bit different.

“School corruption? Isn’t that a bit weak?”

Looking at the title of educator and the title of local notable, he is someone who can be entrusted with this area for a while, but at the same time, he is someone who is ambiguously powerful and can easily betray.

Exposing school corruption is not difficult right now, but you can’t use that to get rid of him after he becomes a member of the National Assembly.

In the first place, if you’re a member of the National Assembly, covering up school corruption worth billions of won is easy. He’s already covering it up well and running four schools, so wouldn’t he be able to cover up that much after becoming a member of the National Assembly?

“The important thing is not that. We need to create a weakness.”

“Is that possible?”

“We have to create it without him knowing.”

Han Sung-ki’s eyes gleamed. He didn’t want to miss the opportunity he had barely caught.

“Is this how it gets resolved? Suddenly?”

“It’s the power of money.”

The incident that briefly shook the country, the Nam Yeon-hwa case, was quickly forgotten. To be precise, her family wanted it to be forgotten, and it is right to see that the media’s opinions and interests coincided with theirs.

The news that had been pouring out as if it would fill the whole world just yesterday disappeared in an instant, and it was filled with other news.

“Moreover, the culprit is dead.”

If the culprit were alive, the police could do something, but if the culprit is dead, the police can only handle it as a case with no right of prosecution [a case that cannot be prosecuted]. Moreover, there are no accomplices, and thanks to Nam Yeon-hwa leaving everything in her will, there is no reason to conduct additional investigations.

“All that’s left is for the victims to sue.”

“That won’t be easy either.”

Jeong I-yeon, who was eating parfait next to him, said leisurely.

“The victims’ families are not in a position to demand anything from that family. Nam Yeon-hwa was an adult.”

“That’s right.”

But Nam Yeon-hwa is dead. And her property was passed on to her family as inheritance.

“Can’t they claim damages from the inheritance?”

“They can. The problem is that the Nam family has too much power to win that in a lawsuit.”

First of all, they can drag out the time and not give it to them.

“And in the meantime, they’ll embezzle the assets and go to America. Anyway, that family doesn’t have an ounce of attachment to Korea.”

“Then can’t they do it in America?”

“They can’t. They’re both Korean.”

Moreover, the place where the incident occurred is Korea, and even the perpetrator has nothing to do with the United States except that they are family.

“It’s famous that Korea is stingy with damages for things like this.”

Even if they win the damages, the money won’t be much.

“And the biggest problem is that by then, they won’t have a penny left in Korea.”

The victims’ families have not all been found yet. The remains have been found, but they need to be compared with the missing persons and undergo DNA testing.

That time will take at least a month.

“Nam Yeon-hwa’s assets are already in the process of being disposed of. That house is also up for sale.”

“Who will live there?”

“Someone will buy it. What kind of land is that?”

It is the most expensive neighborhood in the country, and just existing there raises the land price.

“Hundreds of people died at the Sampoong Department Store, but Korea is still building apartments there.”

“Tsk.”

“The important thing is that even if you win the trial, you have to go to the United States to enforce it.”

You have to go to the United States, submit the Korean court’s ruling to the US court, and get approval to enforce it, and the cost of that is by no means small.

First of all, the money for going back and forth is by no means small, and realistically, American lawyers’ fees are calculated by the hour. Considering the Korean court’s ruling, which is stingy with damages, you’ll end up using all the money you receive for lawyer’s fees.

“And the other side will hire a lawyer too.”

“What do you mean?”

“In the United States, they calculate by the hour, not per case.”

If the other side hires a lawyer and drags out the case, the hourly rate will increase.

“If they really set their minds to harassing you, the lawyer’s fees will far exceed the damages.”

“Is that possible?”

“Because it’s America.”

Korea calculates per case, but the United States doesn’t. Of course, if it’s America, the damages will be at least several billion won. But how much will Korea pay for damages for murder? 300 million? Unfortunately, it will never be that much.