My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 428

“Then she would have joined hands with the local assemblyman. As a third party completely unrelated to Assemblyman Lee Eok-ho.”

However, Lee Sang-won campaigned in the same district as Kang Joo-rin, as her son.

“And looking at that, Assemblyman Lee Eok-ho didn’t have any particular problems. Rather, it could be seen that Kang Joo-rin’s capabilities were lacking.”

“How do you know that?”

“People’s thoughts are obvious.”

If a child comes out and campaigns against their parent, people will think about how terrible Assemblyman Lee Eok-ho must be. And Kang Joo-rin probably recruited Lee Sang-won with that in mind.

“But Assemblyman Lee Eok-ho won, and Assemblywoman Kang Joo-rin lost. That means what Assemblywoman Kang Joo-rin aimed for didn’t work.”

Park Do-joon said that, lowering his voice.

“Using a child to frame their father. It’s not a fair method. Gaslighting is often used in that kind of pattern.”

“Hmm.”

“And looking at that, Lee Sang-won probably isn’t completely 넘어간 [swayed or manipulated] by Kang Joo-rin.”

“Why?”

“If he was completely 넘어간, he would have fabricated a crime, even if it didn’t exist.”

For example, saying that he was beaten by Lee Eok-ho while growing up. But Lee Sang-won didn’t do that and just drew a firm line, saying that their political positions were different. Thanks to that, Lee Eok-ho was able to barely win and maintain his position.

“And Kang Joo-rin probably still resents Lee Sang-won for that.”

She probably thinks that if he had said he was beaten or even just said one word of disapproval as a father, she would have won, but he didn’t do that, so she lost.

“Gaslighting, you say?”

“The most common method of gaslighting is to portray oneself as a victim and make the other person feel guilty.”

Instead of apologizing when the victim asks for an apology, saying, ‘Should I just kill myself? Then will you forgive me?’ and making the other person feel guilty instead. That’s the basics of gaslighting.

“Gaslighting the public.”

“Don’t politicians do that often?”

Park Do-joon said with a mocking face.

“But Assemblywoman Kang Joo-rin doesn’t have any other evidence that she’s good at gaslighting, does she?”

Still, Yoon Tae-min tried to speak while maintaining neutrality. Then Park Do-joon tapped his wristwatch and said with a smile.

“It’s been quite a while since Assemblywoman Kang Joo-rin left. It’s been long past the time for other people to come in. But they’re not coming in.”

“So?”

“It’s obvious.”

Kang Joo-rin is probably controlling her subordinates and related people. The goal is to not give information to this side.

“Then there’s no point in coming here, is there?”

Anger rose on Lee Eok-ho’s face. It was infuriating enough to be played by someone and cut off ties with his son, but to be controlled to keep his mouth shut even in this situation.

“So, you can leave the work here to me.”

“Can you really find out?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Park Do-joon said confidently.

“Shall I make a prediction?”

“What is it?”

“They’ll probably come in all at once.”

“All at once?”

“Yes, that’s how they’ll monitor what each other is saying.”

Gaslighting is a means to control the other person at will. And if they go outside of surveillance, that’s impossible.

“So, Kang Joo-rin will definitely send the other employees in all at once.”

And 5 minutes later, the door actually opened, and five employees came in all at once. Lee Eok-ho and Yoon Tae-min looked at Park Do-joon with surprised eyes, and Park Do-joon leisurely looked at the five people.

‘Hmm.’

All five people had stiff faces.

‘There’s no sign of worry on their faces. And no curiosity about the situation.’

The two emotions are contradictory for now. If they knew the situation, they should be worried, and if they didn’t know the situation, they should be curious.

But what appeared on the faces of the five people was just something like a firm belief.

‘They’ve been properly controlled.’

Park Do-joon smiled bitterly as he looked at that.

‘Even if things didn’t go her way, their colleague’s lives are at stake, and they’re acting like this.’

He wanted to smash them himself, but there was no need. It seemed like Lee Eok-ho had already made up his mind to do that.

Instead, Park Do-joon decided to proceed with the work quickly.

‘Kang Joo-rin definitely told them not to say anything.’

She probably told them not to say anything related to the party because there was a possibility that information might leak.

‘But that’s not the important thing.’

The important thing is to find out if he’s alive.

It’s obvious what Kang Joo-rin said.

“Well, did everyone come?”

“Yes, but why?”

“Um… I’m sorry to ask, but has anyone heard from Lee Sang-won?”

“……”

“……”

As expected, everyone didn’t say anything and just rolled their eyes. Park Do-joon sighed at that and said.

“Um, don’t misunderstand. Did Lee Sang-won ask to borrow money from anyone?”

“Money…?”

“Yes, did he urgently ask to borrow that money and say he would pay it back soon?”

Everyone had a bewildered expression when the story of money came out, thinking that something serious would come out. In that situation, Park Do-joon sighed.

“That’s… Lee Sang-won has recently become addicted to gambling… he’s borrowing money from all over the place…”

Everyone frowned at that. That one word was enough to understand the situation.

“First of all, there’s Assemblyman Lee Eok-ho’s reputation, so we’re trying to settle it appropriately.”

“That’s…”

“But I don’t know who Lee Sang-won borrowed from. You know, you’re not on good terms.”

Lee Eok-ho and Yoon Tae-min seemed a little surprised at Park Do-joon’s words, but everyone didn’t say anything because they had talked about it in advance.

“You’re going to pay back the money?”

“We have to. He ran away to another country after losing all the money. If there’s gossip, it’ll be complicated later.”

Of course, it won’t affect the election, but it’s enough to tarnish his father’s name.

“Oh, um…”

Everyone seemed to be worried at that.

‘I guess so.’

Kang Joo-rin had gaslighted them not to say anything, but that didn’t mean they should ignore their own losses.

If they lent money, and it was lost to gambling, and to make matters worse, he ran away overseas, there was no way to get that money back.

“It’s a relief if you don’t have any. We’ll be on our way. Oh, and this is us officially recording it. You can’t suddenly say you lent money and didn’t get it back later. That’s a crime. Then we’ll report it as fraud.”

If they came directly to pay it back and didn’t say anything at that time, but suddenly came later and said, ‘I lent money at that time,’ they would naturally suspect it as fraud.

In other words, this is the only chance to get the money back.

Then one person hurriedly raised their hand.

“I’m sorry, but I lent him money.”

“How much?”

“10 million won [approximately $7,500 USD].”

“Again? Oh my gosh.”

Park Do-joon shook his head as if he had a headache. Then he said worriedly.

“By any chance, do you have anything that can prove that?”

“Yes?”

“Like a text message or account transfer history.”

“Ah, I have it. I don’t have a text message, but I have a call recording and… I have an account transfer history.”

“Really? Can you let me hear it?”

‘As expected, the guys in the political world are obvious.’

Most people record things because they don’t know what will happen in the political world.

“I’ll let you hear it for now.”

He let them hear the voice.

Beyond that, Lee Sang-won’s slightly trembling voice was heard.

-Hyung [older brother or close male friend], this is Sang-won. Can you lend me some money?

-What money all of a sudden?

-I came here on a trip, but I have a problem.

-No, how can you suddenly ask to borrow money like that?

-The situation is urgent. Can you lend me 10 million won?

This kind of voice flowed out, and Lee Eok-ho’s face hardened as he watched it. He never thought he would hear his son’s voice in this way after many years.

But seeing that, everyone thought that Lee Sang-won was scamming them, so he was acting like that.

“Ugh, please send us the account transfer history and recording history. We’ll check it and compensate you.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I also lent him money.”

“Yes? How much? 7 million [approximately $5,250 USD].”

“But I don’t have a recording…”

“Did you transfer the money by any chance? Is it the same account as this one?”

“Ah, that’s right. Yes, that’s the account.”

“Actually, me too…”

As expected, when one person came forward and spoke, everyone raised their hands, thinking of getting their money back.

Four out of the five people who came into the room said they had sent money. One person received a call but couldn’t send money because they didn’t have any.

“It’s a total of 29 million won [approximately $21,750 USD].”

They also sent it to the same account. This was undeniably sent to Lee Sang-won.

“We’ll check it and compensate you right away.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, everyone.”

Park Do-joon apologized to them and then took Lee Eok-ho and Yoon Tae-min outside.

“What happened?”

“What do you mean?”

As soon as they came out, Yoon Tae-min asked urgently.

“No, why do they believe what we say so easily?”

“Ah, that’s thanks to Kang Joo-rin, not me.”

“Former Assemblywoman Kang Joo-rin?”

“Kang Joo-rin thinks Lee Sang-won betrayed her.”

Because her gaslighting didn’t work, and he told the truth until the end of the election. So, from her point of view, she was just betrayed.

“And there’s no way that Kang Joo-rin would say good things about Lee Sang-won to people.”

“Ah!”

Of course, the five people would have had some thoughts, wondering if it was true, while hearing negative stories without knowing it. Of course, they wouldn’t have completely believed it.

“But when it comes to money, people think, ‘What if?’”

Regardless of belief or gaslighting, it’s a different matter to bear their own losses.

“Kang Joo-rin’s gaslighting was to not believe us, not to lose money.”

Furthermore, they voluntarily came to pay it back, and if they stayed still now and said to pay it back later, there was a possibility of being entangled in fraud, as Park Do-joon said.

“They probably don’t think they’re providing information.”

But they provided information, and that was exactly the information Park Do-joon was aiming for.

“Thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I would have really lost my son without being able to do anything.”

The good thing is that the last time Lee Sang-won borrowed money was five days ago. In other words, he was alive until then. And given the characteristics of criminals who continue to use people who have money, there is a high possibility that he is still alive.

“That doesn’t mean the problem is solved. We have to rescue him.”

A Profiler’s Calling