My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 434

‘That guy seems to think the same way.’

As the one with the upper hand in the negotiation, he seems to believe he’s making the right choice.

‘Then there’s a way.’

Park Do-joon grinned and raised his voice.

“Long time no see.”

“……?”

Everyone looked puzzled at Park Do-joon’s words.

“I’d like to talk more, but this isn’t the place. Let’s do it later.”

With that, Park Do-joon approached Yoon Tae-min and whispered in his ear.

“Tae-min.”

“Yes?”

“Accept whatever they offer, no matter what.”

“Yes?”

“Accept any conditions they propose, unless it’s something ridiculous like 10 billion won [approximately $7.5 million USD, a sum likely beyond reasonable negotiation].”

“No matter what? But our estimate is at most 200 million won [approximately $150,000 USD], isn’t it?”

“That’s true, but still, accept it unconditionally.”

Park Do-joon estimated that the agreed-upon amount in the negotiation would be around 50 million won [approximately $37,500 USD] per person. 100 million won [approximately $75,000 USD] would be too much for the Taiwanese government, and anything less would make the criminal organization feel like their profit was too small.

After all, dismembering and selling a person whole could fetch over 100 million won [approximately $75,000 USD]. But accept unconditionally?

“They probably won’t ask for something like 10 billion won [approximately $7.5 million USD].”

The other party is smart. They know that demanding that much would only lead to the negotiation falling apart.

‘They’ll use their brains in their own way.’

They’re very likely to demand an amount that’s ambiguous for us to accept, and then drag out the negotiation. It’s a kind of petty revenge.

‘But we can use that to shake them up instead.’

And by doing so, we can gain an advantage.

“If you think Lee Eok-ho can afford it, just accept it. But you must attach a strong condition.”

“What condition?”

“That it takes effect when the negotiation with Taiwan is concluded.”

“Yes?”

Yoon Tae-min was startled by those words.

“It’s not just about saving us.”

“Yes, if we try to save them by paying that money unconditionally, they’ll suspect Lee Sang-won’s identity.”

In that case, Lee Sang-won’s life could be in danger.

“I understand.”

Yoon Tae-min nodded.

“1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD]?”

Shortly after the negotiation began, Wang Yu-hwan called for 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD]. Then, he said with a triumphant voice.

“If you refuse, the negotiation ends here.”

“Hmm…….”

Yoon Tae-min hesitated for a moment at those words, then nodded.

“Okay.”

“What?”

“Okay. We’ll pay 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD].”

1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] is a lot of money, but it’s not an amount they can’t afford. Lee Eok-ho was even being considered as a presidential candidate. There’s no way he wouldn’t have a mere 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD].

In fact, his reported assets are a whopping 14 billion won [approximately $10.5 million USD]. Of course, this is the official reported figure, and considering that politicians often underreport their assets by half or even a third, 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] isn’t a huge amount for him. Moreover, he’s not just giving it away, he’s saving his son.

‘But I was told not to mention that it’s a personal payment.’

If they do, they’ll suspect the family giving the money.

And from the country’s perspective, 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] is definitely not a large sum.

“You’re giving 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD]?”

They gave it too easily, and the negotiators looked somewhat embarrassed.

“Yes.”

“Really giving it?”

Wang Yu-hwan felt uneasy.

‘What’s going on? There’s no way they’d admit it so easily.’

Of course, considering the excuse of saving people, especially their own citizens, it’s not money they can’t spend. In fact, during the Well Church incident in the past, the money South Korea gave to the Taliban was rumored to be about 2,000 pounds, or 37.8 billion won [approximately $28.35 million USD] in Korean currency. Since there were 23 hostages, that was rather cheap. Of course, they are terrorists, and these are criminals.

“But there’s a condition.”

‘Here it comes.’

Wang Yu-hwan sneered inwardly. There’s a condition. This must be to keep their mouths shut. The act of negotiating with hostage-takers is socially condemned.

Even in the Well Church incident, people extremely disliked the idea of paying money to negotiate.

“Okay, what’s the condition?”

Wang Yu-hwan asked at the mention of 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD], and Yoon Tae-min said quietly.

“This condition will take effect from the moment the negotiation with Taiwan ends.”

“What?”

“This negotiation will also take effect if the negotiation with Taiwan is successful. We can’t just go and bring people back on our own because of this negotiation, can we?”

That’s not wrong. If they did, the people who went could be taken hostage instead.

“Well, I’ll admit that much.”

And the boss accepts it without a second thought. But Wang Yu-hwan felt uneasy.

‘Is that all?’

Of course, he knows that 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] isn’t a large sum from South Korea’s perspective. But why complicate the situation by involving Taiwan?

In fact, the words sound plausible, but it’s just one person. It’s not difficult for them to take him and dump him in front of an embassy somewhere, instead of them coming here.

“Okay.”

As a leader, it was a satisfactory result. A whopping 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD]. It’s money you can only earn by selling more than ten people. In fact, to be exact, you have to sell even more than that.

For example, when you take out and sell a heart, it’s not easy to sell kidneys, corneas, or other parts. If you can’t sell them in time, you have to throw them away. So, to earn 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD], you sometimes have to kill more than twenty people.

‘What is it? What for?’

Wang Yu-hwan couldn’t hide his anxiety because the condition was accepted too easily, but the negotiation was already done, and even the boss of this area liked the result. He can’t overturn it now.

“Then let’s agree with Taiwan right away.”

At Yoon Tae-min’s words, as if there was no need to waste time, the boss nodded, and Yoon Tae-min went outside.

‘What is it? Was the amount too small?’

Of course, he could have asked for more than 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD]. But even if he has the upper hand in the negotiation, he is not the leader here. If problems arise from demanding too much money, he will be held responsible.

‘Tsk! I can’t help it. I’ll have to think about giving that Park Do-joon a hard time later.’

Wang Yu-hwan muttered regretfully. And the negotiation continued. People from Taiwan came in and started negotiating, and the situation began to flow in a direction Wang Yu-hwan hadn’t expected.

“We can’t negotiate like that.”

Wang Yu-hwan’s eyes shook at the sudden situation.

“The money we’re asking for is 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD].”

“Per person?”

“That’s right. 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] per person. We can’t negotiate below that.”

“No, wait a minute, we can’t give that much.”

The amount Taiwan offered was 30 million won [approximately $22,500 USD] per person. They weren’t really going to give 30 million, but their goal was to raise it up after calling a low price and agree on around 50 million won [approximately $37,500 USD] per person.

But the money the organ trafficking organization is calling for is a whopping 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD]. And that’s 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] per person.

“We believe we are worth that much.”

At those words, even the Taiwanese and even Wang Yu-hwan had no choice but to frown.

“Are you going to break it off?”

“That’s right. It will be broken off.”

Park Do-joon said with a smirk.

“The guy who demanded 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] from us made a big mistake.”

“A big mistake?”

“It’s simple. He lacked understanding of his own side. To be exact, he thought of him as his own side and didn’t profile his behavior.”

“Is that a big problem?”

“Yes, at least a negotiation requires a give-and-take.”

Negotiating with the other party is the process of exchanging opinions with the other party. And finding a compromise through that process is negotiation.

“The problem is that they don’t know their own side.”

In fact, many profilers make mistakes in this area during negotiations.

“Because there’s no reason to make such a judgment in general profiling.”

It’s natural. In most cases, profilers are in the position of pursuers chasing criminals. There’s no reason for a pursuer to think about the reaction of this side. But this is not a pursuit.

“If you can’t predict the reaction of this side, this side will throw away the variables. And the guys who were watching us over there probably didn’t think that their team would become a variable.”

“What is a variable?”

“Greed.”

This side said a large sum of 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] as the negotiation amount.

“How many times have I said it? It seems like we are agreeing individually, but it’s not completely individual.”

Even if the other side or this side hides the agreements, a certain standard will eventually arise psychologically. The expectation that you can get that much from the person behind you after receiving 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] from the person earlier.

“Even if it’s not up to 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD], the human psychology is to expect half of that.”

“But if they’re trying to screw us over, they wouldn’t ask Taiwan for that much money, would they?”

“The guy who asked us is not the boss.”

Well, he’s a guy with some authority, but he’s not the boss. And the boss has already tasted the money. What will the boss think in that situation?

“I told you to accept the conditions unconditionally, right? Then, while watching that, will the boss think that there is something personal about receiving 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] only from Korea? Or will he think that the negotiation is so easy?”

“Aha!”

Of course, it’s the latter. And if you get a lot of money, it will naturally be linked to your performance.

“In that situation, what most people think is obvious.”

“You’re going to try to do something proactively.”

“Yes, that’s a mistake.”

100%, before this negotiation, the brainy guy would have analyzed the situation and derived a suitable settlement amount. And he would have explained it and persuaded the boss.

“That wouldn’t have been a difficult process. But he made a mistake while meeting us.”

Due to personal grudges or relationships, he made an unreasonable demand of 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] to this side. In other words, he blew away the entire process of persuading the boss.

“Because he denied his own words, criminals tend to think too naturally.”

Just insist. And that performance becomes yours.

“The boss will probably demand 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD]. It will fall as we negotiate, but he will never tolerate the amount of 50 million won [approximately $37,500 USD] that we expected.”

He will demand at least 500 million won [approximately $375,000 USD]. But you don’t know how many people the other party has captured, but even if it’s just 300 people, it’s 150 billion won [approximately $112.5 million USD]. And there’s no way Taiwan will give that much money.

“In the end, the negotiation will not go well.”

“Won’t the guy who negotiated with us come forward and control it?”

“No. It’s impossible. He won’t accept it.”

“Why?”

“Because it becomes an area of incompetence.”

The man came forward in the negotiation and received 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] for just one person. But the guy who is holding hundreds of people agrees to only about 50 million won [approximately $37,500 USD], not even 100 million won [approximately $75,000 USD]?

From above, that leader looks very stupid.

A Profiler by Trade