My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 46

“Every time I reopened, they kept coming for hygiene inspections.”

“I think I understand.”

Jeon Gu-wan was willing to compensate for what his son had consumed, but he retaliated against those who reported his son’s crimes.

That’s why he made them undergo repeated hygiene inspections.

‘It’s hard for a fried food place to escape hygiene inspections.’

Real hygiene inspections, in some ways, feel like they can be manipulated, and if they start digging with a purpose, almost no business can survive.

Especially if the purpose is retaliation.

“So, I eventually put the business up for sale.”

Because reopening would just mean closing again.

“But it didn’t sell?”

“Who would buy it, knowing hygiene inspections would come any minute?”

Of course, changing the name might help, but the authorities might still suspect it’s just a name change and come anyway.

“I see.”

As Park Do-joon expected, the two Jeons were behaving similarly. Jeon Bu-man committed crimes, and Jeon Gu-wan covered them up and retaliated against those who reported them.

‘Jeon Bu-man learned it that way.’

So, he thought he could get away with anything because he would be protected.

“By any chance, do you know anyone who was in that gang?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to associate with them.”

“Ah…….”

Kang Chang-soo clicked his tongue in disappointment, but then an unexpected remark came.

“I do know one of them, though.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. But I don’t think he works with Jeon Bu-man anymore.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

It was time to start properly.

# Prisoner’s Dilemma

Jeon Bu-man’s gang from his school days consisted of about seven people. However, it sometimes changed, or they lost contact after graduation.

From the beginning, the profiling indicated at least three perpetrators, so Park Do-joon thought it was likely some of them.

Fortunately, their identities could be obtained from someone who had graduated with them and was no longer in the gang.

“Jeon Bu-man’s gang? Why are you looking for those bastards?”

Joo Joon-tae, who was busy unloading luggage from a van, wiped his sweat and asked Park Do-joon and Kang Chang-soo.

“I can’t tell you the details.”

“Ah, I understand without you saying. Those bastards did something stupid again, right?”

As if expecting it, he clicked his tongue, and Park Do-joon cautiously asked.

“I heard you used to be in the same gang.”

“Ah, that’s right. I was. I was a fool back then, really… Hooo!”

“What made you leave?”

“Rather than leaving, I was kicked out.”

“Kicked out?”

“Yeah, I actually think it’s a good thing. Otherwise, I’d still be doing stupid things like those bastards.”

“Why did they kick you out?”

“My cousin came to visit.”

“Your cousin?”

“Yes.”

Coincidentally, his cousin came down for vacation, and Jeon Bu-man saw her.

Jeon Bu-man flirted with Joo Joon-tae’s cousin. When she refused, he even sexually harassed her.

Even though they were in the same gang—no, because he knew what Jeon Bu-man was up to—Joo Joon-tae couldn’t stand it.

Naturally, he told him to stop. And that day, he was marked by Jeon Bu-man.

“You were kicked out for that? Just that?”

“No, not just that… Actually, I fought with Jeon Bu-man after that.”

After kicking Joo Joon-tae out of the gang, Jeon Bu-man kept harassing him, demanding his cousin’s phone number and contact information, so Joo Joon-tae eventually beat him up.

“A pathetic bastard, couldn’t even fight, just strutted around and couldn’t say a word.”

Park Do-joon tilted his head at those words. Why didn’t Jeon Gu-wan retaliate against Joo Joon-tae after that?

“There was no retaliation?”

“Looks like you know everything. Well, they did try. Actually, this store belongs to my parents.”

Even if his parents ran a fairly large mart in the countryside, it seemed difficult to escape Jeon Gu-wan’s retaliation.

“Rather, my grandfather helped us.”

“Grandfather?”

“He’s a general, a three-star general [a high-ranking military officer].”

“I understand now.”

No matter how much power Jeon Gu-wan had as a member of the National Assembly, he couldn’t touch a three-star general. Of course, strictly speaking, he could, but in that case, it wouldn’t be an individual problem but a party problem.

No one would just stand by and watch their child fail, and a three-star general could easily mobilize other generals to exert political pressure.

Moreover, the Korean military only maintains political neutrality on the surface; internally, it has extreme political leanings, so there are many connections with politicians.

In fact, there are many politicians who are former generals.

A three-star general would definitely have connections with them.

“So, they tried to mess with us at first but then backed off. Those dog-like bastards…….”

Well, no grandfather would stand by and watch his granddaughter get sexually harassed and his son ruined.

“Anyway, after that, I was just kicked out. It’s a relief, really.”

“Do you know who he hangs out with now?”

“Probably about four guys he hangs out with now, including Jeon Bu-man.”

“What about the others? I heard the gang had about seven or eight members.”

“Most of them went to the army, came to their senses, and quietly cut ties.”

After going to the army and coming to their senses, they realized how stupid they had been.

So, while they were in the army and the connections were cut, they completely cut ties and started living their own lives.

“The rest of the bastards still contact each other and hang out together even after coming back from the army.”

“Hmm.”

Park Do-joon fell into deep thought at those words. In fact, the conclusion came quickly.

“They must have similar tendencies.”

Do they come to their senses in the army? Of course, some people do.

But not everyone does.

There are psychos in the army who abuse their power and harass junior soldiers. Guys who demand outdated military discipline while claiming they were victims of it themselves.

Would those guys suddenly act like that?

Of course, there was a time when people needed to act like crazy bastards to maintain order in the military barracks.

But at least now, that kind of behavior is not allowed.

Nevertheless, would guys who still do that kind of thing be normal before joining the army?

Would they return to society as good people after serving in the military?

‘Of course not.’

One’s true nature doesn’t change easily. People who come to their senses in the army just didn’t know the world, but they didn’t have problems with social skills.

But guys whose social skills are already shattered don’t change even in the army.

“Is there anyone who still contacts them?”

“No, honestly, the kids are terrified that they might contact them again. You know. And Jeon Bu-man is the type who wouldn’t even call someone who isn’t helpful to him. Well, he doesn’t treat anyone like a person even if they are helpful.”

Joo Joon-tae endured because his grandfather was a three-star general, but if it were someone else, they wouldn’t be able to refuse if Jeon Bu-man called.

“At least it’s quiet here since those bastards went up to Seoul.”

“Really? Then, would it be possible to find out where they live?”

“Address? If you look into it, you can find out. Even if I cut ties with Jeon Bu-man, there’s probably someone who still exchanges contacts with the other guys.”

“Then, I’ll ask you for a favor.”

“Just a moment.”

He went a little further away to start a call, and Kang Chang-soo looked at Park Do-joon with a curious expression.

“How did you know?”

“Jeon Bu-man wouldn’t let his friends live in his house.”

Of course, he would make them live separately. But he wouldn’t get them each a room.

“They went up to Seoul together, but they’re on different levels. Jeon Bu-man is a kind of criminal. And he hates guys who are out of his control. He’ll try to keep his subordinate criminals together. Moreover, it’s hard to believe that those guys got decent jobs in Seoul.”

In the end, Jeon Bu-man will support them with money, and they will work for Jeon Bu-man.

That’s actually quite common. It’s something ordinary people can’t even dream of.

“So, we’re hitting them first.”

Then Jeon Gu-wan and Jeon Bu-man have to save them. But saving them is politically quite burdensome.

“But if we leave them alone, they’ll spill all of Jeon Bu-man’s crimes.”

There’s no loyalty among these guys. In the meantime, Joo Joon-tae finished his call and approached.

“I got the address. Those bastards, they live together, surprisingly.”

‘I thought so.’

It was as Park Do-joon expected. They didn’t go up separately but went up as Jeon Bu-man’s subordinates.

“Ah, can you give me the address?”

“Well, it’s not difficult. But don’t say you got it from me. They’re not scary, but they’re dirty bastards to get involved with…….”

“I understand what you mean.”

“Please.”

Park Do-joon’s eyes gleamed as he received the address.

***

The address was a shabby villa in Seoul. When they arrived, the police, who had already been contacted, were raiding the scene.

“We found the car.”

And as expected, the ghost car was in the parking lot there.

‘I expected it.’

It would have been a shame to throw it away.

Jeon Bu-man probably told them to throw it away. But it’s an imported car, a top-of-the-line vehicle.

In fact, it’s a car that the three criminals living here couldn’t afford even if they saved their whole lives.

So, they probably chose to hide it and drive it themselves rather than throw it away. They thought it would quiet down if they stayed quiet for a while. And it actually did.

“The criminals?”

“We’ve taken them to the police station.”

“Let’s go.”

Park Do-joon immediately said to go to the police station, and Kang Chang-soo glanced at the villa at Park Do-joon’s words.

“Don’t we need to look there?”

“It’s just a living space anyway. There won’t be anything to specify the crime.”

Even if there is, the police can just take it out.

“But right now, it’s probably an emergency arrest, right?”

“How did you know?”

“It’s a villa, isn’t it? You can’t know whose car it is living here.”

Of course, if you search the house, you’ll find the car keys. And you can request an arrest warrant based on that.

But that takes time. And an emergency arrest is only for 24 hours.

There’s a possibility that an arrest warrant will be issued, but there’s also a possibility that it won’t be.

“They’re probably trying to contact Jeon Gu-wan somehow right now.”

Of course, the three people who have been emergency arrested won’t be able to make a call.

But they can call a public defender, and contact is possible through the public defender.

“So, you should see the arrest warrant as being dismissed.”

“Hmm.”

It may not be, but in this kind of case, you have to prepare for the worst.

“So, let’s go to the urgent side first.”

Park Do-joon headed to the police station.

***

When he arrived, he bit his lip as he saw the three people being held separately in each room.

“As expected.”

The three people held in each room each had a lawyer.

“The story has probably already reached Jeon Gu-wan by now.”

“How do you know?”

“Although three people have been arrested, it’s one case.”

So, even if three people requested a public defender, there’s only one lawyer.