My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 490

“He’s either incredibly skilled, or he doesn’t drive after drinking.”

But among Chinese people, alcohol is more than just a beverage; it’s a deeply ingrained part of their social life.

“Just like Korea in the past, in some Chinese circles, a man who can’t drink well isn’t always considered a ‘real man.’”

The perpetrator committed crimes quite frequently, suggesting he’s not the type to commit them only while drunk.

“Construction workers usually have a drink together and go to sleep if they don’t get work that day.”

That shared drink creates a strong sense of camaraderie. The perpetrator probably doesn’t fit into that kind of close-knit group.

“And this isn’t a new city; it’s an old downtown area.”

In other words, it’s not a place where construction workers spend a lot of money. Of course, there are large construction sites, but they typically hire designated people. Unless it’s an extremely urgent job, they don’t readily hire day laborers from the open labor market.

“Especially construction companies; they’re usually careful when building large corporate factories.”

“Why?”

“Apartments can be subject to lawsuits that can be won if problems arise, but a legal battle between large corporations is incredibly complicated.”

Furthermore, factories involve a huge amount of money. If they lose a lawsuit, they have to cover the restoration costs themselves, which could exceed the initial construction expenses.

“So, those large construction sites usually use people with verified identities.”

Among the many day laborers, they try to avoid hiring those without verified identities as construction workers.

“That means it’ll be obvious when you go to the site in the morning.”

“So, we’ll know when we go?”

“Yeah, you can learn a lot by going once.”

Jeong Iyeon’s eyes sparkled at Park Dojun’s words.

“Could I go too?”

“You could go, but…”

Park Dojun glanced at Jeong Iyeon and said.

“Not in your current state.”

“Then what should I do?”

“First, we need to coordinate your outfit.”

Park Dojun looked at the curious Jeong Iyeon and said confidently.

“Leave the coordination to me, hahaha.”

“No, what kind of coordination is this?”

“It’s exactly the kind of coordination for girls working construction.”

Jeong Iyeon, wearing baggy jeans and a hoodie, scratched her greasy hair uncomfortably and said.

“Girls working construction?”

“It’s not like there are no women at construction sites.”

Usually, such people are in charge of jobs that don’t require strength, like signalmen or wallpapering assistants, but there are still female workers at construction sites.

“Um, I think I’ve seen them sometimes.”

Lee Jisu, also wearing a cheap hoodie, nodded.

“You just don’t see them often, but there are many female workers at construction sites. They’re often used for cleaning or finishing work.”

“But aren’t we going to get singled out like this?”

“You won’t get singled out.”

Park Dojun looked at the two and said reassuringly.

“Your clothes are too clean.”

“Huh?”

“Women who have been to construction sites have their own work clothes.”

Typically, it’s jeans and a hoodie because it’s comfortable.

“But the clothes you two are wearing are brand new.”

That means I have to teach you from scratch.

“Corporations might like it when women come in, calling them the ‘flower of the office’ or whatever, but…”

“You’d be in big trouble these days if you did that.”

“Just because the times have changed, do you think the higher-ups will suddenly change their thinking?”

“…That’s not wrong.”

Will the guys who thought the key element of women was being the flower of the office suddenly treat them fairly just because the times have changed?

Of course not.

“If your clothes are too clean at a construction site? That’s a kind of ‘I’m a newbie’ appeal.”

Why do people going to construction sites all wear shabby clothes? Even though they know people will look down on them?

It’s simple: because the clothes are going to get ruined anyway. Of course, these hoodies and jeans are cheap. The two of you probably spent less than 50,000 won [approximately $40 USD] on the whole outfit at the market.

In fact, it’s not a very expensive price from the perspective of someone working construction. Nevertheless, the reason they wear shabby clothes is partly to save their good clothes but also as a way to blend in and avoid appearing inexperienced.

“It’s similar to what my senior said before about the preferred attire when choosing a programmer?”

“Plaid shirt and otaku-like [stereotypical image of a socially awkward person with obsessive interests]? Right.”

Wearing clean clothes, on the other hand, signals that you’re a complete beginner who doesn’t have appropriate work clothes.

“From the perspective of someone looking for labor, not wanting the ‘flower of the office,’ they’re naturally looking for someone who can do the job well.”

Moreover, they have to teach someone who has never worked before, which means wasting a whole day.

“Then everyone dislikes it.”

For example, being a signalman looks easy, but it’s not easy at all. You need to know the order and process of the work well and control it without confusion. It’s not just waving a light stick.

The same goes for assistants. Usually, carpenters or tilers bring assistants and add additional people when they are short-handed or busy. They’re already busy, but they have to bring in a complete beginner and teach them while working?

Of course, they get incredibly annoyed.

“And passing on skills is a serious issue for those people.”

If they suddenly bring in someone as a parachute hire [someone appointed to a position through favoritism] and ask them to teach the skills while keeping them there, carpenters and technicians will never teach them.

Even the kids who have been working under them for 3 or 4 years to learn the job properly aren’t taught properly, so there’s no way they’ll teach their skills to a woman sent down from above.

“In fact, there are people who follow around to learn wallpapering skills for years, so no one will teach skills to someone who came as a helper.”

So, in reality, the chances of Jeong Iyeon and Lee Jisu being chosen and taken along are very low.

“But you guys will be a bit different.”

Park Dojun turned his head and looked at the dispatched police officers.

Park Dojun requested cooperation and asked them to check how they were dressed, and the police officers came similarly dressed.

Among them, there were quite a few women wearing hoodies and t-shirts like Jeong Iyeon and Lee Jisu. Of course, they are also police officers. They also came to work early in the morning to check each area as police officers.

“We’re also dressed pretty neatly, though?”

One of the male police officers tilted his head and asked at Park Dojun’s words.

“Women have limited jobs they can do, so it can’t be helped, but if men are new, they’re 100% construction workers.”

Women have no choice but to go to places that don’t require strength. But places that don’t require strength require some skill, so they don’t pick them. On the other hand, men are unconditionally construction workers at first.

“Because strength is more important than skill.”

“Ah~!”

No matter how neatly the police officers came dressed, unless they came in suits, if they have a good physique, they will unconditionally be taken as construction workers.

“Well, they’re police officers, after all.”

Most police officers have a sturdy physique. Even more so for the violent crimes unit, so they will unconditionally be dragged away as construction workers.

“So, think of it as suffering for a day and come back.”

“You said we’re catching a criminal.”

“That’s why I’m telling you to go. There will definitely be contact, and if you don’t do it, they’ll be suspicious.”

You can request cooperation later and drop out in the middle, but if they refuse at the site, someone quick-witted might feel something is wrong.

“You guys should go around the labor markets in each area this morning and identify the criminal. The criminal will show isolated characteristics from others.”

He won’t talk to other people and will show an isolated tendency.

“The attire is likely to be a black pattern.”

“Why…”

“Looking at the patterns so far, he’s not the type to commit crimes on a set day.”

He’s just the type who rapes when he gets stressed from being rejected at the labor market. Such a guy wouldn’t wear eye-catching primary colors or stripes.

“The top will be a t-shirt, worn outside the pants. He’s likely to be wearing it oversized.”

“That’s quite specific?”

“The criminal threatened the victims with a knife.”

But that knife wasn’t an item in the victims’ homes. That means he brought the knife from outside, and the fact that he didn’t bring it from home means he usually carries it.

“And the common testimony was that the knife was quite large. The length is about 10 centimeters [approximately 4 inches].”

But if the blade length is 10 centimeters, it’s longer than you think. Since knives are dangerous items, the police require a permit to carry them.

Of course, you don’t necessarily need to get one for kitchen knives, but everyone would run away if you carried them around because they’re too noticeable.

In the case of folding knives, the permit standard is 5.9 centimeters [approximately 2.3 inches]. General knives are 14.9 centimeters [approximately 5.9 inches]. And automatic blades are 5.4 centimeters [approximately 2.1 inches], which is the standard for knives that don’t require a permit.

That means it’s an item that can be carried around without a permit, considering it’s for kitchen use.

“But listening to the testimonies so far, they said the blade alone was 10 centimeters.”

Considering that folding knives generally have blades shorter than the handle, if the blade is 10 centimeters, the handle is more than 12 centimeters, which means the size doesn’t match.

“The knife is probably not foldable, and if so, the only part where you can carry that kind of knife is the waistband.”

The thighs are too noticeable, and it’s cumbersome when sitting or doing something. But if you store the knife lying down on the back of your waist, you can hide it well enough. If it’s not foldable, the handle doesn’t need to be long, so if the blade and handle are about 15 centimeters, it’s enough.

“Are you talking about a sheath worn on the back of the waist?”

“Yes.”

And in order to hide that, you inevitably have to wear it oversized.

“Oh, that’s possible.”

“I certainly didn’t think of that.”

Everyone nodded. They had already heard that he brought a knife, but they had never thought about how he would carry it.

“Still, it would be nice to have more information…”

There are more people who dress that way than you think. Especially in the case of construction work, it’s advantageous to wear comfortable clothes, so many people dress that way.

“The criminal is Chinese.”

“Who doesn’t know that?”

Park Dojun corrected his words accurately at that.

“Let me say it again. The criminal is not Korean-Chinese, but Chinese.”