My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 551

#Playing it Smart

“It doesn’t seem particularly strange to me?”

Lee Ji-soo tilted her head, looking puzzled. Im Tae-mu explained in as much detail as possible how he had done the makeup and how they had requested it. From his perspective, being connected in any way was definitely not a welcome thing.

He already wasn’t very popular as a makeup artist, barely making a living by renting out movie props, so if word got out, his reputation would be ruined.

“Hmm, it seems strange to me?”

However, Park Do-joon was looking at the photos and sensing something was off.

“What is it?”

“You have to think about the reason for the disguise, not just the appearance.”

“Pardon?”

Lee Ji-soo tilted her head, looking puzzled. Of course, Lee Ji-soo had never done any disguises herself. And that was the same for all the other profilers.

It was only natural that they didn’t know, since they had never done it, didn’t know if it worked, and hadn’t even been trained in it.

“Do you know anything about it?”

Jo Sang-gyu also looked clueless. It was true that he was a profiler, but he had never actually dealt with a case like this.

“Every disguise has an image.”

“Image?”

“Yes, even though you can’t wear a mask, the image you project at first glance is quite important.”

“Well, that’s true. Everyone wants to have a good image, don’t they?”

Park Do-joon shook his head at Jo Sang-gyu’s words.

“No. It’s completely different. It’s not about having a good image, but creating the image you want.”

“The image you want….”

“Actually, there are camera techniques for that too. There are very few people like that in Korea, almost none. To be exact, there’s no reason to encounter them unless you’re a celebrity.”

Park Do-joon scratched his head and said,

“For example, if you’re pursuing a scholarly image, you’d put glasses on the subject. If you want a decadent image, you’d emphasize the lips. If you want a pure image, you’d enlarge the eyes.”

The first impression people get changes depending on the feeling each part gives off.

“There are actual experiments on that too.”

When the same subject introduced themselves to experts with different occupations and asked for photos that matched the image, the experts composed and took photos that matched the occupation.

“In Korea, you just get a passport photo for identification, but that’s not the case for professional photos. For example, what about celebrity profile photos?”

“Ah, I understand completely now that you mention it.”

It’s different when a celebrity pursues a sexy image, a pure image, or an intellectual image.

Why do celebrities go to experts every year to take profile photos that match their image? Because their face has changed? There are very few cases where a well-managed celebrity’s face changes drastically in a year. Nevertheless, the reason they take profile photos is to release photos of the image they want to project, hoping to get those roles.

“Good experts are the ones who capture that image well.”

Taking a passport photo to prove you’re good-looking can be done at any neighborhood photo studio.

“I see, celebrities are basically good-looking, so they need to differentiate themselves.”

“That’s right. But according to Im Tae-mu, what they wanted was an intellectual image.”

“That’s right.”

“That’s what’s strange.”

What kind of image do criminals pursue? It’s obviously an image that allows them to safely pursue the crime they want to commit.

“For example, the image they presented in this kidnapping case was two handsome men and an old man. What kind of feeling does that give?”

“A family. Trustworthiness. And a relationship.”

“Correct.”

A family came to pick up a woman who ran away from home after having an affair. And the woman is naturally pretty, and the family is handsome.

“Unless there’s a big difference in appearance, people are surprisingly unguarded.”

“You can’t ignore genetics.”

Of course, there’s the joke about ‘genetic jackpot.’ In most cases, families have similar features.

“I can’t compare them in detail because I can’t see them closely, but just the fact that they’re good-looking makes people unguarded.”

“Right. And you know it too. The stereotype about criminal faces.”

“I can’t not know it. That’s the first thing a profiler has to learn.”

People’s so-called criminal faces. Most people become wary and freeze up when they meet someone with such a face.

“So the crime rate for criminal-faced people is actually low.”

To be precise, even if criminal-faced people attempt a crime, they arouse suspicion, so it doesn’t succeed. Except for some special cases like threats, where pure force is needed without trust, fraud or the now-defunct marriage fraud have overwhelmingly higher success rates for handsome, attractive types than for criminal types.

“This case is the same. They dressed up to look good-looking as needed. But this time, they asked for an intellectual image.”

“An intellectual image would be for fraud.”

“That’s why it’s strange.”

Criminals have a style. A con man only cons, a violent man only assaults, and a freeloader only freeloads. A con man doesn’t suddenly and intentionally turn to violence, murder, or robbery.

“Are they moving under someone’s orders?”

“Probably.”

Park Do-joon said that and then remained silent for a long time.

‘I expected it.’

Someone is planning this deliberately, but no matter how you look at it, they don’t seem to be the ones directly carrying it out. It seems like someone paid them to commit the crime, but it’s hard to believe they designed it.

‘Someone designs the crime. And these guys are….’

Park Do-joon realized something at that moment.

“They’re playing it smart.”

“Playing it smart?”

“Yes, I can see the common thread now.”

At those words, Jo Sang-gyu and Lee Ji-soo’s eyes widened.

Common thread.

The common thread among the criminals or victims they work with is a very important factor in determining the direction of the investigation. But in relation to this case, no clear common thread had yet emerged.

“What common thread?”

“I don’t know at all? Makeup? It’s hard to see that as a common thread, isn’t it?”

“No, acting.”

“Acting?”

“In past crimes, they acted. And according to Im Tae-mu, they changed them to an intellectual image. But they wouldn’t be just window dressing, would they?”

There’s no reason to spend money on makeup to use them as window dressing.

“But even if you create an image with makeup, that’s not everything.”

“Does that mean they have to speak well?”

“Yes, what’s the reason for creating an intellectual image?”

It’s to show the other person that you’re trustworthy. If you disguise them with a good image, but every time they open their mouths, they spew out curses like ‘son of a bitch’ and ignorant words like ‘loser,’ can you really give the other person a good image?

“Hmm, that wouldn’t work?”

It wouldn’t work. If appearance is the first hurdle, then the second hurdle is eloquence. What’s the reason for having interviews later in companies? It’s not to look at their faces. A person’s words reveal their character and personality.

A person’s words, vocabulary, and even tone change depending on the environment they live in.

You can’t hide that, no matter how much you want to.

“Professional training is needed to hide such things.”

“Acting, then.”

“That’s right. And they acted in the kidnapping case too.”

And what would they do with an intellectual image? Work as a tutor? That’s unlikely.

“They’re probably going to act somehow.”

By doing so, they’ll try to give the other person trust.

“But is it really easy to act out two different personas?”

“It’s not easy.”

Of course, they’re not real actors, so they only need to act to a certain extent. The problem is that even that level is something ordinary people can never do.

“Ordinary people freeze up just standing in front of people, let alone acting.”

“That’s true. Hmm. Then we should assume that those three have a talent for acting or were taught by someone.”

Jo Sang-gyu said as if he understood something.

“Acting… I didn’t think of that.”

“It’s possible once.”

You can do it naturally as you get used to it. In fact, acting isn’t something special or unique. A life where you have to smile brightly in front of difficult customers is also acting.

But what if you do that in a different situation, a different atmosphere, as a different person? Then you have to enter a more professional realm.

“They hired someone who can act?”

“No. That’s not very likely.”

There’s no reason for someone who is good at acting or has learned to act to commit a crime. Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re good people. But at least they’d have a dream as an actor, and it’s unlikely that they’d commit a crime.

“Especially not a kidnapping and murder, let alone a simple crime.”

“Then?”

“We should assume that someone brought them in from the outside and taught them.”

That’s a definite possibility. They already have connections to the entertainment industry, so it wouldn’t be difficult to bring in an actor.

“Should we look for such a person?”

“It’s difficult. And meaningless.”

Park Do-joon dismissed Lee Ji-soo’s suggestion.

“Acting is different from makeup.”

Acting practice requires a place, and the criminal wouldn’t have that, so they would have learned it by going to a place that teaches it.

“What’s important is what purpose those guys have.”

“Purpose….”

“First of all, they asked to be changed into an intelligent and professional appearance, so the possibility is fraud.”

But fraud is too far-fetched. Even if they commit fraud, the impact of the crime is too different.

“Let’s go to Anju-dong first.”

Anju-dong. If they go to that place, something might come out.

Anju-dong.

It’s where the main factories of the Daeguk Group are located, and thanks to that, it’s a bit more prosperous than other cities. Of course, there’s the problem of being dependent on the Daeguk Group, but there wasn’t a region with a large corporation’s factory that wasn’t like that.

“What are the unique features of this area?”

“Other than the fact that the Daeguk Group is there and it’s Hong Woo-jong’s district, there’s nothing special.”

“Hong Woo-jong….”

“Could the kidnapping be related to Hong Woo-jong?”

“I think the kidnapping is probably closely related to Hong Woo-jong.”

“How do you know?”

“Well….”

Park Do-joon frowned at those words and grabbed his head.

“Does your head hurt often these days?”

“Ugh, something like that.”

‘This headache is the proof.’

Profiler’s Instinct