My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 710

It was only after she left that Park Do-joon re-entered.

“But is this really necessary? Shouldn’t we just confront the victim’s family directly?”

Park Do-joon’s plan was simple: make it appear as though Kim Song-rim had betrayed Hong Woo-jong. He believed Hong Woo-jong would then be easily manipulated.

“No, a direct confrontation would likely backfire. It would only make Hong Woo-jong less likely to take the bait and complicate things further.”

“Difficult?”

“If we confront the victim’s family, Kim Song-rim will never return.”

Even if Hong Geun-jong [Hong Woo-jong’s brother] were the one calling, she would refuse to come back.

Seeing that, Hong Woo-jong would likely conclude that Kim Song-rim hadn’t betrayed him, and he wouldn’t take any action.

“Persuasion usually takes time, especially when it involves murder. If it comes to light, there’s no escaping punishment. People rarely confess immediately in that situation.”

“Is that all there is to it?”

“No, persuasion is a process.”

Even if you obtain testimony through threats, its value in court is limited. And in this situation, threats won’t work.

“But if it takes time, it’s better to frame it as persuasion rather than coercion.”

“Persuasion, huh…”

“Yes, especially if we attach various conditions.”

Promising to take responsibility for their livelihood after her release, guaranteeing employment, and presenting various possibilities would make Hong Woo-jong believe that the persuasion is likely to succeed.

“And the ultimate card is the victim’s family.”

“I don’t understand that part. Kim Song-rim would never apologize to the victim’s family, would she?”

“She wouldn’t.”

Of course not.

Kim Song-rim tried to protect the members at all costs, even knowing about the internal murder. There’s no way she would meet the victim’s family and apologize now.

“That’s why we’re using a little trick. If we time it right, we can make Hong Woo-jong believe that Kim Song-rim apologized to the victim’s family.”

“Make him believe?”

“Hong Woo-jong probably has someone monitoring the company internally.”

If Hong Geun-jong suddenly arranges for Kim Song-rim to meet with the victim’s family, how would it look? Would it seem like a reconciliation attempt?

Of course not. From the victim’s family’s perspective, Kim Song-rim is a sworn enemy. And Kim Song-rim would have thought she would never see them again, just an uncomfortable person.

“And according to common sense, the final step of repentance is an apology and confession.”

“Aha!”

Over time, it would appear as if Hong Geun-jong persuaded Kim Song-rim to repent. If we time it right to create the illusion that she met the victim’s family and apologized, Hong Woo-jong would likely think that Kim Song-rim is abandoning him and confessing.

“And even though it’s perjury, a suspended sentence isn’t impossible.”

The target is, after all, the chairman of a major company recognized in Korea.

Few people would resist his demands for perjury.

Moreover, Hong Woo-jong’s charge isn’t just any crime; it’s murder.

If she makes excuses like, ‘I was too scared to refuse the request at the time,’ the punishment would likely be lessened.

“Hong Woo-jong would definitely think that way.”

He is becoming increasingly isolated. The organization has been destroyed, and even those loyal to him within the company are showing signs of switching sides.

At this point, his best defense is desperately preventing Hong Geun-jong from becoming chairman.

“But would Hong Woo-jong try to kill Kim Song-rim? That would be difficult, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, it would be difficult. That’s why he’ll be even more impatient. The problem is that Hong Woo-jong has almost no cards left.”

Hong Woo-jong is currently running for president. His every move is immediately reported in the news. The entire nation knows his actions, and his movements are revealed whether he wants them to be or not. He wouldn’t be able to commit murder directly in that situation.

Even if he were to use the organization, there is no organization anymore.

“So, he’ll end up using someone else?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

Hong Geun-jong nodded at Hong Woo-jong’s words.

“If that’s the case, he’d be willing to pay billions to have it carried out. But besides catching them at the scene, we’ll need other methods, won’t we?”

“That’s right.”

We can’t ignore the possibility that Hong Woo-jong has other cards that Park Do-joon doesn’t know about.

Furthermore, the forces that tried to hide Hong Woo-jong’s murder are likely still around, and they will try to silence Kim Song-rim at all costs. If we can’t stop them before things go wrong, everything will be for nothing.

If Kim Song-rim dies before things properly blow up, Hong Woo-jong will counterattack.

“That’s why we’re quietly moving within the police station.”

“Will it be easy?”

“It won’t be easy.”

Park Do-joon smiled wryly.

“But isn’t it already a matter of necessity?”

Hong Woo-jong also recognized that we knew about his fatal weakness, and he’ll try to prevent it from being exposed.

And given Hong Woo-jong’s personality, murder is likely his only option.

“Yes, it’s a matter of necessity.”

Now that only one of them can survive, Hong Geun-jong could only smile bitterly.

“So, we have to do our best.”

That’s all Park Do-joon could do.

“I looked into the case you mentioned.”

Jo Sang-gyu secretly called Park Do-joon and headed to a deserted place. Then he lowered his voice even further.

“It’s definitely strange. The investigation and the evidence.”

“Right?”

“Yeah, Kim Song-rim is the only one who testified, and there’s no related evidence, but the investigation was closed based solely on that one testimony.”

“So, who was in charge of that? It definitely wouldn’t have been someone in a low position.”

“Pyo Gi-il.”

“Pyo Gi-il? The current Prosecutor General?”

“At that time, he wasn’t the Prosecutor General, but the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.”

And after that, he rose through the ranks and is now the Prosecutor General.

“And the Daeguk Group is behind him?”

“That’s right.”

“Surely, even if it’s Daeguk Group, no, Hong Chang-sik [Hong Woo-jong’s father], it would be unreasonable to treat someone who covered up a murder poorly.”

To cover up a murder, especially the murder of a chaebol [family-owned conglomerate] family’s son, a few bucks wouldn’t be enough.

The higher the value of a person, the higher the value of the reward.

What was the reason for desperately capturing commanders in past wars? Soldiers could be caught and sold as slaves for a few bucks, but the commanders, who were nobles at the time, returned after paying a huge ransom.

“Moreover, it’s not just a matter of reward.”

“That’s true.”

The higher the position of the forces that have become allied with them, the more advantageous it is for the wealthy.

At first, it’s difficult to cover up a murder, but later it may not be difficult at all.

So, they become one and secretly help each other.

“So, Pyo Gi-il must have been involved in the demotion or all the processes?”

“Probably. He’s the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.”

Even though prosecutors claim that the prosecutor is the prosecution, citing the principle of prosecutorial unity, someone gets promoted and someone doesn’t.

And the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is the most elite position among those promotion tracks.

In the past, it was a place where only Seonggol [highest aristocratic class in the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla] could enter.

“And as you know…”

“That’s right. No one clean can succeed in the Korean political scene.”

In reality, the highest position that prosecutors who work cleanly can reach is at best the head of a department. Beyond that, you have to be good at political lobbying, bribery, and so-called networking.

And to become the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the connection must be at least a presidential candidate level, not just some average person.

The reason why the heads of the prosecutors’ offices offer unwavering loyalty when the president gives an order is precisely that.

It’s not just because it’s the president’s order, but because there’s a close relationship that has been going on for a long time.

“The connection may even reach the current president.”

“We can’t ignore the possibility.”

It’s Hong Woo-jong, not someone else. The successor of the Daeguk Group.

Of course, it’s unlikely that the current president would directly say, ‘Cover up the murder.’ But if he says just one word when investigating this case, ‘Pyo Gi-il is not that kind of person,’ everything will be covered up.

The separation of powers that exists in the constitution is, in fact, nothing more than a product of imagination.

“Just a moment.”

Park Do-joon started searching for and reading about the current president on the internet, just in case. Then he felt a slight relief.

“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like the current president gave direct instructions to conceal the case.”

“How do you know that?”

“You can clearly see it in the policies he advocates.”

“You can see it?”

“Yes, you know that profiling isn’t just for criminals.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

In fact, other countries, especially developed countries, include psychological analysis of politicians in other countries as a basic element when formulating policies.

That’s why Park Do-joon learned about it and did it before his regression. So, he was familiar with the analysis methods.

“The current president’s main focus regarding defense policy is strengthening infantry power. Or rather, making it a reality.”

In the past, the infantry power of the Korean army was not much different from that of African rebels.

Of course, it’s better than that when you consider all the supplies.

But in terms of firepower, they didn’t even give proper bulletproof vests, and even the guns didn’t have dot sights or laser sights, or even a foregrip. They were literally just holding a gun, so-called ‘foot soldiers’.

“And the current president is putting the most effort into improving that part.”

Laser sights, dot sights, and modernization of equipment.

“But Daeguk Group’s main focus isn’t personal equipment.”

Daeguk Group’s main focus is armored vehicles and expensive equipment.

Of course, it’s not that there aren’t companies under the Daeguk Group that produce firearms, but at this point, they ultimately failed in the last next-generation firearm competition.

“If the current president had a close relationship with Daeguk Group, the main focus would have been expensive equipment.”

In fact, that trend has been around for a long time, and the infantry power of the Korean army has been at the bottom for a long time.

“But maybe he seriously judged that and thought about reforming that first? That’s actually the truth.”

In fact, what people who have served in the military talk about the most is outdated infantry equipment. Canteens that taste like the water of Normandy, ponchos that no one knows when they came in, gas masks that leak air, and so on.