My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 723

“Leaving that aside, what kind of insults would they hurl in China?”

“In China, they’d probably just laugh. The irony is that the core of anti-Chinese sentiment turns out to be a serial killer.”

“Hahaha.”

“In other words, every pillar supporting Hong Woo-jong’s position is now collapsing uncontrollably.”

“And now, whatever he says, the suspicion against him will only intensify, and the rumors will spread like wildfire.”

“Rumors?”

“Isn’t there a crucial element missing here?”

“The most crucial element?”

“Wang Woo-hwan, I mean.”

“Ah!”

Until now, Wang Woo-hwan hadn’t surfaced anywhere. The reason Wang Woo-hwan’s card hadn’t been played until now was simple.

Even if they wanted to pin the murder charge on Hong Woo-jong, a presidential candidate, it was obvious that people would give more weight to the words of a member of the National Assembly than to Wang Woo-hwan’s claims.

In reality, Wang Woo-hwan’s claims are just that—claims. He doesn’t have any concrete evidence.

Hong Woo-jong personally went and incinerated all the related materials.

“But once Wang Woo-hwan starts talking, no one will be able to silence him.”

Hong Woo-jong had already lost the power to silence him, and the forces supporting him were also dwindling.

“Then, we should grab that bastard right away…”

Hong Geun-jong was fidgeting nervously.

The fight is practically over now. With one phone call, Wang Woo-hwan’s testimony can be leaked to the public.

“No, we can’t do that.”

“We can’t? Why? Isn’t it all over anyway?”

“It’s still just suspicion.”

“Just suspicion?”

“Yes, as I said, it’s just suspicion.”

Losing power and being proven guilty are two completely different things. Regardless of Hong Woo-jong losing power, the fact remains that Wang Woo-hwan is an unreliable criminal.

“Hong Woo-jong will definitely latch onto that point.”

While doing so, he will try to stall for time and hope for a reversal of fortune.

“Then, we fake the evidence…”

“It’s Hong Woo-jong we’re talking about. Do you think he wouldn’t have checked that already? And even if he is Hong Woo-jong, if the police confirm the evidence, they would have to indict him.”

In other words, Hong Woo-jong clearly knows that there is no solid evidence linking him to the sadistic killings, given that he hasn’t been able to react effectively at this point.

“Then, it won’t have any effect?”

At those words, Hong Geun-jong gritted his teeth in frustration.

“No, it’s not that it won’t have any effect. It’s just that the target of the attack isn’t Hong Woo-jong directly.”

“What do you mean?”

“The target of the attack is Pyo Gi-il.”

“What?”

“As far as I know, all related materials were supposed to be handed over to the prosecution. And they actually were.”

Whatever Wang Woo-hwan says is just testimony, and it naturally goes to the prosecution. And the fact that they dismissed it as nonsense and didn’t investigate is, strictly speaking, the fault of the prosecution, not the police.

“So, we need to shake up the prosecution.”

“The prosecution?”

“Yes, the prosecution—no, Pyo Gi-il is probably the only one still on Hong Woo-jong’s side. And once he falls… it’s over.”

In the literal sense, Hong Woo-jong will have no choice but to wither away, completely powerless.

“Yes, I can finally get revenge.”

Hong Geun-jong’s eyes lit up at those words.

“Finally.”

# The Fall of the King

Soon after, strange rumors began to circulate among the public. The evidence of Hong Woo-jong’s serial killings was handed over to the prosecution, but it all disappeared.

Of course, that was a rumor spread by Hong Geun-jong. To be precise, it was ignored, but Park Do-joon told him to use the word ‘disappeared’ rather than ‘ignored,’ because ignoring implies a mistake, while disappearing suggests intentional action.

Naturally, the ones who reacted most quickly to the rumor were the members of the National Assembly. Even members of Hong Woo-jong’s own party started to turn against him this time.

They believed that Hong Woo-jong’s scandal would ruin their chances in the next presidential election. If he were out of the picture, they might have a chance. Moreover, the situation was already such that Hong Woo-jong was socially ruined in everyone’s eyes, and supporting him would only lower their own party’s approval rating.

Paradoxically, that’s why they started looking for someone to blame for the falling approval ratings, and that was the prosecution.

It was exactly as Park Do-joon had predicted.

“Look at this! It clearly states in this testimony that he kidnapped and supplied quite a few women to Hong Woo-jong! But why didn’t you investigate!”

“Assemblyman, you’re mistaken. That’s just a criminal’s desperate attempt to…”

“A desperate attempt to blurt it out? Are you stupid? A desperate attempt is when you rush in to kill together. You need to find out why they’re trying to kill!”

The prosecution, which had ignored the testimony, was summoned to the National Assembly and was being subjected to all sorts of abuse.

“It’s not like there aren’t one or two guys trying to frame members of the National Assembly!”

“Wang Woo-hwan is a guy who worked under Hong Woo-jong! And you ignore that? Are you out of your mind!”

In particular, members of the National Assembly who personally had a grudge against Hong Woo-jong were determined to destroy him this time, baring their teeth and tearing into the prosecution.

“You know that Hong Woo-jong tried to kill the witness, right? How is the investigation into that going?”

“Well, it’s under investigation, but the prosecutor who thought he demanded it committed suicide, so…”

“Suicide? Do you think we’re idiots? They say there are more than one or two ‘Killer Jo’ [hitmen] ready to take the fall. Suicide?”

“……”

Whether he actually committed suicide or not is unknown. However, the problem was that the prosecutor used briquettes [charcoal briquettes, often used for suicide in East Asia], a method that is notoriously difficult to investigate conclusively.

“And according to that anonymous tip, Pyo Gi-il is behind all of this, aren’t you checking that!”

“There’s no way Prosecutor General Pyo would be involved!”

“What are you talking about! Are we joking right now? Who was in charge of the Hong Woo-jong murder case at the Central District Prosecutors’ Office? It’s Prosecutor General Pyo! Prosecutor General Pyo!”

“There’s no way Prosecutor General Pyo would do that…”

“Why are you a prosecutor if you’re not even going to investigate!”

In the end, a member of the National Assembly couldn’t stand it any longer and blurted out a reckless accusation.

“Hey! Didn’t you see the tip? It said that he killed the kidnapped people with Prosecutor General Pyo! Huh? What? And you’re not doing it? Hey! Do you think members of the National Assembly look easy!”

“Now the prosecution is under the control of a serial killer!”

A situation where voices are getting louder and louder.

In that situation, the prosecutor could only sweat profusely.

“Hehehe.”

Pyo Gi-il was dumbfounded. Everything felt surreal. As the situation spiraled out of control, Pyo Gi-il tried to resign from his position as Prosecutor General. However, the President rejected his resignation.

Because he trusted him? No. Because if the Prosecutor General resigns, he will not be subject to audit. The President drew a line, stating that he should be audited and take responsibility for his actions. And the special prosecutor appointed by the National Assembly seized everything that night.

“I was stupid.”

He should have cut off the tail early. He was in despair at the thought that this wouldn’t have happened if he had done so. But it was too late. His corruption was being thoroughly exposed.

It’s not just Hong Woo-jong. The countless corrupt acts and secrets he had committed to reach this position. All of that is coming to light.

“I can never… go to prison.”

He is suspected of condoning, no, conspiring in murder. And when that investigation is over, he will probably go to prison. Of course, he will be able to live a comfortable life as a former Prosecutor General.

But so what? Considering the Prosecutor General’s age, he will probably only be released from prison after he dies.

Knowing that, the Prosecutor General absolutely did not want to go to prison. The fall from grace was a terror to him, enough to outweigh the fear of death.

“This is my place.”

He slowly looked around his office. The pinnacle of power. The position he occupied. And the place where he will be forever.

“This is where I belong.”

He said that as he sat down in his seat.

And he took out a Russian-made pistol he had obtained from Busan from his bag.

There is a metal detector at the entrance, but it was not difficult to bring it in because no one would dare to inspect the Prosecutor General.

And he put the pistol in his mouth.

Bang.

Shortly after, a gunshot rang out in the Prosecutor’s Office.

***

-Prosecutor General Pyo Gi-il commits suicide in his office.

“This can’t be happening!”

Hong Woo-jong was almost half-crazed and rampaging. Everything was falling apart. His support base, his violent organization, and even Pyo Gi-il, who was his only lifeline, had committed suicide.

“How can this be?”

He couldn’t understand it at all. He was a presidential candidate.

He was supposed to be the president in the future.

But everything is collapsing.

“Park Do-joon, that bastard! I should have killed him!”

However, each time, his organization was destroyed instead. That’s why there was no way. And as everything began to crumble, Hong Woo-jong was half giving up on everything.

“Damn it! Damn…!”

Hong Woo-jong took out whiskey from his cabinet and started drinking it like a madman. No matter how much he drank, he didn’t get drunk.

Only resentment and anger were burning fiercely, fueled by the alcohol in the bottle.

“Yeah, do you think I’m going to die alone? I’m never going to die alone! Never.”

Hong Woo-jong muttered to himself.

At the same time.

Park Do-joon was looking at the case files and smiling bitterly.

“Will evidence about the dead people surface?”

“It will. Even if Hong Woo-jong tries to hide it, the details of when and where he kidnapped them will probably come out.”

In fact, a large-scale investigation into missing persons is underway.

“Moreover, now that Pyo Gi-il is dead, no one will interfere with or stop the investigation.”

“Do you really think that Pyo Gi-il interfered with the case investigation, Senior?”

“The possibility isn’t high. No matter how power-hungry Pyo Gi-il is, he wouldn’t cover up serial killings. Of course, if he thought he killed them by mistake, he might turn a blind eye once.”

At those words, Lee Ji-soo looked at the pile of missing persons lists with a sullen expression.

“But if we trace the time of disappearance in reverse order, we will be able to identify the victims. However, there is no way to find the women he brought from China.”

They were smuggled in, and there is little chance that China will investigate properly. Their families probably think they are working in Korea, so there is a high possibility that they have not been reported.

“It will take a long time for now.”

“And if they are identified, then we can hold Hong Woo-jong accountable.”

“But there is no direct evidence of murder, right? Is there any trophy left?”

The evidence of murder that Hong Woo-jong directly committed has already been burned by him.

That’s why Lee Ji-soo is asking if there is any possibility of a trophy that serial killers often keep to relive their pleasure.

“It’s difficult.”

But Park Do-joon thought differently.

“Difficult?”

“Yes, Hong Woo-jong came to the scene and burned everything. There’s no way he would have left a trophy behind.”

“Then?”

“But something else is possible.”

“What do you mean by something else?”

“The bodies of the deceased.”

“Ah……”

Certainly, not a single body was found there. There may have been bloodstains, but they were all deformed by the high heat from the fire, so there was no way to investigate.

“According to Wang Woo-hwan, Hong Woo-jong said he personally disposed of the bodies he killed.”

“That’s right, certainly. But nothing came out from the surroundings.”

They had already searched the surrounding land meticulously, but not a single piece of clothing, let alone a body, was found. That’s why it was impossible to prove the murder with that.

“If we catch him and grill him [interrogate him intensely], it will come out. In the first place, there is a limit to Hong Woo-jong disposing of the bodies cleanly by himself.”

“Cleanly?”

“There are several ways to dispose of a body alone. But all methods leave traces.”

If he uses chemicals, he has to keep buying them, but there is no trace that Hong Woo-jong bought them, and in the first place, he can’t buy a large amount of chemicals that would completely dissolve a human body without getting caught.

“The best way is to incinerate it, but according to Wang Woo-hwan, Hong Woo-jong was moving around very busily.”

He even attended the National Assembly the day after the murder, and sometimes he reappeared that evening.