The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 312

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places! – Episode 312 (312/341)

Taking a Leap (1)

December 31, 2030.

The day had finally arrived.

My last day as Prosecutor General.

Exactly two years since January 2, 2029.

It was a short time, but I achieved everything I set out to do.

The behind-the-scenes work for the upcoming presidential election, the most crucial task, was already perfectly prepared.

Now, all that remained was to take the leap to seize the presidency.

The bloodless entry [referring to a smooth, unopposed transition into a position of power] went off without a hitch.

In fact, it was more like the situation was aligning itself to that end.

Among the various conditions, Shin Dong-hyun’s approval rating, the most important, continued to decline, hovering around 30%.

Right around 30%, the rate I had ideally envisioned.

If the approval rating was too high, there would be a possibility of re-election. But if it was too low, it wouldn’t help with a bloodless entry, so the current level was just right.

In addition to this, various incidents and accidents occurred during my term as Prosecutor General, but I not only firmly maintained my position, but my status had also risen even higher.

Perhaps because of this, I heard that reporters would be attending my retirement ceremony later.

A chuckle escaped my lips without me realizing it.

Considering that reporters had never attended any other Prosecutor General’s retirement ceremony I had been to, the impact of the name Choi Seo-jun was needless to say.

With a smile, I took a cup of coffee and stood by the window.

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office grounds stretched out far below.

The thought of leaving this place tomorrow filled me with strange emotions.

Seventeen years ago, when I was first appointed as a prosecutor, I thought that taking off the prosecutor’s robes meant the end of my life, and I was determined to hold on to the end, even if it meant dying. Now, I was turning down the position of Minister of Justice and leaving on my own accord.

Life is truly a long and unpredictable journey.

As I held up the coffee cup, a rich aroma wafted up.

“Hmm.”

It was the same coffee I always drank, but today, the aroma seemed even richer.

Was it because of the thought that it was the last time, that something I always took for granted felt different?

More than the fact that I was stepping down from the position of Prosecutor General.

The fact that it was the last day I could be a ‘prosecutor’ in the life of Choi Seo-jun was even more emotionally stimulating.

From tomorrow, I would be a civilian, not a prosecutor.

However, I was only lost in thought for a moment.

Knock, knock.

The sound of knocking broke my reverie.

“Yes, come in.”

Yoon Seol-ha opened the door and entered the Prosecutor General’s office.

She was wearing an even more neat and sharp suit than ever before.

“Prosecutor General, the retirement ceremony is ready.”

I slowly nodded and put down my coffee cup.

“Okay, let’s go.”

I buttoned my jacket and followed Yoon Seol-ha to the multipurpose hall.

After walking for a while, I asked her first.

“Have you thought about what I said?”

“Ah, yes.”

She answered indifferently.

“My thoughts are the same as before. I don’t think I need to stay in the prosecution without you, Prosecutor General.”

I was stepping down from the position of Prosecutor General, but that didn’t mean Yoon Seol-ha had to retire with me.

That’s why I encouraged her to stay.

Until now, we had done many things together, but everything had been within the prosecution.

But if she were to follow me this time, she would have to resign from her position as a public official.

Frankly speaking, Yoon Seol-ha’s path to promotion was wide open. Very wide open.

The fact that she had been my closest aide for over 10 years was enough to prove her work ability.

If there was a place she wanted to go, I could write her a letter of recommendation, but even without that, she would be able to go anywhere with her own abilities.

In fact, as my retirement approached, Yoon Seol-ha received tremendous offers from various places, including the chief of staff of a National Assembly member’s office and the National Intelligence Service.

But she turned them all down.

But it didn’t stop there. Recently, she even received an offer from the Manse Party [likely a fictional political party], offering her a nomination in Gangwon-do, their stronghold.

However, judging from Yoon Seol-ha’s attitude now, she must have rejected this as well.

“If you come with me, it’s just a law firm anyway. If you’re a paralegal at a law firm, you’ll be poorly paid and the work will be tough, right?”

“It’s okay.”

She smiled and continued.

“Whatever I do, the workload will definitely be less than it is now.”

“Hahaha, that’s true.”

“Besides, everyone’s talking about work-life balance these days, so I think I should think about it too.”

Yoon Seol-ha added in a relaxed voice.

“And you’re only going to be a lawyer for a year or two before moving on to a bigger stage, right?”

“What if I lose the election? Then there’s really no hope.”

Yoon Seol-ha looked at me with a confident voice.

“How could you lose when I’m by your side?”

I lightly curved the corners of my lips at her words.

“And more than anything…”

She said half-jokingly, half-seriously.

“Even in the worst-case scenario, you’ll take responsibility for me, right? You’ve already ruined my chances of marriage with the affair scandal, and I’m giving up my job to go with you, so you’ll have to take care of me somehow, right?”

“Hahaha, of course.”

I burst out laughing at her words.

“I’ll either introduce you to a man or get you a job at Yongho Company.”

Yoon Seol-ha shrugged her shoulders.

“If I have nothing else to do, I’ll just be Ji-hoon’s nanny.”

She gave me a playful smile.

“Your wife’s cooking is so delicious.”

“Ji-hoon’s mom is a really good cook.”

“You’re bragging about your wife like a fool.”

While exchanging laughter-filled stories, we quickly arrived at the multipurpose hall.

I straightened my clothes and stood at the entrance.

“Ah, Prosecutor General, just a moment.”

She brushed off my shoulder and smiled brightly.

“That’s it. Let’s go up.”

“Thank you.”

I opened the door to the multipurpose hall and went inside.

At the same time, a loud voice was heard from inside.

“The Prosecutor General is entering!”

***

After the simple formalities of the retirement ceremony, the emcee turned to me and said.

-Finally, the star of today’s retirement ceremony. I heard that prosecutors from all over the country have gathered to see this retirement ceremony. A legend of this era who appeared like a storm in the prosecution and quickly became the Prosecutor General. Let’s hear from Prosecutor General Choi Seo-jun.

I grabbed my forehead at the emcee’s cheesy words and stood up from my seat.

That emcee must be a prosecutor investigator in the Central Investigation Department.

I should have hired a professional.

-Hello, I’m Choi Seo-jun.

As I stepped onto the stage, I finally noticed the enormous crowd.

As far as I knew, even if all the prosecutors from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office came, there would still be chairs left over, but today, the prosecutors not only filled the chairs, but also filled the space so tightly that there was no room to stand.

-You’ve all come in such great numbers. I know all the faces of the people from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, but I see some unfamiliar faces too….

At that moment, one of the prosecutors in the back shouted in a loud voice.

“I came from Andong to see the Prosecutor General’s retirement ceremony!”

“I came from Gwangju!”

I thought the emcee was joking when he said that people had gathered from all over the country, but it seemed to be true.

Since there are many junior prosecutors who look up to me as a role model, they must have taken a day off from work in their respective regions to come up and see my face one last time at the retirement ceremony.

-I don’t know what’s so great about me that you’ve come all the way here….

I was sincerely grateful.

-Thank you.

I bowed my head in greeting.

Was it because I thought it was really the end? I felt my emotions welling up before I even started properly.

-I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting old or because of my position, but unlike usual, I think I’ll be talking a little longer today.

“That’s what we came to hear! Please make it long!”

I chuckled at the prosecutor’s words in the Busan dialect and nodded, and then began my retirement speech in earnest.

-Today’s story will be more about looking back on the life of a person named Choi Seo-jun, rather than talking about the prosecution.

People’s attention was focused on me.

-Of course, I also had my days as a junior prosecutor. At first, I was a nobody who didn’t know anything. That country bumpkin from Gwangju came to Seoul with nothing but the ambition to succeed.

I continued the story seriously.

-And I worked like crazy, only looking at success. I caught them all, punished them, and crushed them. Not everyone can say it was right, but I moved while upholding my own definition of justice. Because I thought it was right at first.

The memories of my younger days came flooding back.

-But before long, I became a monster.

I took a breath without realizing it and continued.

-The law student who dreamed of creating a just Korea disappeared, and I became one of the ‘adults’ I hated when I was young, only looking at the success in front of me.

It would be right to say that I was swallowed up by success.

-Only then did I look back. I realized that I had lost a lot in order to succeed. And then I realized that success is not the only thing in life.

I looked straight at each of the prosecutors and put strength into my voice.

-Success should be a part of the process of finding happiness, not the only goal.

It was a sincere statement.

I realized it when I became the Prosecutor General, but I couldn’t turn back the years I had already passed.

Because I had come so far.

But that’s not the case for those who are here today.

If they are not swallowed up by success, they can live a much happier life.

-Life is too stuffy and boring to live so calculatingly in this bleak society, isn’t it?

I couldn’t do it, but I hoped they would realize it in advance.

Purely as a senior prosecutor, sincerely.

The eyes of some of the prosecutors who heard this changed.

There were many more stories I wanted to tell, but that’s enough of the clichés.

After taking three slow breaths, I started a new story.

-I’ve been in the prosecution for nearly 20 years, and I’ve seen all kinds of things, good and bad.

I placed my hand on the podium.

-But what I really felt from all these things is that there are so many good people in the world. And there are so many people who are working to create a better society.

I continued in a gentle voice.

-Although we repeat steps forward and backward, thanks to those good people, Korea is slowly moving towards a more just direction.

I was actually feeling that way.

Not just me, but countless people.

-I’m telling you this because I hope that you, not me, will lead Korea in a good direction, since I will be a civilian from tomorrow.

I added a joke so that the atmosphere wouldn’t become too heavy.

-Oh, that doesn’t mean I want you to work your asses off in my place.

Whether it was an unexpected story or not, the prosecutors chuckled, and some of the prosecution investigators lightly burst out laughing.

I took another break and continued.

-So many people have helped me and worked hard behind the scenes to get me to this position and to finish well.

I slowly looked around at many prosecutors, including the special forces members.

-Including all the prosecution officials here.

I smiled and continued.

-I can’t name them all one by one, but I sincerely thank them.

If it gets any longer, it will be too boring.

It’s best to wrap it up around here.

-Everyone.

I said, looking at the prosecutors one last time.

-I entrust the prosecution and Korea to you.

I came out to the side of the stage.

-I was Choi Seo-jun. Thank you.

I bowed with a strong voice.

At the same time, those who were sitting stood up and gave a standing ovation, and the multipurpose hall was filled with thunderous applause and cheers.

“Thank you for your hard work, Prosecutor General!”

Like this.

My life as Prosecutor Choi Seo-jun came to an end.

Now.

It’s time to take another leap forward.

The last chapter of Choi Seo-jun’s life.

Only a splendid ending remains.