Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 (1/341)**

**Prologue**

- "Do you agree that chaebols are also accomplices?"

- "I'm sorry. I will strive to be better in the future..."

- "Don't give me that evasive answer. Do you agree that chaebols are also accomplices?"

- "I am taking the public's severe criticism very seriously and reflecting on it."

- "Can I take that as an admission of being an accomplice?"

- "I will strive to show a better image."

- "Say a word of apology to the public."

- "I have reflected a lot on this situation. I sincerely apologize to the public for the unpleasant incident and the concern it has caused."

- "Will you promise to break the chain of collusion between politics and business?"

- "I have been rash in many ways. Looking back, I..."

- "I asked if you will break the chain of collusion between politics and business."

- "I will not yield to any pressure or coercion and will strive to show a thorough and good image of the company."

- "Are you saying you will break the chain of collusion between politics and business?"

- "Yes, I will break it."

Impressive.

Incredibly impressive.

The CEO of WG Group, the most successful in Korea, can't even argue back and is trembling before this man.

The gold badge on his lapel.

That badge alone explains his position.

That's power.

It's not something that can be defeated by the fists of a neighborhood thug or money.

That's what modern society is all about.

The top of the top.

The top of the top.

That's true power.

Real power is not money, but authority.

Money just calls for more money, but power naturally brings in money.

I don't want to be a member of parliament.

I just want to have power, whatever it takes.

The power to hold and shake people.

But being a member of parliament or president is still far from me.

What can I do?

What paths are available to me now?

I don't want to be content with being a city councilor or mayor in a small town.

I need to move to a higher level.

Police?

No, the prosecution can't be touched.

Prosecution.

Yes, the prosecution.

Among those who hold power, there is no one who is completely clean.

They have to grovel to prosecutors to keep their power. Otherwise, they will be exposed and thrown into prison.

A prosecutor who can hold and shake even those who hold power.

A prosecutor who can bring down even a member of parliament holding a hearing.

That's true power.

That's why I became a prosecutor.

**Chapter 1 (1)**

*Clank!*

The glasses clinked in the air, producing a clear and cheerful sound.

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks."

Sitting across from me, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, and tilting his glass is Sung Ho.

He's my high school classmate, college classmate, and even a judicial training institute classmate.

More than a close friend, he's like family.

He has just been newly assigned to the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office.

I came here to celebrate with a drink.

I thought we would spend our lives rotting together at the Gwangju District Prosecutor's Office, but he has climbed all the way to the top.

I'm envious, but I don't resent him. I genuinely congratulate him and am happy for him as if it were my own success.

"When are you going up?"

"The official transfer is in two weeks, but I need to find a place to live and do other things, so I'll take a week off and go up next week."

"Man, you really made it. That's great."

"It's just good luck. If there's a chance, I'll pull you up too."

"Hahaha, that's fine, but pay for the drinks today."

"Of course, man. I'll take full responsibility for the second and third rounds."

"Sounds good!"

I dipped the flower ribeye in salt and put it in my mouth.

It was tender and juicy, melting in my mouth before I even chewed it a few times, sliding down my throat.

I usually only eat pork belly, but now I'm eating prime beef flower ribeye because my friend has made it.

Success (出世).

Literally, it means to rise to a high position or become famous in society.

Like any other prosecutor, I entered the judicial exam with a dream of achieving fame and fortune and finally passed.

At the time of my passing, there was a celebration in the village, and banners were hung in my high school and around the neighborhood. I thought I had climbed to one of the pillars of power in Korea.

But in reality, it was nothing, especially for a prosecutor assigned to a local office.

I handle a variety of cases such as theft, drunk driving, prostitution, and fraud, with an unimaginable workload. To put it in terms of time, I have to handle one case every 15 minutes to get through a month.

It looks good on the surface, but with a civil servant's salary, it's a low pay, and sometimes I even get cursed by victims despite handling cases by the book, causing immense mental stress.

At first, I thought becoming a prosecutor was the end of it, but the reality for a prosecutor like me, who has no money or connections, is different.

If I continue like this, I won't even be promoted to a chief prosecutor. When I get older and can't be promoted, I'll open a law firm and provide legal services.

It's a truly bleak future.

Prosecutors assigned to local offices have dreams of success in their hearts, but they forget their aspirations due to the harsh reality.

I also ran around trying to adapt to the Gwangju District Prosecutor's Office, and in the process, the spark of wanting to hold true power gradually faded.

To be precise, I didn't let it fade; I made it fade.

Of course, I studied for over 10 years to become a prosecutor, dedicating my life to success.

Not just me, but most prosecutors.

The difference is the level of passion for success, but no one can completely forget and erase this desire.

I still harbor the ambition for success in my heart, but I have been trying to ignore it.

If I don't, the gap between my dream of success and the harsh reality will only make me suffer. Especially since I have dreamed of and desperately wanted success more than anyone else.

Sung Ho is the closest and dearest friend to me.

When I heard that he, who I thought would share the same life in the Gwangju District Prosecutor's Office, was moving to the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, the spark of success in my heart began to reignite.

The flames that suddenly started burning were uncontrollably large, making it impossible to ignore the emotions and ambitions.

It was definitely not going to be easy.

The more everyone looked at it, the more painful the dream became, but I couldn't forget it and had to ignore it. Sung Ho, who moved to the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, is a special case among prosecutors who try to ignore their dreams of success.

"By the way, how did you get the transfer?"

"Ah, this is a bit embarrassing to talk about..."

"It's fine. What's embarrassing between us?"

Sung Ho looked around and leaned closer to me.

"Seo Jun, you really have to keep this a secret."

"Sure, tell me."

"I'm telling you because I trust you."

"Go on."

He looked around again and lowered his voice.

"Do you know Gwangju Mayor Kwak Tae-won?"

"Our high school classmate? I heard he's in business."

"No, I mean Gwangju Mayor Kwak Tae-won."

"Oh, the mayor. I saw his face once at the inauguration ceremony. What about him?"

"I told you I got a new investigator, right?"

Sung Ho put down his chopsticks and spoke seriously.

"He's a 9th-grade investigator, which was surprising."

"Right. Most investigators are 7th-grade."

I was puzzled by the sudden talk about an investigator while discussing Kwak Tae-won, but decided to listen.

"9th-grade is rare, but not impossible."

"True. But when I worked with him, he was just not right. I checked his background and found out he was a special hire."

It smelled fishy.

"Turns out he's Kwak Tae-won's nephew. He's been taking the civil service exam for 10 years and kept failing, so his parents must have asked Kwak Tae-won for help."

"That's total corruption, right?"

"Of course, it's corruption. They probably brought him to the prosecution to avoid getting caught by the city hall. But the problem isn't just the corruption. He's terrible at his job. It's frustrating to work with someone older than me who's so incompetent. So I decided to expose the corruption."

I found myself getting absorbed in the story.

"Do you know Seoul's Chief Prosecutor Lim Sung-jin? He suddenly contacted me and asked to meet. Turns out he's a senior from the 10th batch of the judicial training institute and a senior from our university. He asked me a question."

From a minor case of hiring corruption to the name of the most successful chief prosecutor in Seoul.

It feels like I'm peeking at the intricate web of power.

"It turns out Kwak Tae-won has some connection with him."

"So he asked you?"

"He said if I expose it, he'll bring me into his network. Honestly, how could I pass up this opportunity? My performance isn't good lately, and I might lose my job here. I need to move up. If you're born with the right stuff, you should try to succeed, right? That's why we all became prosecutors."

He's right.

I didn't become a prosecutor out of a sense of justice or a grand mission to create a better world. I became a prosecutor to taste power and admire it.

I would have made the same choice as Sung Ho.

I just haven't had such an opportunity yet.

He warned me again.

"If this leaks out, I'm dead. Not just me, but everyone in Lim Sung-jin's network will be wiped out."

"Don't worry. I'm not crazy enough to let information leak. I don't want to see you die."

"Thanks."

Sung Ho smiled and leaned back.

"To be honest, I was itching to tell someone, but I couldn't. I'm glad I have you."

"Of course. We have to trust each other. Who else can we trust?"

"Right."

He filled his empty glass with a relieved look.

"What did your wife say? She must be thrilled about moving to Seoul."

"She's jumping with joy. As soon as I told her, she called my in-laws, and my father-in-law said he would buy us an apartment without hesitation. He must have been disappointed that I was stuck in a local office, but now he's finally pleased."

"That's great."

I swallowed the rising envy and clinked glasses with him.

I don't want to become a petty person who envies and resents my friend's success.

***

Sung Ho moved to Seoul.

We occasionally talk on the phone, and he says it's a whole new world.

He doesn't handle minor cases like before but picks and solves major cases, sometimes even making it to internet articles and newspapers.

From what I hear, he recently caught a drug smuggling organization and even held a press conference. It seems he's doing well.

He says he's very happy and excited and promised to pull me up once he's settled.

I thank him, but I don't expect it.

I don't hope for it, nor do I want to hope for it.

I know better than anyone that expecting it would only make things harder.

I just live my life, pushed by the flow.

Sung Ho is a special case; most Korean prosecutors live like me, quietly buried in paperwork.

The only thing that's a bit frustrating and hard is that the spark of success he ignited in my heart is still burning brightly.

As time passed, our communication gradually decreased and eventually stopped.

Sung Ho is busy with his work and family, and I'm busy with my work.

That's how friends are. It's fine as long as we can meet and talk comfortably whenever we want.

About two years after Sung Ho moved to Seoul, my phone rang during work.

No one usually calls me.

Looking at my phone, I saw a message from an unknown person.

- Sender: 29

- Contact Sung Ho.