This lawsuit... it seemed to be a civil case, but it could escalate into a criminal case at any moment! In comparison, civil proceedings were just the appetizer, while criminal cases were the main event.

Up on the bench, the judge hadn't expected this civil dispute to end so quickly. He was momentarily taken aback. He had presided over hundreds of civil disputes, each fought fiercely in court, with every party sticking to their own story, none able to persuade the other. For some cases, even the judicial panel found it hard to make a decision. In criminal cases, one only needed to confirm the facts of the crime. But civil cases… they involved complex layers of humanity, morality, ethics, and law, requiring consideration of all aspects. Some litigants facing each other in court were even parents and children, or siblings—the closest of blood relatives. As the saying goes, even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. Faced with such incidents, even the judicial panel sometimes felt an immense headache. And this case… originally a lottery dispute, also fell into the category of extremely complex civil cases. It involved a contest over lottery tickets between both parties. He had thought they would bicker for at least several hours. He hadn't expected the defendant to admit ownership of the lottery ticket so quickly. And the core of this case… was the dispute over the first prize. Qin Mu's lawsuit also aimed to determine the ownership of the first and fourth prizes. Now, it was as if… this civil case had concluded just as the hearing began.

However, the necessary procedures still needed to be followed.

BANG—

The judge banged his gavel and said in a deep voice, "Next, we will move on to the cross-examination phase."

Immediately following, Qin Mu listed numerous backup pieces of evidence provided by the Procuratorate, displaying them in the courtroom. This case was being recorded on video for an open court session. Presenting this evidence was also meant to show the public outside the courtroom the fairness of the case.

"Does the defense have any objections?"

Each time Qin Mu presented a piece of evidence, the judge looked towards Chen Ping and Xie Lianqing.

"No."

Chen Ping clenched his teeth, not daring to deny a single one. Only by understanding the law can one appreciate its strictness. If you haven't broken it, it holds no fear. But once you transgress… you realize the immense pressure it exerts; every clause within the law is a red line. Further argument was pointless. It was better to show a good attitude of remorse, just as Senior Brother Zhang had said… and strive for a lighter sentence.

"Does the defense have any objections?"

"No."

"Does the defense have any objections?"

"No."

"Does the defense have any objections?"

"No."

The most complex phase of cross-examination in court concluded in under ten minutes.

The judge took a deep breath. Then he spoke, "Now we will enter the debate phase. Lawyers from both sides… plaintiff and defendant may begin the debate."

This time, the plaintiff's side had not engaged a lawyer, so in this debate phase, only the plaintiff himself could take the stand. This phase was mainly for the lawyers on both sides to advocate for their client's rights within the scope of the law, aiming to win the judicial panel's approval.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than Lawyer Zhang Wei from the defense stood up. "My client has already admitted to falsely claiming they printed the wrong ticket. There is no dispute in this case, so I have nothing further to say."

He directly abandoned the assertion of their rights and acknowledged his client's infringing actions.

With that, Qin Mu didn't even need to speak, and the debate phase was over.

The judge: "…"

Observing the scene in the courtroom, he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He had never seen such a peaceful civil proceeding. Just yesterday, in this very spot, the plaintiff and defendant had almost come to blows, thankfully stopped in time by the bailiffs. But Qin Mu and Chen Ping… apparently had no conflict at all. He almost didn't understand their purpose in coming to court anymore. Civil courts were for resolving civil disputes and arbitrations; if there was no conflict, parties generally wouldn't go to court.

BANG—

"Since both parties have no objections, the facts of this lottery dispute case are rather clear." He banged the gavel once more and spoke solemnly.

Civil litigation is different from criminal prosecution. Criminal prosecution involves suspicion of a crime and includes an additional final statement phase to safeguard the personal rights of the accused. Civil proceedings, however, do not have this phase. Next would be the judicial panel's deliberation and judgment, which would be conducted in private. This phase is not public and takes place in a conference room behind the courtroom. Decisions are made by majority vote, with the minority deferring to the majority.

"Do the parties have anything further to add to this case?"

Before announcing a recess, he looked towards the plaintiff and defendant, asking routinely.

"We don't!" Chen Ping, seeing this, quickly answered with a look of relief. This was tantamount to an announcement… that this civil litigation was about to be concluded with a verdict.

But just as he finished speaking, Qin Mu stood up. "I do!"

"Your Honor, esteemed members of the judicial panel, regarding this case, I wish to file two additional criminal charges."

Up on the bench, the judge and the other members of the judicial panel exchanged glances.

Charges! The very word immediately elevated the matter to a criminal level. Civil litigation mainly dealt with torts and various arbitrations, without criminal liability. But charges were different. Procedurally, transitioning a civil lawsuit to a criminal prosecution was also permitted. In many past cases, there were precedents of lawsuits suddenly having criminal charges added mid-process.

"Defendants Chen Ping and Xie Lianqing not only embezzled my first-prize lottery ticket; over the past thirteen days, all the winning lottery tickets I purchased online from that lottery shop were also embezzled by them. They falsely claimed these tickets were not winners.

"Both individuals repeatedly and illegally took possession of these lottery tickets, appropriating them as their own and refusing to return them."

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