Chapter 2: The System Alarms Again
You can go against anyone, but you can't go against money.
Jiang Xiaoya received a notification from the system that she had completed the task and was rewarded with points while in the police car. Her expression relaxed considerably, and she immediately started pouring out her grievances to the female police officer in the car.
"Sister, does your police station provide a psychologist? My fragile heart has been severely damaged."
The female police officer, wearing gloves, gently patted her back to comfort her.
Half an hour later, Jiang Xiaoya, who had received a two-thousand-yuan cash prize, had a smile on her lips that was harder to suppress than an AK. Before leaving, she blew kisses wildly at the female police officer at the police station entrance.
"Officer Sister, I'll come back to see you when I have time! Love you, mwah!"
Female police officer: "..."
Netizens in the live stream: "..."
When an average person discovers human remains, not only would they be scared sick, but it would take them at least a while to recover. But she, on the other hand, had been in a state of manic, cheap-looking excitement from beginning to end.
Netizens nicknamed her "Crazy Woman"—it seemed there was some truth to it.
However, some netizens were jealous of people with such pure luck.
"Look at her smug expression. The police reward money doesn't meet the program's requirements for scavenging income, does it?"
"Isn't the program team going to say something? If this income counts as scavenging income, then couldn't other contestants also find alternative ways?"
"Exactly, this is unfair! Program team, quickly confiscate her bounty!"
"Wait, brother, she found it while picking up trash. What's wrong with reporting it as a civic duty?"
"Right, just like some scavengers who find antiques and turn them in—is that also a problem?"
The netizens argued endlessly until the program team finally released a statement, stating that the reward money Jiang Xiaoya received for scavenging and reporting was in line with the income standards for scavengers.
The logic was clear: the item was in the trash can, anyone could have found it, and Jiang Xiaoya was no exception.
The discovery of human remains in a trash can sparked considerable public discussion, though most people leaned towards it being an accident.
The live stream's popularity came and went quickly.
Jiang Xiaoya currently had no time to pay attention to these things. With money in her pocket, she wanted a good meal. Along the way, she would approach and rummage through every trash can she encountered, clearly having taken to heart the system's bold claim that scavenging could also lead to wealth.
However, she didn't know if it was because other contestants had already rummaged through them, or if the industry competition was fierce, but these trash cans were all cleaner than her face.
"Forget it, let's eat first."
Jiang Xiaoya couldn't walk past a snack street. She spotted a fragrant restaurant, ordered a bowl of lamb noodle soup and a bowl of rice, and waited, feeling famished.
During this time, some customers in the shop drank beer bottles and threw them on the roadside. Before she could act, an old man or woman would dart out from nearby, swiftly grabbing the bottles with a "monkey fishing for the moon" move.
It left people dumbfounded.
Goodness, she hadn't expected the scavenging industry to be so competitive these days.
Jiang Xiaoya ate a full meal with mixed feelings. Before she could savor it, a system alarm sounded in her mind.
"Ding, valuable item detected, valuable item detected..."
"What?!!!"
Jiang Xiaoya suddenly looked up and scanned around. Her gaze swept over the several trash cans in the restaurant, finally settling on the large bowl in front of her. That bowl of meat just now, could it be...
What was she thinking!!! The things the system detected couldn't be remains every single time!!!
Jiang Xiaoya comforted herself, her expression easing slightly. What she had just eaten was temporarily safe.
To be safe, she still used the excuse of going to the restroom to peek into their back kitchen. Only after confirming that she didn't see the red blood mist she had seen in the trash can when she first discovered the remains did she breathe a sigh of relief.
However, thinking of the system's alarm, if the item wasn't in the restaurant, it should be nearby.
Jiang Xiaoya paid the bill, left the restaurant, and began to wander the nearby streets, rummaging through every trash can she passed.
She finally found an aluminum can in a trash can, but before she could even warm it up, an old woman suddenly darted out from the side, bumped her aside, and snatched the can.
Jiang Xiaoya's eyes widened in shock, her face unable to hide her anger.
Ah, so that's why the original owner starved herself to death! It turned out the culprits were these old women who were stealing jobs.
This was no longer fierce competition; it was vicious competition!
Seeing the old woman turn to leave, Jiang Xiaoya quickly followed her.
The old woman was initially a little wary, but she calmed down, looked at Jiang Xiaoya's thin frame, and walked away with a look of disdain.
"So young, not finding a proper job, but instead snatching trash from old people. Be careful, the stinky beggars under the bridge might kill you."
As soon as these words came out, not to mention Jiang Xiaoya, even the netizens in the live stream got goosebumps.
Jiang Xiaoya clenched her fists even tighter, gritting her teeth. Just by her expression, she was cursing very foully.
Those in the live stream who 'understood' Jiang Xiaoya knew what a coward she was and that she definitely wouldn't go up to settle accounts with the old woman.
Sure enough, after watching for a long time, Jiang Xiaoya still swallowed her anger in a cowardly manner and continued to rummage through the trash can.
The old woman not far away occasionally glanced at her, a shrewd glint in her eyes.
Jiang Xiaoya's movements while rummaging through the trash can suddenly paused, and she let out a surprised 'Huh'.
As the live stream's popularity waned, the few remaining netizens were speechless at Jiang Xiaoya's behavior.
"Should I say she's brainless, or brainless? If you can't beat the old woman, go somewhere else to scavenge."
"She's got a screw loose. If not hers, whose would she snatch?"
"She's got a screw loose, it makes me so angry. Even if she's trying to grab attention, she shouldn't disgust the audience like this."
"Exactly, exactly! Look at the live stream next door. It's the same program contestant, but Zhou Yuyu is a wandering artist, attracting traffic with her skill. Everyone is genuinely impressed. What is this Jiang Xiaoya even doing?"
"Don't even mention it, it makes my liver ache. The program has been on for three days, and she even fainted from hunger. If she hadn't luckily found the remains and gotten the reward money, she probably would have starved herself to death. What kind of brain does a person like that have?"
"If this continues, starving to death is only a matter of time."
"Let's go, let's go. I'd rather go to the next-door live stream to watch Zhou Yuyu paint. It's pleasing to the eye and lifts the spirits. If I lived close by, I'd definitely bring my cardboard over to support her."
"..."
The already unpopular live stream, after this incident, instantly lost another large portion of its viewers.
Of course, the netizens who remained in the live stream were entirely there to appreciate Jiang Xiaoya's foolish demeanor, something Zhou Yuyu in the next-door live stream didn't possess. Even if she tried hard to portray the rustic image of a wandering artist, her attempts to gain popularity were too obvious.
Sure enough, the old woman nearby quickly heard the commotion. Seeing Jiang Xiaoya pull out a black plastic bag from the trash can, and then noticing Jiang Xiaoya's 'surprised' eyes, she threw down her snakeskin bag and lunged over, trying to snatch the plastic bag from her hand.
Jiang Xiaoya had learned her lesson; how could she let her succeed so easily? She quickly dodged, but the old woman still managed to grab a corner of the plastic bag, and Jiang Xiaoya's anger flared up again.