Chapter 3: High-IQ Criminal
"Madam, what do you mean by this?"
"What do I mean? This is something I threw away this morning. Now I'm just taking back what's mine."
The madam tugged at the other end of the plastic bag, full of conviction, her eyes glinting with determination.
"This is your stuff? What evidence do you have to prove it?"
Jiang Xiaoya's expression was one of unwillingness.
"Heh heh, evidence? There's just meat in here. My dog eats it every day. I accidentally threw it away today. Let go quickly, do you really want to fight a dog for something?"
The madam looked at the blood-stained plastic bag, guessing it might contain spoiled meat, perfect to take back for her dog. She refused to let go.
"Are you sure?"
Jiang Xiaoya's suspicious gaze.
Seeing the madam nod, Jiang Xiaoya's lips curved into an almost imperceptible arc. She suddenly raised her fingertips, clamped down on the plastic bag, and heard a tearing sound.
The madam saw her pull hard and tried to hug the plastic bag with all her might, but then the plastic bag ripped, and something fell out of it into her palm, then slid to the ground.
The madam first smelled a strong, fishy smell , then touched a cold, hard hand bone. Something seemed to flash before her eyes, and she thought she was imagining things.
Why did it look so much like a human palm?
Her eyes widened like brass bells as she scrutinized the object that had fallen to the ground.
Lying on the ground was a bloody object, nothing less than a large palm severed from a human body.
"Ah!!!!"
"Gak!"
The madam's eyes rolled back, and she fainted from sheer terror.
Jiang Xiaoya's face showed similar panic, but in reality, she was as steady as a rock. She quickly took out her phone and called the police.
Just now, when she passed the trash can, the system gave her a prompt. Combined with the visible red blood mist, she could guess with ninety percent certainty what was inside.
"Hello, Police Uncle, I want to report a human body dismemberment found in a street trash can."
The reward money was the main thing. As for whether the fainted madam would develop a heart condition from the scare, that was none of her business; she was the one who rushed over.
The netizens in the live stream were equally dumbfounded.
Just moments ago, they thought Jiang Xiaoya was silly, feeling disappointed in her, but they didn't expect such a quick reversal.
【Who said she had no brains? This is too smart!】
【To make a Dragon Country madam completely defeated, I ask you, who else, who else?!】
【So it wasn't just me overthinking. Even a madam has to leave lying down!!! This woman didn't even bat an eye. She's really got guts.】
【Stupid? Where's she stupid? I'd believe it if you said she was a high-IQ criminal.】
Even more excited netizens ran to the neighboring live stream to spam the chat!
【Quick! Neighboring Xiao Jiang Jiang found another dismembered limb!】
【Spread the word! Neighboring silly Jiang found human remains!】
【After the bloody human head, this time it's a human palm. Are you sure you want to miss it?】
【.......】
In the neighboring live stream, a young woman sat at a stall by the roadside, meticulously painting on a stone. A serene and elegant smile graced her face. She wore a simple linen Chinese-style long dress, and her large braided pigtail added an artistic flair to her.
Before participating in the show, she was clearly outstanding in appearance and multi-talented but had remained obscure. After signing up for the show, she became popular by leveraging the gimmick of being a wandering artist, and everything was going as expected.
She wanted the popularity, she wanted the show's prize money. This time, she was determined to...
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She gave an apologetic smile to the person in front of her, took out her phone, and saw the message. Her eyes suddenly darkened, and the smile on her face vanished completely.
Gossip is an inherent trait in every person from the Dragon Country. Upon hearing that Jiang Xiaoya had found another dismembered limb, others immediately switched live streams without hesitation.
The number of viewers in Zhou Yuyu's live stream instantly plummeted. Zhou Yuyu almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
On the other side.
The number of viewers in Jiang Xiaoya's live stream soared, and the constantly refreshing, rapidly increasing bullet comments flew by.
【Holy crap, that thing on the ground!!! Is it really a human palm?!】
【The clean break in the wound indicates a sharp instrument. The dried blood suggests it's been there for a while.】
【If she hadn't been live streaming the whole time, I'd suspect she was the one who disposed of the body.】
【Look how skilled the girl has become; she knows how to get the reward money more smoothly.】
Some netizens even began analyzing the case on the spot, making people's hair stand on end and spreading unease.
Netizens who joined the live stream later were completely confused.
【Just joined the live stream. Aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters, is it this slightly disheveled young lady who found a human head and now a palm?】
【Is this a legal education program? Are they all actors? This woman's appearance doesn't fit the image of a wise detective police officer.】
【I just went to pee. Can someone tell me what just happened?】
Before netizens could clarify, the production team quickly released a replay video, and many people finally understood the whole story.
Having found human remains twice, the show once again topped the trending searches. Many netizens flocked to the live stream after hearing the news. Initially, they just wanted to watch the excitement, but after calming down and thinking about it carefully, various doubts arose.
How could the same person find dismembered limbs twice in different locations? If it was a coincidence, such luck would be defying the heavens.
In short, Jiang Xiaoya's name was finally remembered by netizens.
At the same time, the police department was also very somber after receiving Jiang Xiaoya's call.
It wasn't that they suspected Jiang Xiaoya was the murderer; they had already understood that she was participating in a live broadcast program and had been on camera the entire time, making it impossible for her to commit the crime.
If Jiang Xiaoya wasn't the suspect, there was only one possibility: the murderer was also watching the live broadcast and intentionally disposing of the body near her to provoke their investigation team.
The nature of the crime was extremely heinous.
The investigators arrived quickly. One group adjusted nearby surveillance cameras, conducted searches, and interviewed people, while another group took Jiang Xiaoya back to record her statement.
Compared to the warm atmosphere in the police car last time, the mood this time was much colder and harder. Several police officers stared at Jiang Xiaoya with probing and scrutinizing gazes.
Jiang Xiaoya knew what they suspected, but she was upright and feared no shadows, so she wasn't flustered at all. However, she was also inwardly complaining bitterly. Why did the detection skill given by this system only detect these kinds of things? If she wasn't short on money, would she do this?
The investigators took Jiang Xiaoya's statement and, after confirming and ruling out her motive for the crime, secretly had someone monitor her live stream, hoping to find more clues.
Because it was an urgent reward order, the police department paid the bounty very promptly. Jiang Xiaoya received it right after giving her statement.
Jiang Xiaoya left the police station in a good mood with the money. She planned to hail a taxi on the street, take a bus with cash, and then find a cheap hotel to wash up, change clothes, and get a good night's sleep.
As for why she was staying in a cheap hotel, with the little money she had, how could she not budget her spending?
Jiang Xiaoya rubbed her sticky arms and walked towards the roadside with her head down.