Chapter 12: Control Group

【This is the truth. If Jiang Xiaoya was a witness to the murder case, the police station letting her go without a thorough investigation is a dereliction of duty. Even if it has been clarified that she has no direct connection to the murder, she was the one who found the dismembered body and the one who caught the killer. I ask you, is the Licheng police force just for show? If Jiang Xiaoya is so capable, why not invite her to the station to take charge? None of this makes any sense.】

【Anyone with eyes can see that things aren't simple. Jiang Xiaoya must be involved in the murder case, yet she got out so easily. I can't imagine how dark life must be for the people of Licheng.】

【I will continue to follow this matter. I believe that justice may be delayed, but it will not be absent.】

The news of Jiang Xiaoya being released from the police station hit the trending list once again. Netizens had various opinions, and even those who don't usually follow online trends had heard the bizarre story of someone finding severed limbs and then running into a murderer.

The official website of the Licheng Police Department finally issued a statement, explaining the ins and outs of the case. The official letter clearly stated that Jiang Xiaoya indeed had no direct connection to the murder, the victim, or the case as a whole. In the end, the letter even praised Jiang Xiaoya for her heroic behavior as a good citizen in assisting with the investigation.

With this, the sensational dismemberment and murder case came to an end in just one day, with only a few netizens keen on the case still discussing and analyzing it.

The case was over, but the popularity of Jiang Xiaoya’s livestream was only rising.

There was no other reason; they were all curious about what Jiang Xiaoya would find next.

Jiang Xiaoya had no time to pay attention to public opinion and was unaware of the smoke and mirrors online. After getting some money, she first found a place to have a full meal. Because she had followed the police back to the station from the beach last night, her original luggage was still left there. She returned to the beach, intending to retrieve it.

This luggage was prepared for participating in the show. Aside from a few sets of clothes, the wilderness survival tools and repair/dismantling tools were all essential items permitted by the production team.

Jiang Xiaoya parked her bike and returned to the place where she had washed up yesterday to find her backpack. Just as she was about to leave, her "Sky Eye" earpiece rang with a notification from the production team about a new task.

This was the first task issued by the production team in the four days since the show began.

All contestants were to head to the Licheng landfill to sort through trash and earn income from valuable waste.

The production team’s task was announced through the Sky Eye earpiece, so the netizens in the livestream heard it clearly.

Netizens teased one another.

【Look at how biased the show has become; even the production team can't stand it anymore.】

【Why do I feel like the production team is afraid of Jiang Xiaoya clashing with the police again? Look at how the public reputation of Licheng is being portrayed online.】

【Why do you guys sound so sarcastic? Finding severed limbs was luck, and running into a killer was also luck. Can you even imply something from that?】

【Don't guess blindly. The previous season also had a task segment. This is to let everyone know that there are many valuable things among the trash and waste that people don't need in their daily lives.】

Regardless of the netizens' reactions, the location of the landfill was quickly sent to each contestant's livestream via the Sky Eye.

Jiang Xiaoya looked at the location on her phone; it was only a dozen minutes away by bike. She immediately put her phone away and rode over.

Never mind the production team, she herself didn't want to hit the "jackpot" again. If she found severed limbs in a trash can on the street a few more times, even if the police had no evidence, they wouldn't let her go so easily.

Jiang Xiaoya’s location was in a remote area near the sea, close to the landfill, so she arrived quickly by bike.

However, there were more competitive contestants who had arrived before her and had already staked out their spots.

Jiang Xiaoya glanced at the area assigned to her—a mountain of trash piled up like a hill. It looked like it had been there for years and had been picked through countless times. Could there be any valuable junk left?

Just as Jiang Xiaoya was about to step forward to argue, a staff member urged her impatiently.

"We have work to do here. You guys go pick over there; don't get in our way."

Jiang Xiaoya glanced at the newly arrived garbage truck, then at the sorting staff eyeing them like tigers. They were all men and women in their fifties, and their gazes toward the contestants were full of wariness and defensiveness.

Jiang Xiaoya thought of the elderly people in the city who picked up scraps as a side job. Forget about snatching scraps from their hands; it would be a miracle if they didn't swipe your half-finished water bottle while you were distracted.

The contestant beside her didn't know if he was trying to persuade her or comfort himself.

"Let's just go over there. We'll go a bit further in. You go that way, I'll take this side. We'll definitely be able to scrounge up enough for a meal."

"Trash in the city is hard to find, and the competition is fierce. The landfill is different. Besides street trash, waste from factories and small workshops is transported directly here. The opportunities are much better than wandering the streets."

"Makes sense!" After a few seconds of careful thought, Jiang Xiaoya knew she couldn't out-compete the elderly in the city, especially on their own turf. Being a person who knows when to yield, she nodded solemnly, picked up her snake-skin bag, and walked toward her assigned area with high spirits.

Whether she could find junk was one thing, but her attitude had to be positive and upright.

The man headed in the other direction.

About an hour later, the other contestants arrived one after another. Unsurprisingly, they were also "driven" to the back, to the ruins of the ancient trash mountain.

Only one person was an exception.

As soon as Zhou Yuyu arrived on her bike, she was warmly welcomed by several middle-aged women.

"Oh my, is this Yuyu? My daughter loves the drawings you make."

"Yuyu is so handsome, and so talented at drawing. My child watches your livestream on their phone every day."

"Right? So good-looking and talented. I'm happy that the kids like Yuyu."

The sorting staff took turns showering her with praise.

Zhou Yuyu had just parked her bike, brushed back her sweat-dampened bangs, and wore a shy, pure expression, thanking them repeatedly while looking at a loss.

"Thank you, thank you. Thank you all for your love. I will continue to work hard. Thank you all."

Under the enthusiastic solicitation of the women, Zhou Yuyu easily entered the sorting station. The elderly staff didn't hold back at all, telling her how to effectively and quickly find valuable trash, and kept praising her for her good personality.

The fans in the livestream were also very supportive, with the comments praising her to the high heavens.

For some reason, various posts started appearing, comparing Zhou Yuyu and Jiang Xiaoya, spreading across major video websites.

One was a high-颜值 (good-looking) talented painter whom the elderly doted on, while the other was a "corpse-finding girl" whom the elderly didn't give any face to—her true character was clearly revealed.

This post rode the wave of Jiang Xiaoya's news from the past two days and hit the trending list.

Many people heard the news and entered Zhou Yuyu's livestream.

Zhou Yuyu heard her phone ping, saw the secret signal sent by her friend, and knew the plan had succeeded. She put on a mask, her eyes crinkling into a smile, wiped away her sweat, and buried her head in searching for junk, crafting an image of someone pure, beautiful, capable, and upwardly mobile.

(End of chapter)