Chapter 3: High-IQ Criminals

"What do you mean by that, ma'am?"

"What do I mean? This is what I threw away this morning, and now I'm just taking back what belongs to me."

The middle-aged woman tugged at the other end of the plastic bag, looking confident, her eyes gleaming with a greedy, possessive light.

"This is your stuff? What evidence do you have to prove it?"

Jiang Xiaoya wore a look of unwillingness.

"Heh, evidence? There's meat in here, the kind my dog eats every day. I accidentally threw it away today. Hurry up and let go—don't tell me you're trying to fight a dog for its food?"

The woman looked at the blood-stained plastic bag, guessing it might be spoiled meat that she could take back for her dog, so she refused to let go no matter what.

"Are you sure?"

Jiang Xiaoya gave her a suspicious look.

Seeing the woman nod, a subtle, imperceptible curve tugged at the corner of Jiang Xiaoya's lips. She suddenly raised her fingertips and pinched the plastic bag tightly, and a *rip* sound was heard.

Seeing her exert force, the woman used both hands to hug the plastic bag, but the bag tore open. Something fell from inside into her palm and then slid onto the ground.

The woman first smelled a pungent, fishy stench. When she touched the cold, hard hand bone, something seemed to flash before her eyes, and she thought her vision had blurred.

*Why does it look so much like a human hand?*

Her eyes widened like copper bells as she looked carefully at what had fallen to the ground.

There, lying on the ground, was a bloody object—what else could it be but a large hand chopped off from a human body?

"Ah!!!!"

"Gack."

The woman's eyes rolled back, and she was scared into a dead faint on the spot.

Jiang Xiaoya looked panicked on the surface, but in reality, she was as steady as could be. She quickly took out her phone and dialed the police.

When she passed the trash can earlier, the system had given her a prompt. Combined with the red blood mist visible to the naked eye, she had already guessed what was inside.

"Hello, Officer? I want to report a crime. I'm reporting that I found human remains in a street trash can."

The reward money was what mattered. As for whether the fainting woman would be traumatized, that was none of her business—she was the one who had rushed over.

The netizens in the livestream were equally dumbfounded.

Those who had just been calling Jiang Xiaoya stupid and feeling frustrated by her lack of sense didn't expect such a quick reversal.

【Who said she had no brains? This is incredibly smart.】

【To be able to defeat a Longguo auntie, I ask you, who else is there? Who else?!!!】

【So I wasn't overthinking it; even an auntie has to be carried away if she messes with her!!! This woman didn't even change her expression. She's got guts, damn it.】

【Stupid? Where is she stupid? I'd believe you if you said she was a high-IQ criminal.】

Some netizens even excitedly ran to the neighboring livestream to spam the chat!

【Quick, look! Little Jiang next door found human remains again!】

【Spread the word, Silly Jiang next door found human remains!】

【Following the bloody head, this time it's a human hand. Are you sure you want to miss this?】

【......】

In the neighboring livestream, a young woman was setting up a stall on the curb, painting seriously with a stone. She wore a detached, elegant smile, a simple linen Chinese-style dress, and large braided pigtails, which added an artistic flair to her presence.

Before participating in the show, she was clearly outstanding and talented, but she had always been lukewarm. After signing up for the show, she relied on the gimmick of being a "wandering painter" to break out; everything was going as expected.

She wanted the popularity, she wanted the prize money, and this time she was determined to...

The phone in her pocket vibrated. She gave an apologetic smile to the person in front of her and took out her phone. Upon seeing the message, her eyes suddenly darkened, and the smile on her face vanished completely.

Gossip is in the nature of every Longguo person. Hearing that Jiang Xiaoya had found remains again, others immediately switched livestreams without hesitation.

The viewership of Zhou Yuyu's livestream plummeted instantly, and Zhou Yuyu almost coughed up blood.

On the other side.

The viewership of Jiang Xiaoya's livestream climbed steadily, and the rapidly scrolling barrage was flying by.

【Holy crap, that thing on the ground!!! Is that really a human hand?!!!】

【The cut is clean, indicating it was caused by a sharp weapon. The blood on the wound is dried and cracked; it must have been there for a while.】

【If she hadn't been livestreaming the whole time, I would have suspected she was the one who dumped the body.】

【Look at how skilled the girl is; she knows exactly how to get the reward money more smoothly.】

Some netizens even started analyzing the case on the spot, which sounded hair-raising and made people uneasy.

Netizens who joined the livestream later were confused.

【Just joined the stream. Uncles, aunties, brothers, and sisters, may I ask if this slightly disheveled-looking young lady found a head, and now a hand?】

【Is this a legal education show? Are they all actors? This woman doesn't look like a wise, crime-solving police officer either.】

【I just went to pee. Can someone tell me what just happened?】

Before the netizens could get answers, the production team quickly released a recap video, and many finally understood the ins and outs of the matter.

Having found human remains twice, the show topped the trending searches again. Many netizens flocked to the livestream upon hearing the news. At first, they just wanted to watch the spectacle, but after calming down and thinking about it, they started whispering among themselves.

How could the same person find remains in two different locations? If you call it a coincidence, this kind of luck is heaven-defying.

In any case, the name Jiang Xiaoya was finally remembered by the netizens.

Meanwhile, the police were also in a somber mood after receiving Jiang Xiaoya's call.

It wasn't that they suspected Jiang Xiaoya was the murderer; they had already learned that she was participating in a livestream show and had been on camera the whole time, so she couldn't have had the opportunity to commit the crime.

Since Jiang Xiaoya wasn't a suspect, there was only one possibility: the murderer was also watching the livestream and intentionally dumping bodies near her to provoke their investigation team.

The nature of the case was extremely heinous.

The investigators arrived quickly. One group checked nearby surveillance and conducted interviews, while another group took Jiang Xiaoya back to give a statement.

Compared to the warmth in the police car last time, the atmosphere this time felt much colder and harder. Several officers stared at Jiang Xiaoya with probing and scrutinizing eyes.

Jiang Xiaoya knew what they were suspicious of, but her conscience was clear, so she wasn't panicked at all. However, she was complaining internally—why did the detection skill given by this system only detect these kinds of things? If she weren't short on money, would she do this?

The investigators took Jiang Xiaoya's statement and, after confirming that her motive for the crime was ruled out, secretly had someone keep an eye on her livestream, thinking they might find clues.

Because it was an emergency bounty, the police paid the reward quickly, and Jiang Xiaoya received it as soon as she finished her statement.

With the money in hand, Jiang Xiaoya left the police station in high spirits. She planned to hail a taxi on the road, use cash to take a bus, 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?

Jiang Xiaoya rubbed her sticky arms and walked toward the side of the road with her head down.

(End of chapter)