Chapter 65: The Civilized Middle Finger

Her speed was much faster than the others struggling through the wind, and she quickly overtook quite a few people ahead.

Along the way, she saw people from nearby communities, as well as acquaintances from her own.

Stella Sterling wasn’t the only one who chose to travel alone.

Some people who were unwilling to wait had already left. Others, like Stella Sterling, simply preferred to be alone. Since they also had the means to protect themselves, most of them chose to travel solo.

Others traveled in small groups with close friends, while some were couples journeying together.

There was no shortage of solo travelers.

However, looking around, she mostly saw young people or middle-aged men in their forties and fifties. Men were the clear majority. The few women she spotted were usually with their husbands.

Other young women living alone, or households supported solely by women, had no choice but to go out for food themselves. However, they always went with neighbors and never traveled alone.

Stella Sterling also saw households of only the elderly; they were waiting in line with the group from their residential complex.

So, moving as a large collective had its pros and cons. In some respects, it did provide for the more vulnerable groups.

’But Stella Sterling knew this was only because it wasn’t time yet. Later on, these vulnerable groups would find it nearly impossible to survive. They’d be bullied within the collective and be the first ones pushed out when danger arose. Their lives would only be slightly better if they were lucky enough to find a leader with a conscience.’

’Otherwise...’

For a moment, watching these people struggling to survive, Stella Sterling’s mind began to wander.

Ever since her rebirth, she sometimes had trouble distinguishing her past life from her present. Certain sights would occasionally trigger memories of her past experiences.

’Then doubt would creep into her heart. Was everything she had now just a dying fantasy? Was there no such thing as rebirth at all—’

At that thought, Stella Sterling smiled and shook her head. Amidst the wind and snow, her gaze grew resolute.

Ahead, a group of four or five people had appeared at some point, blocking her way. They faced Stella Sterling with their arms outstretched, clearly intending to stop her.

Stella Sterling neither stopped nor changed her course. She continued rushing straight toward them.

The man standing in the middle of the group cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled at Stella Sterling, "Stop!"

Some people nearby glanced over. They shot Stella Sterling a sympathetic look, realizing the young woman had been targeted.

"Serves her right!"

Some gloated at her misfortune, while others stopped altogether to watch the show.

Stella Sterling sneered and kept going. ’It’s obvious what these guys are after. If I stop, I’ll be playing right into their hands.’

So, not only did she not stop, she crouched low and accelerated, charging forward even faster.

"The hell? Is she always this arrogant?"

"Haha, she’s actually speeding up! Does she really think she can just crash right through us? What does she think she is, a car?"

The four or five people in front of her were momentarily stunned by Stella Sterling’s actions, then burst into scornful laughter.

Stella Sterling paid their taunts no mind and continued straight for them. A small knife had already appeared in her sleeve, so well-hidden that no one would notice it without looking closely.

’These guys went to all the trouble of waiting for me in the dead of winter. How could I not give them a little surprise?’

The men watched the woman approach, a thrill of anticipation building within them. As soon as Stella Sterling was close enough, they would take her down and snatch the ice skates from her feet.

Just as Stella Sterling reached them and the men braced themselves, she suddenly spun and leaped into the air. Her body rotated a full 360 degrees as she soared effortlessly over them, landing on the other side.

The eyes of everyone watching this scene lit up, a flash of astonishment in their gazes.

"So cool!" a teenager among the spectators shouted excitedly. A young man beside him, however, stared at the bundled-up figure with a puzzled expression, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.

Even the five men who had blocked her path were stunned. The next moment, the man in the middle suddenly hissed and clutched his face.

"Drake, your face is cut!"

The woman beside him exclaimed.

A cut had just appeared on the man’s face, missing the corner of his eye by a hair’s breadth. The wound wasn’t deep, but if it had been any closer, he would have been blinded.

The five of them, shocked and enraged, whipped around to look at the woman now several meters away. They knew she must have done it.

Meanwhile, Stella Sterling had stopped a short distance ahead. She brazenly brandished the small knife in her hand, making it clear that she was the one who had cut him.

Seeing their shocked and furious expressions, she tucked the knife away, gave them a very "civilized" middle finger, and then turned and left with a loud laugh.

Her carefree departure filled many onlookers with envy. One person even sighed, "Ah, to be young and fit. To be able to move like that in this weather... not like me. I get winded after a few steps and have to stop and rest for a while!"

Stella Sterling’s laughter felt like a series of slaps to the faces of the five assailants. They were left feeling both furious and humiliated.

The man with the cut on his face wore a grim expression. No one felt the lingering fear more than he did; he had almost been blinded. ’Was that all she could do,’ he wondered, ’or did she hold back?’

"Drake, are you okay?" one of the men beside him asked worriedly.

Drake shook his head. "I’m fine."

He watched her retreating figure but made no move to give chase. He probably couldn’t catch her anyway, and with the treacherous road conditions, a fall would be a major problem. He decided to just drop the idea.

He turned to the other four. "Didn’t expect some random woman to be this skilled. I really misjudged this one. From now on, we can’t underestimate anyone we see traveling alone!"

As he spoke, he touched the wound on his face. The stinging pain flared up again, a sharp reminder of his failure.

The girl next to him, her earlier arrogance gone, added, "Maybe she’s only traveling alone *because* she’s got skills."

Everyone was saying the apocalypse had arrived; even the disbelievers were starting to come around. Who wouldn’t choose to travel in a group if they could help it?

The group fell silent. The gawking crowd had already dispersed. Drake let out a short laugh. "Alright, no need to get so down. Just remember the lesson. Besides, cases like this are rare. And sometimes, the ones who think they’re hot stuff are the first to die!"

He gazed into the distance, not bothering to tend to the cut on his face. "Let’s go. Getting food is what’s most important. That woman is probably heading to Solara Plaza for supplies, too. We’ll see her again."