In a hushed silence,
a man with hair half black and half white, surrounded by several Iron Hand Group Hall Masters, stepped forward slowly. His face was weather-worn and authoritative. After arriving on the deck, he glanced over the seated heads of the various boat gangs and spoke in a leisurely tone,
"Gentlemen, there's no need to be tense. You have been in charge of this Wu River territory for a decade or so. Today is my birthday. While I am hosting you in celebration, I also wish to take this opportunity to discuss the river's ongoing contributions with you all."
Liu Bin and many other gang leaders exchanged looks at this, and soon someone spoke up, "We dare not, we dare not. It's only by the Group Leader's grace that we have our livelihoods. Whatever the Group Leader commands, we will dutifully follow."
The others echoed in agreement, but inwardly they all silently suffered.
