On deck, the underlings were playing cards by the light of the rhombic stone.
They were cursing and swearing, all with tempers flaring.
Yuan Tong stood at the stern, hand on the ship's rail.
He knew everyone was upset.
He was too.
But there was no helping it.
Circumstances were stronger than people, and when the Deputy Commander of the Seventh Fleet, He Jiu, gave an order, it was the command of the Dead Sea Knights. If his crew wanted to scrape a living on the Dead Sea, they had to bow their heads.
After the last job, he had wanted to retire and return to his old trade as a craftsman. Now with some savings, he could buy a workshop in the city and lead a stable life.
Then a knight guard from the Dead Sea Knights came and praised him.
He said, "We'll give all the nearby maritime jobs to you, as long as you, leader Yuan, stay here one more day, this area will be yours. We trust you, with you in charge, everyone feels assured."
