Julius watched the constant debates with relish as he partook his breakfast. Jeff was nowhere to be found. Right before Julius vacated his room, Jeff appeared before him and sent him off. Julius noted that Jeff's enthusiasm had cooled down a bit, but didn't think much of it. He also noticed that Jeff was in high spirits. When he enquired, Jeff played it off with a shrug. It made the unease deep in his heart increase.

But, Julius put those messy thoughts away and boarded the plane to New York. While the NBA was in chaos, Julius calmly returned to New York and reached his community in Brooklyn.

Even in Brooklyn, the discussion about Glenn Robinson's big contract was abundant. The news had broken last night and the papers were having a field day. Even Dave and Tony were a little concerned about it.

Julius didn't pay much attention to it. He knew the end result. The Big Dog wouldn't get his wish, but would land a substantial contract. But as a ripple effect, the league would implement a salary cap for the rookies starting from the next season. This would also indirectly raise the price for player contracts in the next few years, leading to the big lockout in 1998.

The consequences of this contract would echo for years to come. However, none of it mattered to Julius. Right now, he had a major headache of his own.

“What the fuck is your problem, Victor? Speak to me,” Julius shouted at his eldest brother as they sat drinking in an abandoned building.

“Fuck off, just because you are a millionaire now, you think you can raise your voice at me? I will fucking gut you like a fish,” Victor snarled back after downing his beer can.

“Asshole, what the fuck are you even moaning about? We have always been like this. This is not the first time for me to shout at you,” Julius cursed and downed his beer.

Victor didn't reply. He merely stayed silent. His eyes were red. He clenched his hands and breathed hard. Julius knew an outburst was on the way. But, he didn't back down. He needed to clear the air between Victor and him as soon as possible. Letting things fester was not a good solution.

As the males in the Creed family, both Victor and Julius had a very strained relationship. They didn't walk the same path. They didn't get along with each other. They were united externally, but divided internally. It was like two tigers occupying the same mountain. Both had dominant personalities. Neither was willing to give way to the other. Friction was inevitable.

And Julius's sudden change in status inevitably widened the rift between them. Julius was a bit worried about how things would turn out eventually. So, he wanted to clear the air between them and establish things before things festered for too long.

Since his return to Brooklyn, there was a strange tension between him and his brother. The change in Julius's status gave him more voice inside the family. Evana and Jessica seemed to listen to his words more now. And this didn't sit well with Victor.

While Mama Creed never took sides and treated both equally, the dynamic inside his family has changed. Even some off-hand comments from Julius were taken seriously. Without meaning to do so, Julius's rise was threatening Victor's position of being the top dog in the family.

“Look asshole, I know things have changed. I am not going to pretend they haven't,” Julius said, pausing a little. Shifting to a comfortable posture, Julius continued. “But, I didn't mean to change things. It just happened. Now, we need to figure out how to move on from here. So, speak what's in your mind. Let's hash it out.”

Victor scowled in return.

“You think just because you are now a millionaire, you have the right to dictate things to me?” Victor asked angrily.

“For fuck's sake, Victor. I'm not a millionaire yet. It will take some time to get there. So, stop calling me a millionaire every fucking sentence. I have just signed a contract. The money isn't in my pocket yet. You know what they say, until it is in your pocket, it isn't yours,” Julius grumbled, taking a swig of his beer.

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Victor scowled in reply. He lit a cigarette and let out a puff. Julius grabbed the box and lit one himself. They sat in silence for a bit smoking together.

“Look Victor, don't keep harping on me being a millionaire. That doesn't change shit between you and me. I am still the same guy who busted your mouth open in my teens,” Julius said after a while causing Victor to shoot him an annoyed look.

“Do I have money, right now? Damn right, I do. But, it changes nothing between you and me. We are still the same brothers who had to look after our family after our deadbeat dad passed away.”

“Oi, keep the old man out of this. I will give you a good thrashing if you talk shit about him,” Victor interrupted.

“Whatever, you know I never took a liking to him,” Julius shrugged. “Still, we need to fix things between us. We can't continue like this. So, spit it out what's on your mind.”

Victor didn't speak immediately. He chugged his beer and smoked away his cigarette for a while before speaking.

“I'm not going to stop my stuff. I know you don't like it, but that is all I know. When we were hungry, it was this that fed us. I'm not going to act all posh and and forget my brothers because you happen to earn some bucks,” Victor said bluntly causing Julius to frown.

In the past few days, this was the main contention between Victor and Julius. Julius wanted Victor to stop getting involved in unclean things. He felt that since he now had money, Victor didn't need to play with his life on the streets.

To this end, he even lobbied his mother and his entire family. Mama Creed naturally wanted her son to be safe. So, she was on board. To the rest of their family, Julius was the current gold master, so they too were on his side. That left Victor alone. So, things became estranged between Julius and Victor.

“I'm down with you not abandoning you brothers. I would never ask you to do that. That is not our way,” Julius spoke after mulling things for a while. “But, I am not happy with the other stuff. You know that I was never a fan of your dealings on the streets.”

“Well, get used to it. I'm not changing myself,” Victor spoke harshly.

“Vic, it is not about changing yourself. You know that stuff is dangerous. You can be killed anytime in that business. That is why I was always against that stuff. After what happened to the old man, none of us in the family want to lose you like that either,” Julius spoke softly, causing Victor to look a bit uncomfortable.

“Here's what I think, now that we aren't strapped for cash, there is no need to put your life on the line in the streets. Even without that, we can still live comfortably. So, it makes no sense to me for you to risk your life. That's why I am asking you to stop that stuff,” Julius spoke earnestly.

Victor didn't reply immediately. He shifted for a bit and lit another cigarette. Julius didn't urge him. He waited patiently for Victor to speak out. After half the cigarette was puffed away and Julius lit another himself, Victor spoke.

“Say, I leave that stuff like you ask, what am I even going to do after that? Do you want me to be your follower? Do you want me to live a soft life by following you around?” Victor asked belligerently.

“As if” Julius snorted. “You aren't Rob. You would never live like that. Is that what's bothering you with my request? Perish that thought,” Julius chuckled.

“Then what do you want me to do? I know nothing else. If I stop doing this, what else am I supposed to do?” Victor asked doubtfully.

“Hmmm, I haven't exactly thought about it. I just didn't want you to risk your life in the streets anymore,” Julius scratched his jaw and spoke. “Well, you can try something different. Something related, but not very dangerous.”

“Like what?”

“Hmmm, how about opening a bar and being the owner? You already run supplies and shit. You know people and how the business is done. You can buy a building, convert it into a bar and be the owner. How about it?”

“Buy a building, heh! Do you think it is that easy? How much would that even cost?”

“Oi, did you forget that you have a millionaire brother here,” Julius said jokingly. “I will front the cost for you to set up the bar and get things running. You have connections right? You know where you can find supplies and all the other jizz. Also, you know those DJs and stuff. It will be easier for you to get things moving once the setup is in place.”

“Hmmm, that seems doable,” Victor mumbled, scratching his jaw.

“You can also employ your brothers in the bar and take care of them. They don't need to risk their lives as well. It is a win-win for you. Heh, if you knew the music stuff better, I would have even told you to start a record label. One hit song and you will be printing money with that stuff,” Julius chuckled.

“Heh, I have some knowledge, but I am not that good with it,” Victor said a bit self-deprecatingly, surprising Julius.