Towers. Everyone's chilling when an unmarked cop car squeals in. A bunch of cops we don't recognize pop out of the car in yellow windbreakers; they're soon joined by unis in a regular car, and then a bunch of SWAT guys. The cops seem to start grabbing up and harassing whoever happens to be loitering around, most of whom protest their detainment. Off to the side, Bunny watches, unimpressed. Coming around the side of the car to join him, Lt. Dennis Mello (the real Jay Landsman) comments, "Shame a kid had to get killed before we got around to doing this." "What exactly is it that we're doing?" rumbles Bunny, taking the words right out of my mouth. If Mello has a good answer, we'll have to wait...

...because then we're at John's Radio And Television, where Prop Joe is bemoaning a "young boy killed over bullshit." When we go inside, we see he's talking to a sullen Stringer; Prop Joe adds, "Now you got the police crawling all the way up your ass. It's a good day to be an Eastside nigga, I gotta say." Stringer quietly says that it won't happen that way if he takes Prop Joe up on his offer. If his crew starts working a good package, they'll be too busy selling to get into fights over territory. Prop Joe asks whether Stringer's ever heard of a Charlie Sollers, "goes all the way back to Franklin and Fremont...all the way back to the '60s and shit." The name doesn't ring a bell for Stringer. Prop Joe says that Sollers "sold heroin like it was water...made himself some money." Stringer repeats that he doesn't know about this Sollers dude, and Prop Joe says, "I know you don't. And the police don't. And the stick-up boys wouldn't have a fucking clue either. 'Cause Charlie Sollers just sold dope. No profile, no street rep. Just buy for a dollar, sell for two. Sometimes, when your back up against the wall, you go to the gun. I know. I been there. But you ain't gotta live by it. Avon -- Avon a soldier. That's who you want wit' you when the shit fly. But as far as business go...?" All of this excellent advice seems to land with Stringer, who leans forward to ask, "You still got that connect?" "Right off the boat, String," Prop Joe assures him again. "A-ight," says Stringer at last. "I'm gonna buy from you at the price you paying, and I'll let you walk that shit straight in the Towers. You can have 734, 770, and 221. I keep the other three." Prop Joe nods imperceptibly, and asks, "How you gonna tell it to Avon?" Stringer shakes his head irritably, squinting, and asks, "It makes sense, don't it? He gonna hear something when it makes sense." Prop Joe cocks his head dubiously. Stringer: "Right?" Yeah, maybe you want to workshop that story a little before you try to perform it for real.