Lex did background checks on everyone.

Employees. Business partners. Investors. Politicians. Anyone who thought they were important enough to be in the same room as him.

So he noticed immediately when information started appearing on his desk that he hadn’t ordered.

Clean files. Organized. Highlighted. Relevant.

Not just basic background information—patterns, connections, prior lawsuits, known associates, quiet scandals that hadn’t quite made it into the public eye yet.

Useful information.

Very useful information.

He stood in his office, flipping through one of the folders slowly, thoughtfully, already recognizing how much time this saved him, how many resources, how many favors he didn’t have to call in now.

“…You used to be a private investigator,” he said.

A pause as he turned another page.

“And now you do this recreationally.”

Another page turned.

“…You realize most people relax by watching television.”

He closed the file, tapping it once against the desk to straighten the edges.

“This,” Lex said calmly, “is significantly more helpful.”

He set the file down in the stack he had labeled Immediate Attention.

Then he added, almost like he was updating a job description—

“If you find anything that can be used as leverage, put a red tab on it.”