The next morning, Mason was in his office by 6 AM, two hours before his usual schedule. The city was still waking up, but Mason's mind was already calculating, planning, strategizing. The conversation with Antonio from last night replayed in his head, each word Antonio had spoken fueling his anger.
He picked up his phone and dialed Derek's number.
"Good morning, Mr. Liu," Derek answered on the first ring. Derek had been Mason's assistant for a long time now, and he knew that early morning calls meant serious business.
"Derek, I need you to do some research," Mason said without preamble. "Diamond Sound Entertainment. I want everything – their financial records, their contracts, their legal vulnerabilities, their business partnerships. Everything."
Derek was already pulling up his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard. "How deep do you want me to go, sir?"
