Chapter 204 Riven’s Impure Motives
Under normal circumstances, when a hotel encounters this kind of situation, they'd prioritize settling things privately with the victim—compensating them and reaching an agreement to keep things quiet and protect the hotel's reputation.
I quietly reminded Cassian, "The hotel's reputation won't stay the same forever, and it can't get any worse than it is now."
Cassian understood what I meant and immediately picked up the landline phone on the front desk.
"You can't call the police!" a female voice shouted.
Everyone looked at Riven. She was very agitated. "No, if you call the police, what about our privacy? Won't the footage that was taken be seen by even more people? No way!"
The middle-aged female guest frowned slightly.
I stared at Riven and patiently tried to persuade her, "Secret filming is illegal. In fact, hotels are just like parks and shopping malls—public places that are common targets for criminals who do this kind of thing. This incident not only violates the guests' privacy but also damages our hotel's reputation. We must call the police! We must let professionals handle this!"
After I finished speaking, I took out my phone and directly dialed the emergency number.
"Hello, I need to report a crime. Illegal hidden cameras have been discovered at the Platinum Haven Hotel."
Riven's face turned pale. The middle-aged woman's daughter, thinking she was scared, gently comforted her, "Don't worry, the police will protect our privacy. Giving the videos to the police is better than leaving them in the hands of some pervert! Being secretly filmed isn't our fault—no one will blame us."
Riven looked panicked and couldn't listen to any reassurance.
Fifteen minutes later, several police officers walked into the lobby. The leader was Edgar, in full uniform, standing tall with a calm expression. When he saw me, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"Who called the police?"
"I did." I handed him the evidence I'd prepared. "She found a pinhole camera in our hotel restroom. She insisted she was secretly filmed. We've already checked the surveillance footage. This morning at 9:13, she went to the restroom once, then again at 10:05, when she discovered the pinhole camera. Coincidentally,"
I glanced at Riven and smiled slightly, "at 9:10, our security department had just inspected that restroom and found no pinhole camera. I have reason to suspect someone is deliberately making up lies and trying to extort money!"
Everyone gasped.
The middle-aged woman immediately pulled her confused daughter away from Riven's side.
"I didn't!" Riven snapped out of it and loudly protested in panic. "You're framing me!"
"I didn't say it was you. Don't get worked up," I said calmly. "Whoever the culprit is, the police are here now, and they'll definitely get to the bottom of it!"
I'd been watching Riven's reactions the whole time. My gut told me she was definitely not just an innocent victim!
Edgar had his subordinates verify the surveillance records while he walked up to Riven and asked with a serious expression, "Please hand over that camera to us."
Riven clenched her fists tightly, then slowly opened her palm after other guests urged her to.
Edgar picked up the camera to examine it, then frowned after a moment. "This thing seems to be broken."
As soon as he finished speaking, Riven let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.
But Edgar immediately continued, "However, that doesn't matter. The data transmission chip isn't broken. And there's a code on it—the camera's name. Generally speaking, after this kind of device is installed, it needs to connect via Bluetooth to confirm the connection is successful and the video transmission is clear. So as long as we have a technician investigate, we can find the Bluetooth signal that connected to it."
Riven instinctively gripped the phone in her pocket tighter.
I saw that Edgar was also quietly observing Riven's reaction. He probably already had a good idea of what was going on.
Edgar turned and called someone over. "Perfect, we have a technician right here. If the Bluetooth device that connected to this camera is nearby, we can find it immediately."
He raised his voice and said to everyone in the lobby, "Now, I need everyone to take out their phones and turn on Bluetooth. We need to record everyone's Bluetooth names."
People cooperatively took out their phones. Only one person didn't move.
It was Riven.
"Riven?" Edgar stared at her. "Where's your phone?"
"I'm the victim. Why should I be checked too?" Riven asked loudly, lacking confidence.
"We can't rule out any possibility. And based on what the surveillance footage shows, you are indeed very suspicious."
Riven was already feeling guilty, and after Edgar bluffed her a few times, her expression became very unnatural.
"I... I..."
She refused to hand over her phone. The other watching guests gradually caught on and started pointing and whispering about her.
"Her reaction is so strange."
"Why do I feel like she's acting guilty?"
"Could she really be the one making all this up?"
The mother and daughter who had just defended Riven looked at her suspiciously and asked angrily, "It was you, wasn't it? You made up these lies, deceived us into sympathizing with you, and tried to frame the hotel!"
Riven's eyes darted around.
I spoke up at the right moment to add pressure. "The hotel lobby has people coming and going. Even in just one hour, maybe a dozen victims were filmed."
Several people in the crowd who had used that restroom pointed at Riven nervously. "Officer, arrest her quickly!"
"It must be her!"
"Is this woman some kind of pervert? Or did she want to sell these videos for money? We're all women—how could you do something like this!"
Accused by the crowd, Riven frantically tried to defend herself. "I'm not a pervert! And I didn't want to sell these videos. I just wanted to scam the hotel out of some money!"
People gasped.
Edgar said expressionlessly to his subordinate, "Take her back to the station. Let's wrap this up."
Riven was taken away. I generously compensated the guests present, then left the follow-up work to Cassian.
After returning to my office, I called Edgar to invite him for coffee.
Edgar came quickly and had thoughtfully changed out of his police uniform.
But his brow was furrowed with worry, and the way he looked at me held a hint of frustration.
I looked at him and smiled. "What's wrong? Did I offend you somehow?"
"No." Edgar kept his head down drinking coffee. Only after finishing half the pot did he finally ask, "Does our deal still stand?"
He was referring to my promise to help him get promoted.
"Of course it stands. Why, don't you have confidence in me?" I asked jokingly.
"The Chaotic Zone's territory is almost completely taken over. Aren't you worried?" Edgar asked.
"I can't stop those forces from entering the Chaotic Zone, and neither can you," I said unhurriedly, blowing on the coffee in my cup. "Don't be anxious. They're not all enemies."
Edgar sighed.
I glanced at him. "If you really don't have confidence, why not find someone else to work with?"
Edgar shook his head decisively. "No thanks. Since I chose you, I won't change my mind—betraying you would definitely end badly for me."
I patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll definitely make you the youngest police chief. By the way, about that woman named Riven—I suspect she wasn't just trying to scam the hotel for money."
Edgar raised an eyebrow. "You mean?"
I put down my cup, my expression turning cold. "Someone must be behind her, pulling the strings."