Chapter 297
Dorothea was supposed to be on the road for two hours, but she pulled up to the hotel in just an hour and a half.
The hotel manager brought her straight to one of the guest rooms. “Dorothea, look at this. It’s only nine o’clock and the whole place is already shaking. Only the penthouse and executive suites on the top floor are unaffected. Every other standard room can feel the vibrations p>
He let out a sigh. “Our rating has already tanked to 3.8 stars. Negative reviews just keep coming. We’re running out of options p>
Abbot looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “I’ve tried talking to the bar next door, but they refuse to even pick up the phone. I’ve filed complaints too, but no one’s gotten back to me p>
If this went on, the hotel might have to relocate. But moving an entire hotel was insanely expensive. They didn’t have nearly enough profits to cover something like that.
It wasn’t just Abbot who was stressed. The whole staff-over two hundred people- were on edge. Some couldn’t take it anymore and had already quit. With business falling off a cliff, nobody could survive on base pay alone.
Dorothea frowned. “This branch was built three years ago, right? Why hasn’t this happened before? When did that bar open p>
“About a year ago. Back then, it was a lounge bar with quiet music. The soundproofing was pretty good and there wasn’t any real noise, so our guests didn’t complain. But a couple weeks ago, they suddenly switched to a full-blown nightclub. They brought in new speakers and pro DJ gear, but the soundproofing is nowhere near enough for that kind of volume p>
Dorothea tapped her finger on the table. “So when did the change happen? A month ago p>
“Not quite. More like two weeks ago p>
Dorothea narrowed her eyes. “Got it. Let’s take a look next door. Bring a few people with you p>
She paused. “But don’t bring anyone who’s been there before. Find some fresh faces p>
“Understood p>
Dorothea’s assistant looked puzzled. “Dorothea, shouldn’t city planning have blocked a club like this right next to a hotel p>
“Exactly. Which means someone’s backing them p>
And it had to be someone pretty powerful for them to act so fearless.
Dorothea had her assistant change into something less conspicuous. A suit would stand out too much. Dorothea herself was casually dressed and blended right in.
They found a spot in the main area and Dorothea ordered a couple drinks and some snacks. She glanced around, taking it all in.
Her assistant leaned over and whispered, “I checked. They don’t have a food
service license or a tobacco retail permit p>
“What about their fire safety p>
A few minutes later, another
back with photos.
employee with piles
The fire exits were
of junk and there were barely any fire extinguishers in sight.
Dorothea had seen enough. She hadn’t touched her drink. She just stood and led her group out.
Some of the bar’s marketing staff noticed them leaving. “What was up with that table?” one of them muttered.
Someone who actually paid attention seemed to realize something was wrong and quickly made a call to tip someone off.
As soon as Dorothea and her group got back to the hotel, Abbot’s phone rang.
He showed her the screen. “It’s the bar manager. Some guy named Byron Farr p>
Dorothea nodded. “Pick up. Put him on speaker and start recording p>
Abbot answered, but before he could say a word, the voice on the other end came in hot.
“So you people came to my bar to snoop around, huh? Listen up. Whatever photos you took, you’d better delete them. Otherwise, next time see you’ll make sure you regret it p>
Abbot’s face turned red. “We live in a society with laws. What exactly are you threatening p>
The guy just laughed. “You think I care? I can get someone to deal with you. Didn’t your boss just arrive? I’ll take care of her too p>
Dorothea’s eyes narrowed. She hadn’t expected the guy to be so brazen.
She spoke up, calm and cold. “Farr, you must have some powerful backup. Is that where you get your courage p>
Farr clearly hadn’t expected a woman on the line. He immediately turned sleazy. “Oh, a beauty, huh? I’ve got more than just guts Want to see for yourself? Content belong’s fo
Abbot hung up without another word.
“Dorothea, don’t waste your breath on him. He’s just scum p>
“Call the police. Report their safety violations and the fire hazards. Their equipment’s outdated and there’s a real risk something could go wrong.” “On it p>
Dorothea pressed her fingers to her temples and headed back to her room.