Am I a Kamen Rider or the real young master who was switched at birth?

The old man's gentle and kind voice resonated throughout every corner of the auction hall via the surround sound system under the dome.

He stood in the center of the circular stage, his hands clasped in front of him, a warm and gentle smile on his lips:

"Alright—I hope everyone has a great time here. There are many rare and precious items to see today, and I hope every guest can find their favorite treasure."

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the auction hall.

The applause started in the velvet seating area of ​​the first-floor lobby and spread all the way to the VIP boxes on the second and third floors, the glass dome trembling slightly in the sound.

The old man raised his hand and pressed it down gently, then turned and walked down the steps on the side of the stage, the hem of his Zhongshan suit swaying gently behind him.

The four holographic projection screens above the stage lit up simultaneously, displaying a three-dimensional image of the first item to be auctioned today.

It was a short sword with an ancient design, its blade covered with intricate runes.

The auctioneer was a middle-aged man in a dark blue suit. He walked to the back of the auction stage in the center of the stage, cleared his throat, and began to introduce the first item of the day in the distinctive intonation of an auctioneer.

In the VIP box, Lin Yumin turned around from in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and sat down on the single sofa opposite Ye Yang. She swiped her fingers lightly on the tablet screen and brought up a list of all the items to be auctioned today.

Her gaze lingered on the screen for a moment, then she looked up at Ye Yang, who was sitting opposite her, resting his chin on his hand and lost in thought, and said in a gentle tone:

"Buy whatever you like when you see it later, don't worry too much about the price. Dad specifically told me before he left today that since you rarely attend auctions, pick out a few things you like. The Lin family never sets a budget limit for this kind of thing."

Ye Yang leaned back on the sofa in a relaxed posture. His lips twitched slightly, then he waved his hand and said somewhat numbly:

"Oh dear—this must cost a lot of money. That bottle of mineral water cost four hundred yuan, and everything here will probably cost several zeros more. Forget it. I'll just sit in the VIP box, eat the free snacks, and watch the show. Surely they don't have to charge for the snacks too, do they?"

Lin Yumin picked up the teacup on the coffee table, took a small sip, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"It's alright. It would be a shame to come to an auction and not buy anything. Last time I came here, I managed to bid on a complete set of lost tactical simulation manuscripts."

"That set of manuscripts was left by a general during the founding of the Federation. It records the troop deployment strategies during the large-scale battles against the Silent Beasts."

"The formation I used in the national finals was partly learned from the manuscript. That manuscript is still in my study safe. It's been used for several years and it's still intact. The paper quality is really good."

Ye Yang was stunned for a moment; he could roughly imagine the scene.

Lin Yumin, who was only a teenager, sat alone in a private box in the auction hall. Facing a room full of buyers who were several times her age, she calmly raised her paddle and won a set of tactical manuscripts that were older than her.

He turned to look at Lin Xingran, who was still sitting cross-legged on the sofa, and asked with a hint of curiosity, "Second sister, what about you? What did you buy last time?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xingran immediately sat up straight on the sofa and swung her legs around several times.

"I bought a deck of cards last time! It was a limited edition from the Federal Energy Technology Research Institute; only fifty decks were ever issued worldwide."

"The backs of those playing cards are laser-etched runes; if you flip over both cards at the same time, a tiny spark of energy will pop out!"

"However, I took it out to play with during evening self-study at school and it was confiscated by the instructor. Later, my older sister helped me get it back from the academic affairs office."

Ye Yang imagined his second sister leading a card game in the classroom and felt that the scene perfectly matched her character.

He turned to Lin Ying, who was sitting next to Han Shuang and quietly flipping through the auction catalog, and asked in a softer tone, "Lin Ying, what did you buy last time?"

Lin Ying raised her head, her light gray eyes widening slightly above the data booklet.

She probably didn't expect Ye Yang to ask her directly. She gently twirled her fingers along the edge of the document booklet several times, then lowered her head and said in a very soft voice, "Last time I came—I bought a seed."

Ye Yang blinked and asked, "What kind of seed?"

Lin Ying's voice softened as she said, "It's the seed of a flower that can sing. The flower is called 'Wind Chime Grass,' and the seller said that when it grows up, its petals glow at night, and it makes a sound like wind chimes when the wind blows."

"I planted it in the corner of the backyard and listened to it every night, but it hasn't sprouted yet. My older sister said it will take several years for this flower to grow. I'll take you to listen to it when it sprouts."

Han Shuang leaned out from the sofa, raised one hand high, and her expression was full of sincere enthusiasm.

"I want to buy a hammer! The Han family's weapon catalog just updated the auction information earlier this year, and I've got my eye on a work hammer in there."

"It's said to have been used by the founding father of the Federal Blacksmiths' Guild. His initials are engraved on the hammerhead, and the handle is made of dragon bone wood, wrapped with extinct red copper wire!"

"This hammer is not only collectible, but it also feels absolutely top-notch when you're using it! The one I'm using now is practically ruined from all the hammering. I have to get this master hammer today—I'll fight anyone who tries to take it from me!"

Zhou Zhi sat gracefully on her single sofa, her hands elegantly folded on her knees, the hem of her cheongsam swaying gently in the breeze from the air conditioner.

"I won't compete with you guys. I'll just photograph some rare herbs; I don't think many people will try to take them from me. After all, mine is a niche market."

"My only goal today is a medicinal herb called 'Black Lingzhi,' which grows deep in the Black Forest and only matures once every five years. The harvesting conditions are extremely demanding. It's simply not available on the market."

Ye Yang's eyelids twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his "I've already taken it all in stride" expression.

He shrugged, about to say something, when there was a light knock on the door of the private room.

The door was pushed open from the outside, and a man in a waiter's uniform walked in.

He was tall and slender, and the dark blue uniform he wore looked less like work clothes and more like some kind of custom-made fashion.

He held an exquisite silver tray in his right hand, on which were neatly arranged several drinks and two prepared cocktails.

His movements were calm and elegant, and the tray remained perfectly still in his hands.

He had high, prominent brow bones, a straight nose, and long, beautiful eyes with very dark pupils. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.

He walked to the coffee table, then bent down slightly and placed the drinks from the tray onto the table one by one with an elegant and composed movement.

Then he tucked the empty tray under his arm and bowed slightly to the people in the private room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your drinks and wines have arrived. Please enjoy yourselves. If you need anything, please feel free to call the front desk."

Han Shuang nudged Lin Xingran's waist with her elbow, then leaned close to her ear and whispered:

"Wow, this waiter is pretty handsome. Are all the waiters at Zhaixing Pavilion this good-looking? His features are much better looking than the boys at our school."

"Especially that smile, it looks mischievous yet very charming. I think he could participate in a talent show. Lin Xingran, what do you think?"

Lin Xingran glanced at the waiter, then turned back expressionlessly and said in a flat tone, "He's alright. I don't like this type; they seem too smart and hard to fool. I prefer the kind who's a bit naive and believes whatever you say."

The waiter smiled slightly at Han Shuang, his smile deepening a little. He slowly straightened up and turned to walk towards the door of the private room.

Just as his gaze swept over Ye Yang, his narrow eyes quickly scanned the magenta camera hanging on Ye Yang's chest.

Ye Yang also happened to turn his head. He had felt something was off ever since the waiter came in.

When he looked up at the tall figure walking past the coffee table, his eyes met those of someone who was quickly looking away from his camera.

His body stiffened very slightly.

The waiter didn't stop. He pushed open the door to the private room and walked out calmly.

The door clicked shut, the slight sound particularly clear in the now quiet private room.

Lin Ying was the first to notice that something was wrong with Ye Yang.

She held the hot cocoa and turned her head to look at Ye Yang's face, which had suddenly become very strange.

Her silvery-white eyelashes fluttered twice, and she asked with a hint of concern in her voice, "What's wrong? Was it that waiter from earlier—"

Ye Yang murmured softly, "No way—"

He jumped up from the sofa, flung open the door to the private room, and rushed out.

He stood at the doorway, looking around for several seconds. The VIP corridor, covered with a red carpet, was empty. At the corner at the end, there was a fire door, the edges of which were still swaying slightly.

He ran to the corner and pushed open the fire door. Behind the door was a staircase leading to an emergency exit. The stairwell was so dark that he could only vaguely see the outline of a few steps.

"No way, no way—could it be him?!"

Lin Xingran and the others also ran out of the private room. Han Shuang was still holding a cup of mojito in her hand. She had almost choked because of the sudden change.

Seeing Ye Yang's excited expression, Lin Xingran asked curiously, "Why are you so agitated? What happened to that waiter? Did he steal something from you?"

Ye Yang turned to face them, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "That person—he looks just like Hai Dong Da Shu!"

Lin Xingran frowned slightly, quickly searching her mind for the name, then shook her head:

"Who is Hai Dong Da Shu? Why is his name so strange? Da Shu is his name? Then why were you so agitated just now? And who is he?"

Ye Yang gestured with his hands in the air, trying to use body language to express the person's characteristics:

"Kamen Rider Finale! The master of treasure collecting! Wherever there is treasure, there he is!!! His favorite catchphrase is 'This treasure is mine,' and after snatching something from someone, he'll say thank you with a particularly smug smile."

"Furthermore, his relationship with Kamen Rider Decade is very complicated; he's half enemy, half friend, helping you one moment and sabotaging you the next. In short, wherever he appears, treasure is bound to disappear!"

Lin Xingran's mouth opened into a big "O" shape, Han Shuang's mojito almost slipped from her hand, and Han Li frowned slightly.

Zhou Zhi turned her head slightly to look at Ye Yang, a hint of inquiry flashing in her gentle yet shrewd eyes.

Lin Yumin asked calmly, "Kamen Rider? You mean, he can also conjure armor like you?"

Ye Yang nodded vigorously, pointing in the direction where the waiter had disappeared: "More or less—his armor was dark blue, his weapon was a gun, and his ability was to travel between worlds. But his greatest strength wasn't combat, it was stealing."

"His sense for treasures is sharper than anyone else's; wherever there are valuable artifacts, he's there. He just came in disguised as a waiter to deliver drinks—he's definitely scouting the place! For him, the Star-Picking Pavilion auction is like letting a mouse into a granary!"