The tickets were expensive—199 yuan for kids and 299 for adults. Together, they cost almost as much as a transformation device.
Thankfully, Liu Lei's wife was understanding. After seeing the pleading looks from her husband and son, she sighed and agreed to give Liu Lei his next month's allowance in advance.
Since Liu Lei was a platinum member of the Picca store, they got a 20% discount on the tickets.
In the end, he felt like he'd saved some money.
By purchasing tickets through the Picca store, they could participate in a lottery. Prizes ranged from Ultraman-themed shirts to Madoka Magica cosplay outfits and magic wands.
Of course, as with any lottery, there were also the dreaded "Thank you for participating" messages, much to the frustration of many.
Liu Lei bought two tickets and tried his luck twice—both times getting the infamous "Thank you for participating." He was so annoyed he could almost grind his teeth.
With the tickets bought, all that was left to do was pack up and hit the road.
On Saturday morning, Liu Lei and his son washed up, packed their bags, and set off for Picca Land with excitement.
Picca Land was located on an island.
To reach it, they had to drive across a large bridge.
Following the GPS, they drove into the suburbs where Picca Land was located. After finally finding a parking spot and getting out of the car, Liu Lei was immediately stunned by the sight before him—before they had even entered the park.
"Wow, it's Tiga! Tiga!!!"
His son, Little Chubby, tugged on his sleeve, shouting in excitement.
Liu Lei looked up, and sure enough, there it was—an enormous statue of Tiga Ultraman!
Tiga was kneeling on one knee, and Liu Lei could see hundreds of people standing in line at the giant Ultraman's outstretched hand.
"What are they waiting for?" Liu Lei muttered to himself, curious.
"Oh, they're lining up to ride in the palm of Tiga's hand! See that Victory Feiyan plane in his hand?" a passerby explained with a smile. "In a minute… ah, you're just in time. Watch!"
As the young man finished speaking, a mechanical sound began to whir. Liu Lei watched as the giant Tiga statue slowly stood up, lifting the Feiyan plane in its hand. Through the windows of the plane, he could see people inside moving about!
"See? People are riding in the palm of Tiga's hand and getting a bird's-eye view of the park," the young man explained.
Liu Lei nodded in understanding.
"Dad, I want to go! I want to go!"
His son was practically bouncing with excitement, eyes wide with joy.
For a kid, standing in the palm of Tiga Ultraman was a dream come true!
"Alright," Liu Lei agreed, heading toward the line for the park entrance.
But as he saw the long lines, he hesitated. There were just too many people, and standing in line right away felt like a waste of time.
After a quick discussion with his son, they decided to explore other parts of the park first and come back to Tiga's statue later, when the crowds might have thinned out.
Following the signs and Little Chubby's excited pointing, they made their way to Ultraman Land, located in the northern part of the island.
As soon as they entered the park, they were greeted by Ultraman and various monsters running around the place.
"This is pretty fun," Liu Lei remarked as they walked.
There were all kinds of monsters, each with its own role. Some were selling toys, some were selling snacks, and you could even take pictures with them.
Their first stop was the rotating Feiyan ride, where Liu Lei and his son climbed aboard spinning Feiyan planes, pretending to be on a mission to find delicious food.
Afterward, they headed for the landmark of the park—
The pyramid-shaped TPC headquarters!
Inside was the model exhibit.
The entire first floor was filled with miniature models, spanning a vast area. It was Liu Lei's first time seeing so many detailed models arranged together, creating a "tiny world" scene. Both Liu Lei and his son couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
"This is incredible!"
Little Chubby pressed his face against the railings, his wide eyes glued to the model zone, feeling like a giant towering over the miniature city.
The tiny houses were so small!
The smallest cottages were about the size of a dictionary, and the tallest building stood no higher than 1.5 meters. In a city like this, people would seem like ants!
After admiring the intricate model display, Liu Lei and his son made their way to the second floor.
The second floor housed the TPC cafeteria. But in reality, it was a restaurant, and it was a collaboration with Cooking Master Boy. You could even see a sign that read "Ju Xiang Lou."
"Ah, come on…"
Liu Lei chuckled, shaking his head at the clever references.
But his thoughts were soon interrupted by his son's excited voice.
Little Chubby had run up to the counter, pointing at a menu and begging for a specific meal.
It was a bento box, where the food was arranged to resemble the face of Tiga Ultraman.
It cost 50 yuan, which wasn't too bad. Considering this was a theme park, where food was usually overpriced, a meal for 50 yuan didn't seem that expensive. Even an ordinary takeout meal would cost 20 yuan outside the park, so it was only double the price. Liu Lei promised his son they'd come back for lunch later.
Satisfied, Little Chubby nodded.
On the third floor, they found the suit exhibition, showcasing various Ultraman and monster suits, along with a full-scale model of the Victory Feiyan!
Father and son explored the displays, eventually reaching the top floor, which was designed to resemble TPC's command center. It was much larger than what they had seen on TV.
The command center's giant screens, which in the show were used to display monsters, had been replaced with a stage.
Clearly, this was where the Ultraman stage shows would take place.
Suddenly, a loud alarm sounded, followed by the familiar voice announcing, "Victory team, scramble!"
A monstrous Gatanothor appeared on stage, followed by a toy Victory Feiyan, suspended by nearly invisible wires, flying through the air. It swooped down, launching attacks on Golza.
The suit actor playing Golza waved his arms, and the toy Feiyan was hit. Just as it was about to crash, Tiga appeared!
Tiga carefully caught the Feiyan and gently set it on the ground before engaging Gatanothor in battle.
But soon, Tiga's color timer began to blink red, causing the kids in the audience to grow anxious.
"Tiga Ultraman, hang in there!"
Little Chubby raised his right hand, shouting, "Defeat Gatanothor!"
His enthusiasm quickly spread, and soon, all the children were chanting together: "Defeat Gatanothor!"
At that moment, the stage lights brightened, shining down on the children and Tiga.
Smiles spread across the audience.
It was a heartwarming scene!
Liu Lei watched his son, who was standing tall, leading the children in their cheers like a little warrior. He couldn't help but feel proud.
He quietly took out his phone and recorded a video of his son raising his hand, leading the cheers. He captioned it: "That year, my son became the light!"
With renewed strength, Tiga fought back, overpowering Gatanothor and sending the monster running offstage.
The suit actors then bowed and exited the stage.
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