"I give up! I give up! I won't run anymore!"
Jade, having no temper left from being hung upside down, raised her small hands loudly surrendering.
"That's more like it."
Vic nodded with satisfaction. Venom's tentacle loosened, and Jade landed lightly back on the deck.
Vic reached out and rubbed her head vigorously, turning her hair, already messy from fleeing, into a veritable bird's nest.
Sporting messy hair, Jade piled up an incomparably "obedient" smile on her face, eyes curving into crescents:
"I promise, I'll be very good!"
"Good, I like good kids."
Vic nodded smilingly, his tone gentle.
However, the instant his words fell—
"So..."
Vic's voice turned cold abruptly. His right hand shot out like lightning, precisely gripping another arm painted with pale zombie makeup that had silently and rapidly reached toward Jade's collar from the side!
Simultaneously, Venom on his shoulder surged out like a living black tide, instantly covering Vic's entire body, completing the symbiotic fusion!
Venom (Vic)'s head turned toward the figure whose arm was firmly clamped. Those massive white eyes locked onto the opponent coldly. The deep, mixed voice carried undeniable pressure:
"So... before getting the talismans, this child stays with me temporarily. No problem, Mr. 'Zombie'? Or should I call you... Mr. Jackie Chan?"
Jackie Chan, his disguise seen through, could barely keep the awkward, stiff zombie smile on his face.
His gaze sharpened. His other hand grabbed a metal beach chair nearby with lightning speed, putting all his strength into swinging it toward the Venomized Vic's head!
However, his arm sank; the chair didn't budge.
Jackie looked down. One of Venom's feet had firmly stepped onto the chair leg at some point, as if rooted there.
Venom (Vic) tilted his massive head, white eyes narrowing into a dangerous arc. The mixed voice carried a trace of mockery:
"I really admire your talent for using environmental props, truly. But..."
He applied slight force with his foot. The metal chair leg emitted a tooth-aching creak and began to deform.
"When the power gap is too large, these little tricks won't work."
Venom leaned down, that terrifying giant face closing in on Jackie, full of pressure.
"Now, have you considered my conditions? Want to cooperate?"
"Fine, I understand."
Jackie took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping, voice carrying exhaustion and compromise.
"I will help you get the talismans. You... don't hurt Jade."
He finally said the words.
For Jade's safety, he had no choice.
"Please—"
Venom receded quickly back into Vic's body like a receding tide. Vic, returned to normal, rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, tone filled with the depression of being misunderstood.
"Don't act like I'm some ultimate villain kidnapping for ransom and killing hostages, okay?"
He rubbed his wrist, as if the form just now was just a small interlude. Immediately, his face showed a more genuine annoyance of having plans disrupted:
"You think I want this? My plan for today was perfect! Taking my two little girlfriends to try zip-lining, experience water slides, dive to see submarine volcanoes..."
"Then sunbathe and enjoy gourmet food on a private beach, and finally book out the 3D cinema for a movie... What a fulfilling and romantic vacation plan!"
He got angrier as he spoke, poking Jade's forehead lightly with his finger, tap by tap.
"Now it's all ruined! Have to bring along a little burden and super third-wheel like you! My romantic trip!"
"Vic!"
Enid couldn't stand it anymore. She slapped away Vic's finger "bullying" Jade, glaring at him reproachfully. Her look clearly said, "Why are you bickering with a child?"
"See that?" Vic immediately turned to Jackie, expression even more resentful.
"How stifled am I as a hostage guardian? Even getting managed by my own girlfriend!"
Jackie looked at Vic's genuine reaction of "low family status," then glanced at Jade who, despite being poked in the head, was unharmed and even secretly making funny faces.
The tight string in his heart finally loosened a bit.
This young man named Vic, although acting crazily and using forceful methods, really didn't look like... a thug who would hurt a child viciously.
Jade should be safe for the time being.
"Uncle Jackie, don't worry, go ahead!"
Jade puffed out her small chest instead, acting "super sensible," her eyes sparkling as she promised.
"I will definitely be good! Absolutely won't cause trouble for you!"
Her little mental abacus was clicking loudly: Being a hostage here is too good!
There are yummy drinks, and I can play all the attractions on the cruise!
If you told me the conditions were this good earlier, would I have run? I would've gone with you voluntarily!
Jackie watched the excitement almost overflowing from Jade, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
Jade, have you completely forgotten you are in a state of being "held hostage"?
He rubbed his forehead helplessly, pointing at the massive "Rainbow Swirl" cup on the bar counter that Jade had already emptied, instructing:
"Don't let her drink that much juice anymore; her sugar intake today is definitely over the limit."
"Hear that?"
Vic turned immediately, nudging Jade beside him with his elbow and a wicked grin, deliberately dragging out his tone.
"It's not that I don't want to treat you, it's that your Uncle Jackie—DOES. NOT. ALLOW. IT!"
Jade turned her small face away angrily, giving Vic the back of her head, muttering softly: "Stingy!"
This interaction, seemingly full of gunpowder but actually filled with a weirdly harmonious family bickering atmosphere, left Jackie completely speechless.
He shook his head, took one last deep look at Jade, turned with a complex gaze, and quickly disappeared into the bustling crowd of monster passengers, beginning his forced "talisman hunting" mission.
And the "Captor" and "Hostage" duo left behind began their curiously styled cruise "vacation."
---
Watching Jackie's figure disappear into the crowd of monsters, Vic stretched lazily, joints cracking lightly. His face put back on that heartless, brilliant smile.
"Alright! The third-wheel guardian has temporarily exited."
His left and right hands moved simultaneously, extremely naturally wrapping one arm around Enid's waist and resting the other on Wednesday's shoulder. "Now, let's get back to the main topic—enjoying the vacation!"
He looked down at Jade, who was puffing her cheeks and showing him the back of her head, nudging her small leather shoe gently with his toe.
"Hey, little burden, what do you want to play? Seeing as your Uncle Jackie is so 'cooperative,' I'll show you some of the world today."
Jade turned around immediately, eyes wide and round. The complaint of "stingy" from just now was instantly thrown to the winds.
Her small finger pointed at the giant water slide towering into the clouds and wrapped with rainbow chutes in the distance, her voice rising with excitement:
"That one! I want to play the highest one!"
"Good eye!" Vic snapped his fingers in approval. "Let's go!"
Minutes later, the four stood at the top of the giant water slide known as the "Abyss Loop."
The transparent tube wound and twisted, extending almost vertically down into the bottomless sea area. Just looking at it made legs weak.
"Whoa..." Jade held onto the railing looking down, her small face red with excitement.
Enid also gripped Vic's hand somewhat nervously.
Wednesday expressionlessly checked the safety buckles, as if assessing the death probability of this design.
"Ready, kids?"
Vic grinned, showing white teeth. He sat first in the front seat of a double tube, then patted the empty seat behind him.
"Little burden, come here, hold tight! I won't fish you out if you fall!"
"Who wants to hold you!" Jade complained verbally, but her body honestly climbed into the tube, small hands tightly gripping the clothes at Vic's waist.
Enid and Wednesday shared another tube.
With a push from the staff—
"AHHHHH—!"
Weightlessness hit instantly! The water flow carried them down at alarming speed, dashing left and right in the transparent tube. Violent spinning and bumps elicited a series of screams.
Vic laughed excitedly. Wednesday pressed her lips tight, but a very faint ripple seemed to appear deep in her eyes.
SPLASH!
With a huge sound of falling into water, the four rushed out from the end of the slide into the buffer pool below, splashing massive waves.
"That—that was too thrilling!"
Jade popped her head out of the water, wet hair sticking to her face, shouting while panting, eyes full of excitement. "Again!"
Vic wiped the water off his face. Looking at the disheveled but excited Jade, he raised an eyebrow:
"Yo, pretty brave. Fine, satisfy you!"
Next, they played almost all the thrilling attractions on the cruise.
Jade went from being a "forced hostage" to partying completely wild, her laughter almost never stopping.
She even temporarily forgot about the talismans and Uncle Jackie, completely immersed in this unprecedented crazy fun.
Until a warning came from the cruise broadcast.
"Attention passengers! We have received reports of anomalies in the 'Ancient Relics Exhibition Hall' on the bottom deck! Passengers in that area please remain calm and evacuate immediately! Repeat..."