Xiao Qi's space was 1,000 cubic meters—big enough to fit 15 forty-foot containers. That was far larger than the strongest space-type ability-user he met before.
Memories buried deep in Jin Xuyan's mind suddenly resurfaced at this thought. Lowering his head, he quickly hid his emotions.
After a brief silence, he looked up and said, "Xiao Qi, go with Zhang Yuan and store the supplies in your space."
Xiao Qi straightened up and saluted, "Yes, Captain!"
Once they left to complete their task, Jin Xuyan turned to the others and said, "Come help prepare dinner."
The soldiers nodded and divided the tasks—those who could cook went to the kitchen, those who couldn't grabbed mops and rags to clean the rooms, while the rest went to check the water tank.
Upon discovering that the stored water was still clean and usable, each soldier grabbed a bucket and took a quick shower.
They scrubbed themselves thoroughly in the bathroom, washing away the accumulated dust and blood on their bodies. Then, they fetched another basin of fresh water, washed their clothes, and hung them on the balcony to dry.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yuan and Xiao Qi stood near the truck outside.
Looking at the supplies in front of him, Xiao Qi said, "Vice Captain, it will take a long time for me to store everything in my space. Why don't you go inside first?"
"It's fine. I will stay with you. If there is any danger, I will have your back," Zhang Yuan replied.
"Okay then." Xiao Qi nodded.
He placed his hand on one of the boxes and muttered, "How great would it be if I could keep this box."
The next moment, the box vanished, stored inside his space.
Zhang Yuan watched as Xiao Qi repeated the same sentence over and over while storing the supplies.
After about ten minutes, he frowned and asked, "Xiao Qi, do you have to say that sentence every time before you can store something in your space?"
Xiao Qi licked his dry lips and sighed, "I think so. Why do you ask, Vice Captain?"
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Yuan suggested, "Try just thinking of the word 'keep' when you touch a box."
Although Xiao Qi wasn't sure why, he still followed the instructions. He placed his hand on a box and silently thought, 'Keep!'
The next second, the box disappeared instantly.
Zhang Yuan exhaled in relief and shook his head while Xiao Qi stared at his hand in disbelief.
Patting his shoulder, Zhang Yuan said, "Kid, you need to use your brain more when doing things. With intelligence like this, how did you even get into the special forces?"
Hearing his Vice captain's words, Xiao Qi huffed in protest, "Vice Captain, I may not be as smart as the others, but I'm really good at handling explosives! Before joining the special forces, I was a core member of the bomb squad."
Zhang Yuan nodded and changed the subject, "Okay, okay. Hurry up and finish the job so we can eat dinner."
At the mention of food, Xiao Qi's stomach let out a loud rumble. Without wasting any more time, he focused on storing the remaining supplies.
Now that he no longer had to say a long sentence each time, his efficiency improved drastically, and they finished storing everything into his space in just twenty minutes.
When he was done, he felt slightly dizzy. After stabilizing himself, he reported, "Vice Captain, everything is stored."
Zhang Yuan glanced at the sweat on his forehead and asked, "Are you okay?"
Waving a hand, Xiao Qi said, "I'm fine, just a little dizzy."
As they walked back to the villa, Zhang Yuan observed him closely. It seemed that even space-type abilities consumed energy, though the type of energy Xiao Qi used seems different from their captain's.
When they stepped inside, they saw their comrades lounging around the dining table, dressed only in boxers and sleeveless shirts.
Noticing their arrival, one of the soldiers called out, "Xiao Qi, Vice Captain, you should shower and wash your clothes first. Otherwise, they might not dry before we leave tomorrow."
"Got it."
Just as Zhang Yuan and Xiao Qi headed upstairs, Jin Xuyan emerged from the kitchen and immediately frowned when he saw his soldiers' situation. Staring at them, he asked, "Where the hell are your pants and shirts?"
One of the soldiers scratched his head sheepishly and replied, "Captain, it's too much of a hassle to get our pants and clothes from our backpack. We are all men here—nothing to be embarrassed about. We will put our clothes back on once they are dry."
Jin Xuyan pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Can't you just wear the clothes from the master bedroom closet? There are plenty of men's clothes in there."
At his words, the soldiers' eyes lit up. Without hesitation, they rushed to the second floor. A short while later, they returned, now dressed in branded clothing, comparing their figures and muscles.
It seemed that the villa's owner had a well-built physique, as most of the clothes fit the soldiers comfortably. Only those under 180 cm had to fold the pant legs because they were too long.
Seeing them like this, a small smile appeared on Jin Xuyan's face.
In the past, he had failed to protect them and let them sacrifice their lives for those ungrateful, greedy bastards. This time, he wouldn't make the same mistake. He would protect his brothers and leave no regrets.
Not long after, Xiao Qi and Zhang Yuan returned, and dinner—prepared by Jin Xuyan and Qin Luzi—was ready.
As soon as everyone took their seats, they moved their chopsticks and started eating. The dining room fell silent, the only sounds being the clinking of chopsticks against bowls.
After dinner, Xiao Qi finally had time to report to his captain. Patting his now full belly, he said, "Captain, I have moved all the supplies into my space."
Jin Xuyan nodded and said, "Good. From now on, you are in charge of logistics. During battles, you will be on the support team. Unless absolutely necessary, you aren't allowed to go to the front lines."