Huo Mingzhang

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Huo Mingzhang (霍明璋)
Alias(es)	Young Master Huo 5
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Huo Group; university basketball team 4 268
Occupation/Role	Huo Group chairman Huo Yuankai's sole future heir; basketball player 268
Status	Alive 410
First Appearance	Chapter 2 2

Background

Huo Mingzhang is the only future heir of Huo Group chairman Huo Yuankai. His family has longstanding business and social ties with the Zhou family, and the two families treat a marriage alliance between Huo and Zhou Xiaoting as a matter of corporate interest rather than personal choice. Huo and Zhou grew up together, although neither initially wanted the arrangement. 115 334

In memories framed as dreams of a previous life, Huo was involved with Ling Xiu and failed to recognize his deeper feelings for Gu Chen until after Gu Chen's death. He later understood Ling Xiu's role in Gu Chen's suffering but neither avenged Gu Chen nor divorced Ling Xiu; Huo Group subsequently absorbed Great Zhou Group and, after a decade of maneuvering, brought Ling Group under its control. 397

After these memories resurface, Huo concludes that he awakened too late and that Zhongli Sui is better able to cherish and protect Gu Chen. He chooses distance rather than openly competing for Gu Chen. 397

Appearance

Huo Mingzhang is a young, handsome heir whose manner is commonly carefree, unruly, and self-assured. 210 346

• Wore a white suit for the banquet announcing his engagement to Zhou Xiaoting. 346
• Is physically athletic and regularly appears after basketball practice, often sweaty and energetic. 26 31
• His confident presentation can shift into visible agitation when Gu Chen dismisses or avoids him. 291 336

Personality

Huo is proud, confrontational, and intensely competitive, particularly on the basketball court. He habitually provokes Gu Chen, expects others to respond to his attention, and struggles to accept Gu Chen's open dislike. His frustration at losing leads him to play increasingly roughly, though he later feels guilty when his competitiveness injures Gu Chen. 34 37 39

Despite his impulsive and arrogant behavior, Huo can be observant and strategically minded. He recognizes the Zhou family's attempt to entrap Gu Chen through a house transfer, explains the potential consequences to Zhou Xiaoting, and identifies the value of supply chains in Gu Chen's acquisition plans. 113 114 395

Huo is protective in uneven, often clumsy ways. He tries to recruit Gu Chen through increasingly generous offers, supports Zhou Xiaoting's autonomy despite their arranged engagement, and eventually tears up their engagement agreement. 91 336 409

Abilities & Skills

Basketball

Huo is a skilled and experienced basketball player who takes the sport extremely seriously.

• Performs flashy ball-handling, dunks, feints, and layups to intimidate opponents. 4
• Uses basketball practices and one-on-one games to challenge or pressure Gu Chen. 4 32 110
• Becomes reckless when outplayed; his increasingly forceful play causes Gu Chen to be knocked down during a match. 37
• Cannot overcome Gu Chen once Gu Chen plays seriously, as Gu Chen reads his habits, stops his feints, and dominates their exchanges. 37 87

Corporate Judgment and Recruitment

As Huo Group's heir, Huo understands business leverage, talent acquisition, and family power dynamics.

• Repeatedly attempts to recruit Gu Chen, first offering basketball-team pay and later a position as Huo Group's president's assistant. 10 91
• Correctly recognizes Gu Chen's role in resolving Great Zhou Group's crisis and tries to claim him as Huo Group talent. 88 89
• Sees through the Zhou family's plan to use a house transfer to portray Gu Chen as greedy or isolate him from Professor Xing. 113 114
• Identifies that Gu Chen values supply chains and distribution channels, offering to facilitate Ling Department Store's sale in exchange for Gu Chen abandoning the acquisition of Great Zhou Group assets. 395 396

Social Influence

Huo draws on his family's status to open opportunities and shape other people's circumstances.

• Secures Gu Xiu a tutoring interview through Zhou Xiaoting's connections and later arranges his internship at Huo Group. 10 121
• Uses Huo Group's position to attend Ling Yiyi's birthday banquet as his family's representative. 210
• His public relationship with Ling Xiu causes reputational damage to both the Huo and Ling families, including a temporary decline in Huo Group's share price. 268

Relationships

• Gu Chen — Initially a basketball rival whom Huo repeatedly provokes, recruits, and seeks validation from. Huo's concern, jealousy, and eventual recognition of his feelings are never reciprocated; after recovering memories of the previous life, he resolves to stay away from Gu Chen. 34 291 337 397
• Zhou Xiaoting — Childhood friend and intended partner in a family marriage alliance. Huo warns her about her family's schemes, later breaks their engagement agreement, and becomes a trusted work confidant despite their lack of romantic attachment. 115 337 409 410
• Ling Xiu — His first serious relationship. He initially brings Ling Xiu into his social circle and protects them publicly, but his attitude cools after repeated embarrassments; Ling Xiu's attempts to contact him are later ignored. 210 212 244 268
• Huo Yuankai — His father and Huo Group's chairman. Huo seeks his father's approval for recruiting Gu Chen but also clashes with him over timing, family interests, and the engagement to Zhou Xiaoting. 91 110 204 409
• Jin Wei and Tao Jiang — His inseparable childhood friends and basketball companions. They routinely mediate his conflicts, defend him to others, and bluntly point out when he is acting irrationally. 34 37 292
• Gu Xiu — A former partner whom Huo initially favors for his appearance and helps obtain work opportunities. Their relationship deteriorates as Huo becomes disillusioned and increasingly distant. 10 121 210 244

Story Role / Major Arcs

Campus Rivalry with Gu Chen

Huo first approaches Gu Chen through Gu Xiu, calls Gu Chen a coward, and carries him to the infirmary after Gu Chen becomes ill. He then forces Gu Chen into a basketball challenge, expecting an easy victory but discovering that Gu Chen can outplay him. 2 3 4 5

His rivalry with Gu Chen escalates through repeated basketball challenges, jealousy over Gu Chen's closeness with Zhou Xiaoting, and his inability to accept that Gu Chen simply dislikes him. During one heated match, Huo injures Gu Chen through overly aggressive play and unsuccessfully attempts to apologize with breakfast afterward. 32 34 37 38 39

Attempts to Recruit Gu Chen

After learning that Gu Chen orchestrated Great Zhou Group's crisis response, Huo becomes determined to recruit him to Huo Group. He openly offers Gu Chen the president's assistant role during dinner at the Zhou family home, framing it as a better opportunity than property sales. Gu Chen refuses, but Huo continues to pursue the matter. 88 91 92 93

Huo's fixation later turns more personal and jealous when he learns of Gu Chen's connection with Zhongli Sui. His confrontations with Gu Chen culminate in demands to know why he cannot compare to Zhongli Sui, only for Gu Chen to reject the comparison outright. 291 292

Marriage Alliance and Family Schemes

When the Huo and Zhou families arrange his engagement to Zhou Xiaoting, Huo candidly acknowledges that both families prioritize business interests over their children's preferences. He nevertheless warns Zhou Xiaoting that her family may be exploiting her involvement with Gu Chen to frame him or sever his ties with Professor Xing. 113 114 115

Huo later uses old secrets involving the Zhou and Ling families to pressure Gu Chen into cooperating with Huo Group. Gu Chen concludes that this effort is part of the Huo family's larger ambition to control Great Zhou Group and Ling Group. 346 347 348

Corporate Conflict and Remorse

As Huo Group moves against Great Zhou Group, Huo attempts to persuade Gu Chen to abandon an acquisition project and cooperate with his family instead. He insists that Huo Group bears Gu Chen no ill will, but Gu Chen remains distrustful of him and the family's earlier schemes. 395 396

After recovering memories of the previous life, Huo admits that he feels he owes Gu Chen a great deal. He ultimately accepts that Gu Chen will not choose him and withdraws rather than oppose Zhongli Sui. 396 397

Later Relationship with Zhou Xiaoting

Huo successfully persuades his father to cancel his engagement to Zhou Xiaoting before the wedding. Although Huo Group later becomes Great Zhou Group's largest shareholder and Zhou becomes its puppet chairwoman and CEO, Huo supports her work and the two develop a more genuine mutual understanding. 409 410