Zhu Miaomiao

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhu Miaomiao (祝淼淼)
Alias(es)	Miaomiao, used by Gao Ming 37
Species/Race	Human; begins undergoing an involuntary supernatural mutation at Sishui Apartments 50
Gender	Female 27
Affiliation	Investigation Bureau; Investigation Team One, Lishan Investigation Office 30 36
Occupation/Role	Old City District firefighter; rookie Investigator 27
Status	Alive; regains her senses after the Ancestral Hall Restaurant’s influence subsides 50
First Appearance	27

Background / History

When Zhu Miaomiao was six, a fire destroyed her home and killed her parents. A firefighter broke down the door and rescued her just before the flames reached her. The disaster remained a source of trauma, while her longing for her parents became her deepest obsession 28 43.

She later became one of the few female firefighters in the Old City District, repeatedly entering burning buildings to rescue people. She had a happy family of her own until her husband and child disappeared in an Anomaly Event three days before her introduction. After learning about the Investigation Bureau, she immediately joined to search for them 27 29.

Appearance

• Physically powerful: Described as immensely strong and fitter than the vast majority of men 27.
• Callused hands: Reflect her demanding rescue work and handling of the Fire Axe 28.
• Investigator uniform: Her uniform is left in tatters after the Minlong Street anomaly; Bai Xiao supplies a replacement 30.
• Talisman injuries: Using a Killing Talisman leaves wounds across her palms that do not heal during Gao Ming’s examination 44.

Personality

Zhu Miaomiao is protective even when frightened. During her first documented anomaly, she exposes her hiding place to warn a colleague about a waiting monster. Her compassion also extends beyond her duties: she is prepared to house Wan Qiu herself and sleep in the Bureau’s duty room if the office cannot accommodate him 28 34.

Her firefighting background makes obedience and regulations important to her. She questions Gao Ming’s unauthorized entry into Saint Louis College and tries to stop his violent handling of the bullies. Nevertheless, she accepts his argument that investigators should be supported when defending vulnerable people 32 33 37.

Her trust in Gao Ming grows from his willingness to enter danger for others. She recognizes his kindness beneath his blunt behavior and eventually promises to follow him even if his orders conflict with the Bureau’s. That loyalty does not eliminate her fear or grief: supernatural threats still frighten her, and longing for her parents leaves her vulnerable to manipulation 35 37 41 50.

Abilities & Skills

Physical Strength and Rescue Experience

Her experience as a firefighter gives her exceptional fitness and practical experience acting in dangerous conditions 27 29.

• Wields a Fire Axe against supernatural attackers 29 44.
• Returns to Building Four to retrieve Bureau equipment immediately after escaping its anomaly 30.
• Drives Bureau vehicles while accompanying Gao Ming on investigations 30 34 37.
• Cannot reliably hit the transformed Bai Xiao without assistance because of his speed and ability to shift his bones 44.

Fear Control

Zhu draws on her experience rescuing people from fires to recover from the Minlong Street anomaly’s supernatural terror 29.

• Charges the fused-parent monster after regaining her composure 29.
• Causes its fear-feeding blood vessel to wither by genuinely overcoming her fear; attempting to cut it with the axe has no effect 29.
• Remains susceptible to frightening encounters and supernatural manipulation afterward; this breakthrough does not make her immune 41 49 50.

Investigative Preparation

Despite being a newcomer, Zhu contributes to evidence gathering and case reconstruction.

• Uses her phone camera to inspect the corridor without opening her apartment door 28.
• Helps Gao Ming reconstruct the Minlong Street event for a report uploaded to the General Bureau 30.
• Memorizes the Sishui Apartments case information, including the development’s connection to the Hanhai Charity Federation and Situ An 43.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Fire Axe — Her principal weapon and a source of reassurance during frightening encounters. With a Killing Talisman attached, it wounds the corrupted Bai Xiao 28 44.
• Black Ring — Initially has not been issued one. Chen Yuntian gives her a spare after appointing Gao Ming acting team leader; she later removes it at Gao’s direction to avoid attracting attention from a ghost who collects the rings 27 34 36 42.
• Three Killing Talismans — Given by Spirit Medium to kill the Flesh-and-Blood Immortal’s worshippers, not the Immortal itself. One shatters during the fight with Bai Xiao, leaving two. They draw Zhu’s blood and appear to be made from human skin with ghosts trapped inside 43 44.
• Protective charm — Receives one of Uncle Wu’s three protective charms before entering the nighttime Sishui anomaly 41.

Relationships

• Parents — Died in her childhood fire. Her longing for them appears in the Bronze Basin as two charred bodies fused to her shoulders and is later exploited by the restaurant 28 43 50.
• Husband and child — Their disappearance in an Anomaly Event motivates her to join the Investigation Bureau 27.
• Gao Ming — Rescuer, investigative partner, and later acting team leader. She places personal trust in him, defends his character to Spirit Medium, and tells him about the talismans intended for use against him if he becomes possessed 29 36 37 43.
• Bai Xiao — The upright team leader who hired her and someone she deeply respected. She is devastated when she must strike down his corrupted form 44.
• Wan Qiu — Helps bring him to the Bureau and is willing to provide him with temporary housing 33 34.
• Spirit Medium — Protects Zhu and Gao from a room’s trap, reveals Zhu’s potential transformation, and supplies Killing Talismans 42 43.
• Gong Xi — An ally at Sishui Apartments. Zhu helps defend him from masked attackers; he later restrains her while Gao confronts the restaurant’s source of temptation 45 50.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Minlong Street: “Phobia”

• Hides in Room 406 after apparently striking a colleague during a panic-driven axe attack. A pale child uses her guilt and fear of losing her family to pressure her into hiding in his wardrobe 27.
• Warns another rookie about the fused-parent monster, revealing herself in the process. Its approach recalls her childhood fire 28.
• Gao Ming intervenes with his chain. Zhu recovers sufficiently to charge the monster, cutting off its remaining supply of fear 28 29.
• Returns to reality with Gao as the only two of ten investigators to emerge. She retrieves equipment and helps document the event; the other eight remain lost in the shadows 30.

Gao Ming’s Investigative Partner

• Accompanies Gao to meet Yan Hua and waits nearby to support him 31 32.
• Helps investigate Wan Qiu’s bullying at Saint Louis College, initially objecting to Gao’s violence before accepting his intervention 32 33.
• Remains with the depleted Team One when its core investigators disappear and prospective recruits refuse to join 34 36.
• Chooses to follow Gao to Sishui Street after explicitly promising to trust his judgment over conflicting Bureau orders 37.

Sishui Apartments

• Refuses to withdraw despite Gao warning that the chance of death exceeds ninety percent, choosing to stay out of professional duty 40.
• Continues alongside Gao after Xuan Wen, Yan Hua, and Wan Qiu vanish into separate parts of the anomaly 41.
• Recognizes her dead parents in the Bronze Basin without fear, responding instead with grief 43.
• Uses a talisman-enhanced axe against Bai Xiao while Gao and Zhao Xi restrain him. Her blows erase the black writing on his body, and he collapses 44.
• Helps protect Gong Xi before joining him and Gao on the route toward the Ancestral Hall 45 47.
• Nearly succumbs to the restaurant’s promise of reunion with her parents. She tears at her shoulders as their faces begin forming in the wounds. Gong Xi holds her back while Gao enters the kitchen; after Gao is pulled from the Blood Pool, she regains her senses without having eaten the meat 49 50.

Notable Quotes

“You saved me. I’ll follow you.” 37

“Granny, he isn’t a bad person.” 43

“I’m sorry, Team Leader Bai!” 44

Trivia

• The first “ghost” she kills is Bai Xiao, the man who hired her into the Bureau 44.
• The “Zhu Miaomiao” destroyed by Yan Hua is a shadow impostor, not Zhu herself; the real Zhu is accompanying Gao Ming and Gong Xi 47.