Wan Hu

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Tao Chengdao 34 62 69
Alias(es)	Wan Hu (万户), Tao Wan Hu, Lord Wan Hu 3 54 55
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Ming Skyward Bureau; Ming loyalists, collectively named the “Ming Faction” by Gao Jian; formerly Tesla 54 56 58
Occupation/Role	Last Director of the Skyward Bureau, charged with seeking heaven; former Tesla executive who initially claimed to be vice president of its China operations 3 54 56
Residence	Apparently Singapore, also called Sea City 62
Status	Alive; released after meeting Sea City’s governor following the battle against the Pu Clan 70
First Appearance	Mentioned in Gao Jian’s recollection of an email 3; appears directly in Steam Ming 55

Background / History

Wan Hu identifies himself as the last Director of the Ming Skyward Bureau, acting under an imperial decree to seek heaven. He believes the proper route to the Moon passes through Mount Buzhou and the Starry River Ancient Road, rather than humanity’s established spaceflight methods 54 56.

His historical flight was sabotaged by the Pu Clan. Old Mr. Gao recounts the incident during a discussion of Ming history, while Pu Mingyuan later confirms that the clan acted on orders from the Council of Zion Elders five centuries earlier. The sabotage prompted Emperor Xiaozong to order severe reprisals against the Nanyang Pu Clan in China, forcing the clan to withdraw 34 63.

Wan Hu remains active in the modern era alongside Zheng He and Lin Yuanwen. Pu Mingyuan describes the three as “Immortals,” while explicitly noting that they are not Mindscape Cultivators 66 67.

Appearance

• Build and apparent age: Stockily built; appears to be in his forties during the Sea City battle 66.
• In Steam Ming: Wears dark blue-black Ming official robes embroidered with silver clouds resembling a star chart. His hair is tied in an uncapped topknot, and he approaches with a stately, measured gait 55.
• Modern combat attire: Wears a thick tactical vest and carries an all-black automatic firearm 66.

Personality

Wan Hu is confident, patriotic, and uncompromising about his mission. He treats the Moon as existing Han territory and describes his journey as a return home. When Gao Jian suggests that the launch might be a joke staged for simulated spectators, Wan Hu insists that his imperial duty and public proclamation make such deception unacceptable 55 56.

His commitment extends to accepting death. Before launching, he explains that failure could cause his interface helmet to burn him alive, yet remains certain that he will succeed. He is similarly loyal in combat, risking his life to reach Lin Yuanwen, though heavy losses eventually force him to order a retreat 56 66.

Wan Hu places exceptional value on surviving Ming knowledge. Pu Mingyuan’s claim to have destroyed the original Yongle Encyclopedia fragment provokes grief and fury, prompting Wan Hu to load his last ancient Ming bullet despite overwhelming enemy firepower. After Gao Jian’s intervention, he pursues Pu Mingyuan rather than allowing him to escape 67 68.

Abilities & Skills

Firearms and Combat Leadership

• Leads armed reinforcements through the Pu Clan’s roadblock during the attempt to rescue Lin Yuanwen 66.
• Uses automatic firearms and ancient Ming ammunition capable of devastating enemy positions 66 68.
• Orders a retreat after nearly half his initial group falls, then leads a renewed attack following the Yongle Talisman’s intervention 66 68.
• Continues fighting with a tactical dagger after ammunition runs low 68 69.
• Cannot overcome the Pu Clan’s armored vehicles and attack helicopters with ordinary bullets; Gao Jian’s remote intervention saves his encircled group 67.

Covert Contact and Recruitment

• Uses a friend’s Space Administration internal-network account to contact Gao Jian while avoiding State Security Bureau surveillance 50.
• Arranges delivery of an encrypted USB drive and brain-computer interface helmet, enabling a meeting inside Steam Ming 50 51.
• Offers substantial financial compensation and company shares to secure Gao Jian’s participation and the encyclopedia fragment 56.
• Sends Zheng He to receive Gao Jian and escort him to the launch site 54 55.

Cultivation Status

• Pu Mingyuan explicitly identifies Wan Hu, Zheng He, and Lin Yuanwen as not Mindscape Cultivators 67.
• Gao Jian concludes that their organization knows of the Mind-State Cultivation Method but lacks its specific practices and is searching for surviving encyclopedia fragments 58.
• The golden barrier and destructive flames that save Wan Hu’s group come from Gao Jian’s Yongle Talisman, not Wan Hu’s own powers 67 72.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Flying Chair — A large wooden-and-iron launch craft depicted in Steam Ming, built with elm, oil-treated hemp cloth, and 102 Flying Dragon Rockets. Gao Jian notices a sturdy frame, streamlined covering, and an arrangement potentially permitting staged ignition and course changes. Sabotage causes it to explode shortly after takeoff 54 55 56 57.
• Automatic firearm and firelock — Uses an all-black automatic firearm during the rescue operation and loads an ancient Ming bullet into a firelock when confronting Pu Mingyuan 66 67.
• Heaven-Shaking Thunder — An explosive round whose final shot blasts through the Pu Clan’s makeshift defenses 68.
• Tactical vest and dagger — Modern combat equipment; he drops his blood-soaked dagger when ordering his men to disarm 66 69.
• Brain-computer interface helmet and encrypted USB drive — Supplies these to Gao Jian for entry into Steam Ming. Gao later discovers a lethal short-circuit mechanism and suspects it could be used remotely to protect the organization’s secrets 50 51 57.
• Original Yongle Encyclopedia fragment / Yongle Talisman — The page Wan Hu seeks describes Fire Wheel Engine principles. Gao Jian secretly converts it into a second-rank talisman before mailing it; after its battlefield activation, it returns to Wan Hu, who stores it safely against his body 56 62 67 68.

Relationships

• Gao Jian — Online acquaintance, prospective recruit, and rescuer. Wan Hu originally contacted the body’s former owner about the encyclopedia page; the current Gao Jian saves him during the virtual launch and later saves his group in Sea City 54 56 57 67.
• Zheng He / Ma Sanbao — Fellow Ming loyalist and operational ally. Escorts Gao Jian at Wan Hu’s request and leads a separate reinforcement group during Lin Yuanwen’s rescue 54 55 66.
• Lin Yuanwen / Lord Lin — Fellow Ming loyalist and encyclopedia compiler. Wan Hu informs him about the surviving fragment and joins the armed effort to rescue him from the Pu Clan 64 65 66.
• Emperor Xiaozong / Zhu Youcheng — Imperial authority associated with Wan Hu’s organization. Appears as the Hongzhi Emperor and Administrator of Steam Ming; Gao Jian groups him, Wan Hu, and their allies into the “Ming Faction” 57 58.
• Elon Musk — Former business associate. Wan Hu says he sold his stake and left Tesla after the geomagnetic storm, having judged Musk unfit for a great undertaking 56.
• Pu Mingyuan and the Pu Clan — Enemies connected to the historical sabotage of Wan Hu’s flight and the modern attack on his allies. Their conflict culminates in the Sea City battle 63 66 67 68.
• Li Yaoguang — Sea City’s governor. Wan Hu suspects him of allowing the opposing factions to weaken each other; Li later meets the three Ming loyalists and releases them under an agreement with a wandering emperor 69 70.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Contacting Gao Jian

Wan Hu’s connection to Gao Jian predates the current protagonist’s arrival in the body. He recalls their anonymous-forum acquaintance in 2019 and says nine years have passed since they parted. The original owner’s online publication of a Yongle Encyclopedia page attracted his attention, and news of Gao Jian’s car accident shocked him 54 56.

His later email offers US$500,000 for a private discussion and argues that humanity is approaching lunar travel incorrectly. Gao Jian initially dismisses him as a crank. Wan Hu eventually renews contact through the Space Administration’s internal network and sends the equipment needed for a virtual meeting 3 50.

Offer	Purpose	Outcome
US$500,000	Payment for meeting privately	Initially ignored; renewed during the later invitation 3 50.
Four million yuan and the interface helmet	Converted meeting payment and a gift	Wan Hu promises cash delivery; Gao Jian asks to leave the money aside 56.
10% of LandSpace / Blue Arrow shares	Offered after Gao Jian agrees to send the fragment	Gao later doubts that shares in the publicly listed, state-connected company can be transferred freely 56 62.

The Launch in *Steam Ming*

Wan Hu invites Gao Jian to witness his attempt to reach the Moon inside Steam Ming, an immersive virtual Ming setting. He insists that the Flying Chair demonstrates the real route to the Moon and rejects Gao’s doubts about both the craft and his official robes 55 56.

The chair successfully lifts off, but altered rockets produce abnormal blue-green exhaust before exploding. Gao Jian flies into the fireball, breaks apart the chair, and carries Wan Hu back to the platform. As the simulation suffers cascading errors, Wan Hu disconnects and an AI takes over his character 56 57.

Gao Jian subsequently estimates that even an intact chair could reach only about ten thousand meters, leaving Wan Hu’s references to Mount Buzhou and the Starry River Ancient Road unexplained 58.

The Sea City Battle

Gao Jian mails the promised fragment to Wan Hu’s Singapore address, but the Pu Clan intercepts it and targets Lin Yuanwen, its intended recipient. Wan Hu and Zheng He lead reinforcements into a trap designed to destroy the Ming groups together 62 63 64 66.

Surrounded by armored vehicles and helicopters, Wan Hu confronts Pu Mingyuan about the fragment. Gao Jian hears their exchange through a broadcast and activates the Yongle Talisman, shielding Wan Hu’s group and destroying four helicopters and eight infantry fighting vehicles 67 72.

Wan Hu then pursues the wounded Pu Mingyuan until Singapore’s regular army ends the fighting. He orders his men to disarm and argues that they acted in self-defense. The army protects rather than arrests his group, but a colonel rebukes him over civilian injuries, widespread destruction, and the evacuation of more than four hundred households. Wan Hu, Zheng He, and Lin Yuanwen subsequently meet Governor Li and are released 68 69 70.

Notable Quotes

“These Ming Dynasty official robes of our Han people are the finest spacesuit!” 55

“With the power of these rockets, I shall ascend Mount Buzhou, tread the Starry River Ancient Road, and set foot upon the moon!” 56

“All right, the fighting's over. Put down your weapons.” 69