Gong Qing

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Gong Qing (龚庆) 3
Alias(es)	Old Qing; requests to be called “Old Gong” 16
Species/Race	Human; Sequence Transcendent 3 17
Gender	Male 3
Affiliation	Hao Ren’s convoy, later captained by Su Nian 3 28
Occupation/Role	Awakened convoy member specializing in mental support, supernatural detection, and restraint 7 9 35
Talent	Delusion Director — Sequence Eight 3
Status	Alive at his latest documented appearance 50
First Appearance	Chapter 3 3

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Sequence Nine — Caregiver	3	Listed as the introductory stage of Delusion Director. Grants mental-state perception, identification of mental disorders and supernatural corruption, verbal soothing, and weak mental restraint. Gong Qing’s time at this stage is not depicted.
Sequence Eight — Ward Physician	3	Already attained when Su Nian first appraises him; the advancement itself is not shown. His hospital-room manifestation subsequently restrains ghosts and disrupts human opponents’ consciousness 6 35.

Background / History

Gong Qing is among the earliest awakened survivors and has spent about a year in the apocalyptic world by the confrontation with Cao Chong. According to Hao Ren, he was formerly handsome and introduced himself as “Shanghai’s most devoted lover”; his Sequence’s hair-loss drawback has since changed his appearance 23 29 33.

Hao Ren met Gong Qing and an older man after leaving another convoy following a disagreement. The older man later died protecting them, though Gong Qing insists the man died specifically for him. Recalling the incident still causes him visible sorrow. They met Wen Keyi afterward 31.

When introduced, Gong Qing is the convoy’s second awakened member and occupies its second off-road vehicle. He later votes to appoint Su Nian captain after learning about Su Nian’s exceptional strength and purported Heavenly Craft Sequence 3 28.

Appearance

Gong Qing has a bald crown surrounded by a remaining ring of hair. His introductory outfit is a white shirt, gray shorts, and flip-flops 3.

• Progressive hair loss: His Sequence drawback causes continued shedding; after the Shadow-Seam Wraith battle, he watches seven or eight strands fall and becomes distraught 23 26.
• Casual footwear: He continues wearing flip-flops during dangerous scavenging and escape sequences 8 16.
• Ability activation: Blue light flashes in his eyes when he summons a hospital-room door during the Black King Convoy ambush 35.

Personality

Gong Qing mixes habitual flirtatiousness with self-deprecating humor. He explains that his affectionate manner is an ingrained habit from years of being a “player,” rather than a deliberate attempt to flirt with Wen Keyi. His anxiety over going bald repeatedly interrupts his joking confidence 26 27.

He values courage alongside supernatural ability. Su Nian’s willingness to confront Ghost Minions earns his approval, and he later encourages Su Yue to face Cao Chong herself rather than rely entirely on stronger teammates. He also recognizes practical limits: he offers Su Nian an available convoy seat instead of encouraging a dangerous vehicle search, and supports taking a detour rather than pursuing the Beacon Tower objective without a willing Guide 7 9 32 42.

Repeated exposure to tragedy has made him outwardly numb to emotional scenes, but not indifferent to companionship. He remains troubled by the man who died protecting him, reassures Wen Keyi after Zhang Ping’s death, and checks whether his own driver survived the convoy’s escape 15 31 39 42.

Abilities & Skills

Delusion Director: Mental Perception and Soothing

The Caregiver stage allows perception of others’ mental states and identification of mental disorders or corruption caused by supernatural entities 3.

• Soothes mild mania through words and applies weak restraint to weak-minded targets 3.
• Calms Su Nian’s mind and emotions when Basket-Carrying Granny exploits his attachment to deceased relatives 7.
• Detects the psychic imprint Granny leaves on Su Nian after their apparent escape 9.
• His supernatural sensing is stronger than that of most Sequence users, but inferior to the Guide sequence 9.

Ward Door

Gong Qing manifests an old hospital-room door that acts directly on consciousness. Its first shown manifestation is marked “Room 101” 6 35.

• Ghost restraint: Temporarily immobilizes the Hanged Ghost; the entity later breaks out of his ward 6 7.
• Consciousness disruption: Helps subdue the Shadow-Seam Wraith during the convoy’s coordinated attack 26.
• Human incapacitation: Leaves the Black King Convoy’s chef staring blankly, giving Su Nian an opening to kill him 35.
• Consciousness extraction: Pulls the Green-Haired Wraith’s consciousness into a Ward Door while Big Black Bull knocks its body off the road 41.
• Limit: Heavy use consumes mental energy. During the Black King battle’s aftermath, he can only bluff an attempted restraint because his reserves are exhausted 36.

Psychic Imprint Containment

Gong Qing can contain a supernatural mark with a ring of fluorescent light 9.

• Locks Basket-Carrying Granny’s mark in place while Hao Ren removes it with a dog-blood-treated peachwood dagger 9.
• Provides containment rather than performing the removal himself 9.

Physical Capabilities

Attribute	Documented Value	Reference
Constitution / Physique	14	Above the ordinary-human limit of 9; unchanged in the later comparison 3 27
Spirit	17	Above the ordinary-human limit of 9; unchanged in the later comparison 3 27

• Kicks away a Ghost Minion and kills another with his dagger 7.
• Pedals the group’s loaded tricycle out of Happiness County despite back pain 8.
• Is counting past 500 push-ups when Su Nian transforms the Raptor into an armored RV 49.

Threat Recognition and Evacuation

• Identifies the Grave-Crying Specter from its supernatural sobbing and warns everyone to block their ears and avoid sad thoughts 36.
• Uses a megaphone to coordinate evacuation, vehicle seizure, and movement by both convoys despite his depleted mental energy 36.

Sequence Drawback

• Hair loss: Hao Ren identifies balding as Gong Qing’s Sequence drawback 23.
• Visible worsening after exertion: More hair falls after the Shadow-Seam Wraith fight 26.
• Personal impact: He becomes distressed over the loss and closes a vehicle window to keep the airflow from disturbing his remaining hair 27 41.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Burial Shroud — Worn while scavenging Happiness County. This single-use item conceals the wearer’s living aura from ghosts and must not get wet 5 6.
• Blazing Sunflower — Directs intense light into Basket-Carrying Granny’s basket, setting it ablaze and forcing her to retreat after Su Nian identifies the weakness 7.
• Dog-Blood Peachwood dagger — A consumable weapon capable of damaging supernatural entities. Part of Gong Qing’s blade blackens and becomes brittle after he kills a Ghost Minion 7.
• Earplugs and megaphone — Used to protect himself from the Grave-Crying Specter’s sobbing while directing the evacuation 36.

Relationships

• Hao Ren — Long-standing companion and frequent combat partner. They share a painful history involving an older man’s sacrifice, but regularly tease each other about Gong Qing’s flirting, singing, and hair loss 23 27 31.
• Su Nian — Initially mistakes his caution around Basket-Carrying Granny for evidence of awakening. Rescues him, recognizes the potential of Blood Eye, votes for his captaincy, and follows his coordinated battle plans 6 7 17 28 41.
• Wen Keyi — Valued companion whom he treats gently. She comforts him over his hair loss; he later reassures her after Zhang Ping’s death 26 39.
• Wen Kele — Shares a combative, teasing relationship with him. He protects her during the Black King ambush, but also rebukes her recklessness and refuses to be manipulated by her appeals 35 40 46.
• Su Yue — Encourages her to develop courage after awakening. She later treats his painful injuries, and joins his singing during a brief respite from danger 32 39 41.
• Unnamed older companion — Died protecting Gong Qing. Gong Qing objects when Hao Ren describes the sacrifice as having been for both of them 31.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Happiness County

• Su Nian’s appraisal of Gong Qing provides an early view of an established Sequence Eight Transcendent and the Delusion Director talent 3.
• Gong Qing restrains the Hanged Ghost, interrupts Granny’s emotional manipulation, and helps burn her basket. He then pedals the group back to the convoy 6 7 8.
• Detects and contains Granny’s lingering psychic mark on Su Nian 9.

Shadow-Seam Wraith and Leadership Change

• Disrupts the Shadow-Seam Wraith’s consciousness during the coordinated battle that ends with Su Nian killing her 26.
• Initially doubts that the newly awakened Su Nian could surpass the convoy’s veterans, but supports his appointment after learning more about his strength and crafting ability 27 28.

Black King Convoy Ambush

• Pulls Wen Kele clear of the charging bull and incapacitates the enemy chef, enabling Su Nian’s killing strike 35.
• Is struck by Jiang Tian and sent flying. After the Grave-Crying Specter appears, he organizes an emergency evacuation and takeover of enemy vehicles 35 36.

Grave-Crying Specter Crisis

• Receives treatment from Su Yue while suffering chest pain during the Grave Worm incident 39.
• Helps Su Nian and Big Black Bull clear the road by extracting the Green-Haired Wraith’s consciousness 41.
• Supports abandoning the dangerous route in favor of a detour, noting that the convoy lacks a Guide to establish a Beacon Tower 42.

Notable Quotes

“Don’t entertain that thought! It’s fake!” — Interrupting Basket-Carrying Granny’s manipulation of Su Nian 7.

“I spent so long being a player that even when I look at a dog, my eyes are full of love.” — Explaining his habitual flirtatiousness 27.

“He died protecting me. Don’t drag yourself into it. The more you say that, the worse I feel.” — Correcting Hao Ren’s account of their older companion’s death 31.

Trivia

• Calls himself “Shanghai’s number one melancholy soul” when defending his singing. Wen Keyi tactfully responds that singing like him takes courage 18.
• Says smoking is unhealthy while pocketing offered cigarettes and asking for liquor instead; he later accepts and smokes a cigarette from Hao Ren 8 27.
• Spots the Golden Behemoth’s fuel problem immediately. Its displayed consumption is 60 liters per 100 kilometers, prompting him to tease Su Nian about getting stranded 49.