Gu Zheng

Biodata

Background / History

Gu Zheng took charge of the 7th Regiment after its previous commander, Regiment Commander Chen, withdrew from frontline duties when an old battlefield injury flared up. The higher-ups appointed Gu Zheng acting commander but withheld his formal promotion because of his youth, expecting him to prove himself further 25.

His military work included dangerous missions and the arrest of gang boss He Biao. According to Han Xiao, Gu Zheng also carried wartime trauma and relied heavily on cigarettes. Gu Zheng's own reflections dwell on comrades who died at the border and his belief that simply surviving into old age in a peaceful country is a blessing 40 46 49.

Before meeting Song Ning, he had attended numerous blind dates arranged by his mother without finding a partner. Although he wanted an ordinary relationship and a home of his own, he did not share her fear that remaining unmarried would make him lonely 49.

Appearance

• Build: Tall, broad-shouldered, and long-legged, with an impressive physique and straight-backed military bearing 6 14.
• Face: Handsome features, deep-set eyes, and a smooth forehead 4 6.
• Hair: His Pan TuozI disguise includes hair covering his eyes; when Song Ning sees him in uniform, he has a crew cut 4 6.
• Uniform insignia: Two bars and two stars on his shoulders, which Song Ning recognizes as indicating deputy regimental rank 6.

Personality

Gu Zheng is observant and difficult to deceive. On learning that Song Ning has identified his undercover team, he immediately questions how she was abducted despite her resourcefulness and why she recognizes military techniques. He also notices the contradiction between her apparent condition and a trafficker's report that she was nearly dead 4.

He combines strict concern for civilian safety with respect for initiative. He reprimands Song Ning for exposing herself to danger, but openly praises her courage and decisiveness when her actions help resolve a hostage crisis. His consideration also extends to practical needs: he arranges complete changes of clothing for her after the rescue and encourages her to consider military service 5 6 7 9.

Competitive and stubborn, he refuses to regard a shared first-place finish as a true victory. He repeatedly dismisses medical advice, resists hospitalization, and treats his fainting spells as an embarrassing weakness rather than a reason to rest 30 35 39.

His teasing manner contrasts with his uncertainty about romance. He pretends to have lost his memory after waking in the cave, but Song Ning quickly breaks the act. Later, he mistakes the chest tightness and racing heartbeat associated with his feelings for her for signs of illness. Learning that she is his subordinate's fiancée makes him withdraw rather than pursue her openly 17 35 40 43.

Abilities & Skills

Undercover Operations and Tactical Command

Gu Zheng leads coordinated operations against traffickers and gangsters, adapting his plans to new information 4 6 46.

• Uses the identity of the already-arrested underworld figure Pan TuozI to enter the mountains and approach Brother Da's trafficking ring 6.
• Revises arrest arrangements after hearing Song Ning and Lan Ying's accounts 6.
• Directs separate squads to secure the perimeter and infiltrate the warehouse during the kidnapping rescue 46.
• Keeps the warehouse scene undisturbed and stations soldiers nearby to determine whether Ge Liang has outside backing 46.

Marksmanship and Close Combat

Gu Zheng demonstrates precise shooting and decisive hand-to-hand combat 6 9.

• Provides armed backup during Lan Ying's rescue and contributes one of the two headshots that kill Da Kui 6.
• Knocks Brother Da unconscious with a single swift strike at the guesthouse 9.
• Participates in the All-Army Martial Arts Competition; his side ties for first overall, though his head injury prevents him from entering the final all-around event 30 35.

Disaster Rescue

Gu Zheng works directly on the disaster-relief front line rather than commanding solely from safety 14 15 16.

• Organizes attempts to reach Tiedan using sandbags and linked winnowing baskets 15.
• Secures Song Ning with a rope and gives her instructions on balance before she crosses the unstable baskets 15.
• Jumps into the debris flow after her rope breaks, retrieves the broken end, and ties it around his own waist 16.
• Shields Song Ning from rocks and hauls her ashore, sustaining serious injuries in the process 16.

Injuries and Treatment

• Apparent amnesia: His claim not to recognize Song Ning is a prank, not a confirmed effect of the injury 16 17.
• Treatment resistance: He delays examinations, attempts to remove his IV, and repeatedly leaves or stays away from his hospital room 29 30 39 47 49.

Relationships

• Song Ning — Rescue collaborator, doctor, and the woman for whom he develops romantic feelings. He saves her during the debris flow and catches her during the warehouse escape; she treats his injuries and challenges his disregard for medical advice. Before her Shanghai journey, he sends payment for her medical services through Chen Liang 5 16 17 40 46 49 50.
• Han Xiao — Subordinate who reports to him, helps locate him after the disaster, and escorts Song Ning on his orders. Han Xiao also urges him to seek treatment and tells Song Ning about his military past 17 30 39 40.
• Chen Liang — Subordinate who escorts Song Ning, attends Gu Zheng in hospital, supplies his X-ray, and later delivers his medical-fee payment 17 39 44 50.
• Lu Changqing — Subordinate serving in the 7th Regiment's Communications Company and Song Ning's fiancé. Their engagement makes Gu Zheng uneasy about his own feelings; he nevertheless insists that Song Ning's wishes be heard when leaders discuss the relationship 17 30 33 35.
• Chief of Staff Xu — Fellow officer with whom he discusses Lu Changqing's case. Gu Zheng repeatedly pushes back against Xu's efforts to preserve the engagement without first consulting Song Ning 33 34.
• Zhou Yunzhi — A romantic admirer whose interest he does not return, according to Han Xiao. Her frequent hospital visits irritate him, but he mobilizes a rescue when she and Song Ning are kidnapped 40 43 44 45 46.
• Political Commissar Gao — Prevents him from competing in the final all-around event because his head injury has not healed 35.
• Yang Ye — Competitive rival who wins that event and later mocks Gu Zheng for fainting, intensifying his frustration over the tied overall result 30 35.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Anti-Trafficking Operation

• Reveals his identity after Song Ning recognizes the supposed gang members as undercover personnel, then accepts her cooperation 4.
• Sends two young officers with her to retrieve Lan Ying and provides backup during the ensuing hostage crisis 5 6.
• Leads the village search and rescue effort; twelve rescued women subsequently reach Shajiao Town 6.
• Arranges clothing for Song Ning, recommends a military career, and leaves to return to his unit 6 7.
• Encounters her again after a landslide delays his journey and knocks out the escaped ringleader Brother Da 9.

Disaster Relief and Cave Rescue

• Commands rescue attempts for Tiedan at Rockhorn Village and allows the lighter Song Ning to attempt the crossing when the soldiers cannot reach him 14 15.
• Rescues Song Ning after the debris flow sweeps her away, taking the impact of the rocks himself 15 16.
• Shelters with her in a cave, where she treats him. A search party finds them after she fires his flare gun 16 17.
• Leaves under urgent military orders, assigning Han Xiao and Chen Liang to escort her 17.

Competition, Hospitalization, and Romantic Conflict

• Returns from the martial arts competition frustrated by a tied first-place result and increasingly preoccupied with Song Ning 30 35.
• Learns she is Lu Changqing's fiancée and tries to avoid seeing her, while insisting that leaders respect her wishes 30 33 35.
• Collapses after running on the training ground and begins receiving acupuncture from Song Ning in hospital 39 40.
• Sees her speaking privately with Lu Changqing and chooses not to interrupt, misinterpreting his emotional distress as a possible serious illness 43.

Warehouse Kidnapping and Growing Recognition

• Personally joins the search after learning that Ge Liang has kidnapped Song Ning and Zhou Yunzhi 45.
• Catches Song Ning when the women jump from the courtyard wall, then resumes the operation to investigate the kidnappers' connections 46.
• Reflects on holding Song Ning and recognizes that he was wrong about his ability to love a woman 49.
• Sends her medical fees through Chen Liang rather than meeting her before her departure for Shanghai City 50.

Notable Quotes

“Next time something like this happens, protect yourself first! Then report it!” 9

“I told you, no matter what happened, I'd hold on to you! This guy... keeps his word!” 16

“We should... respect Song Ning's wishes in this.” 33