Zhao Gang

Biodata

Background / History

Zhao Gang has spent half his life in the military and is described as a veteran who remained unflinching under gunfire. By the time he meets Lin Mo, he oversees national security and the Ark Plan, Great Xia’s response to Blue Star’s slowing rotation 8 12.

Before the events surrounding Lin Mo, Zhao Gang brought news of Blue Star’s Great Deceleration to Great Xia’s highest leadership. That briefing preceded the launch of the Ark Project and the secret excavation of thirty-six enormous underground cities 49.

Appearance

• Resolute features and sharp eyes: His bearing is compared to a drawn sword during his address to the five national leaders 12.
• Military dress: He wears an immaculate military uniform at the meeting that establishes New Hope 12.
• Disciplined movements: His first meeting with Lin Mo emphasizes crisp, decisive movements; he later sits ramrod straight while taking Lin Mo’s report 6 9.

Personality

Zhao Gang is initially skeptical of Lin Mo’s claims. An unusual gemstone is not enough to justify committing national resources: he insists on repeatable, observable proof. Once the monitored crossing produces a World Tree leaf, his suspicion gives way to respect and hope, without abandoning verification or security precautions 6 8 9.

He combines strict operational discipline with personal consideration. He recognizes the pressure placed on Lin Mo, wants him to accept responsibility willingly rather than become a passive pawn, and provides practical reassurance about accommodation, salary, and daily needs. His sternest reprimands concern risks to Lin Mo’s life 12 13 22 43.

His political outlook prioritizes civilization’s survival over avoiding criticism. He defends the sacrifices required by the Ark Plan and argues that governing involves compromises, including sometimes tolerating officials whose contributions outweigh their faults. He nevertheless acknowledges ordinary people’s suffering and accepts their right to complain 35 36.

Abilities & Skills

Command and Resource Coordination

Zhao Gang serves as New Hope’s operational organizer, mobilizing Great Xia’s resources behind Lin Mo’s work on the Terra Continent 13.

• Assembles a dedicated think tank of specialists and military personnel 12 13.
• Sorts Lin Mo’s reports into categories and assigns the relevant problems to expert teams 22.
• Arranges an urgent medical response when Lin Mo reports the effects of the Life Fruit 32.
• Handles day-to-day support, including secure communications, accommodation, and access to base services 9 22.

Intelligence Assessment

He evaluates extraordinary claims through observation, expert review, and firsthand evidence rather than relying on testimony alone 6 9.

• Organizes a camera-monitored test of Lin Mo’s interdimensional travel 6.
• Consults sociological specialists about the internal consistency of Lin Mo’s account 9.
• Supplies a silent miniature camera to record the Terra Continent 14.
• Prioritizes intelligence on the Demon Clan, including its abilities and whether it could threaten Blue Star 13.

Strategic and Diplomatic Analysis

Zhao Gang treats aid to the Elves as both a military necessity and a route toward establishing trust 17.

• Recognizes Lin Mo’s offer of assistance as an opportunity to begin cooperation 17.
• Interprets the Elf Queen’s invitation as a diplomatic probe and a chance to deepen relations 34.
• Identifies how Lin Mo’s confrontation with Elder Valerius helped Queen Ellari restrain her hardliners, while distinguishing that success from the danger Lin Mo incurred 43.
• Warns that technological and tactical improvements alone cannot overcome the Demon Clan’s overwhelming resources and high-level combat power 43.

Security and Risk Management

Zhao Gang imposes strict information controls around discoveries that could determine Great Xia’s survival 8 48.

• Classifies proof of interdimensional travel at the highest secrecy level 8.
• Escorts the gemstone and World Tree leaf to national scientists under heightened security 10.
• Restricts portal intelligence to the core personnel present and places the New Hope team under base confinement and communications silence while he reports to the leadership 48.
• Orders assessment of Terra’s air, microorganisms, and viruses before exposing Blue Star’s population to the other world 48.

Relationships

• Lin Mo — Commander-in-chief, operational partner, and the person Zhao Gang mentors through New Hope’s responsibilities. Zhao formally serves as his deputy, lives next door at the base, and repeatedly places his safety above mission objectives 13 22 43 45.
• Elder Zhao — National leader and superior. Zhao Gang personally delivers scientific verification and portal intelligence to him; Elder Zhao praises his reliability and later decides to accompany him to meet Lin Mo 11 23 48 50.
• Qian Zhenhua — Scientific adviser whose proposals Zhao Gang supports, including the Elves’ improved bows, crossbows, and arrowhead manufacturing methods 10 17.
• Liu Chengen — Biological research specialist. Zhao Gang works with him on Lin Mo’s transformation and assigns his team the Terra Continent environmental risk assessment 32 33 48.
• Old Li — Head of the military strategic analysis team, whom Zhao Gang calls upon to assess the Elves’ battlefield situation 17.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Verifying the Other World

• Initial investigation: Zhao Gang questions Lin Mo about the gemstone and demands proof that an entire other world exists. He arranges the monitored sleeping test after learning that Lin Mo can carry small objects between worlds in his mouth 6.
• World Tree leaf: Lin Mo returns with the leaf, establishing interdimensional transport before the monitoring team. Zhao Gang immediately orders secrecy and reports the discovery upward 8.
• National verification: After hearing Lin Mo’s fuller account, Zhao Gang offers him accommodation. He subsequently escorts the samples to the National Academy of Sciences and delivers the signed verification report to Elder Zhao 9 10 11.

Establishing New Hope

• Zhao Gang argues that the Ark Plan is losing its race against planetary collapse and that cooperation with the other world is humanity’s remaining chance. The leadership establishes the S-class New Hope project above the Ark Plan and initially places him in charge 12.
• He names Lin Mo commander-in-chief and declares himself deputy commander, responsible for mobilizing national support. He identifies three immediate priorities: keep Lin Mo alive, seek World Tree seeds through a trustworthy partnership with the Elves, and gather intelligence—especially on the Demon Clan 13.
• He equips Lin Mo to collect footage and coordinates the experts’ response to the Elves’ weapon and production shortages 14 16 17 18 22.

Preparing Comprehensive Aid to the Elves

Zhao Gang presents a three-part support plan developed by Great Xia’s joint think tank 43.

• Model projections suggest these measures could at least double the Elves’ combat effectiveness. Zhao Gang stresses that this is an estimate, not a guarantee of victory 43.
• He concludes that the Elves would still eventually lose without a powerful outside force, identifying Great Xia’s soldiers as a possible answer—if they can reach Terra 43.

The World Tree Seed Obstacle

• During Lin Mo’s visit to Kunlun One, Zhao Gang explains the limited capacity of the underground refuge system and the worsening planetary crisis. His discussion of sacrifice and responsibility helps strengthen Lin Mo’s resolve to obtain a World Tree seed 35 36.
• When the seed proves too large for Lin Mo’s existing transport method, Zhao Gang rejects dislocating his jaw because his safety takes precedence 45.
• After Lin Mo volunteers for abdominal surgery as an alternative, Zhao Gang promises personal oversight, the country’s best medical resources, and a recommendation for national-hero honors if he returns with the seed 46.

The Astral Portal Breakthrough

• Lin Mo reports that the Holy Human Race possesses technology capable of building a stable two-way Astral Portal. Zhao Gang declares that constructing it is essential to saving Great Xia 47.
• He recognizes the portal as a potential new home and strategic escape route, then orders secrecy and environmental testing before traveling overnight to brief Elder Zhao in person 48.
• His report triggers another emergency leadership meeting. The narrative identifies this as his third pivotal briefing, following the Great Deceleration and Lin Mo’s discovery of the other world 49.
• The leadership approves sending troops, approaching Terra’s peoples as cooperative equals, and granting Lin Mo full authority to advance cooperation with the Elf Queen. Zhao Gang accepts orders to deliver that decision, with Elder Zhao choosing to accompany him 50.

Notable Quotes

“But this is still only your account. I need verification. Repeatable, observable verification.” 6

“First, stay alive. Under all circumstances, your safety is nonnegotiable. It is our highest priority.” 13

“When heaven seeks to destroy us, we choose... to replace it!” 35

“This gateway is our trump card, our future, and a new home for the people of Great Xia!” 48