Cheng Du

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Military Service and Security Work

Cheng Du served in the military but left before completing his service and never saw combat. He later tells Su Jin that someone dragged him out of bed during the night and that both he and another soldier were expelled the next day. He gives no clear explanation, evasively suggesting that they may have offended someone 50.

Before the apocalypse, he captained the Talents Residential Compound’s security team. Although the job largely involved wandering around, he maintained a disciplined lifestyle and remained in decent physical condition. He had already met and smoked with Su Jin, who had spoken to him about moving grain and cooking oil at night 36.

Survival and Rescue

After his door was sealed, Cheng Du received a leaflet and a text warning that the rainwater was contaminated. He avoided it, initially drinking soft drinks before resorting to toilet water, lubricant, and finally urine. Expecting rescue, he failed to ration his supplies 36.

When Su Jin broke into his apartment, Cheng Du initially feared he would be killed. Once reassured, he supplied useful information about Sister Liu across the hall, fighting and screams from apartment 301, and the female college student renting apartment 302. Su Jin judged his account prompt and thorough, then instructed him to gather useful supplies 36.

Cheng Du and Liu Min were placed under observation in an apartment across from the main group. He broke isolation after hearing a disturbance during the investigation into Li Fang’s death, earning a reprimand from Sun Ya. Su Jin later confirmed that both isolated residents had returned to their room 38 39 40.

Their observation ended early because the group needed manpower and considered their circumstances convincing evidence against infection. Cheng Du then joined the building searches, helping carry supplies and becoming accustomed to the sight of zombie combat 44.

Personality

Cheng Du is cautious about contamination but initially relies too heavily on the expectation of rescue. His refusal to drink rainwater keeps him alive, yet his failure to ration supplies leaves him desperate. He is openly emotional when rescued, crying and asking why Su Jin had not come sooner 36.

After awakening, he becomes eager to demonstrate his power and test it in combat. Sun Ya considers him somewhat rash and advises Su Jin to keep him under control. At the pharmacy, Cheng Du resists wearing his helmet because it obstructs his vision, feels stuffy, and prevents him from breathing fire 44 45 49.

His preferred survival strategy is initially retreat rather than expansion: he proposes finding an isolated place where the group could farm and live safely. He accepts Su Jin’s argument that they must recruit others and fight back. Despite his enthusiasm for combat, he is disturbed when Su Jin shoots an apparently helpless child and questions whether the killing was a mistake 46 50.

Abilities & Skills

Fire Control

Cheng Du senses his awakened power as a controllable current of heat within his body 44.

• Flame coating: Can surround his body with fire and extend the flames to his weapon for close-range combat 45.
• Ranged fire: Can breathe fire and expel a large fireball. Fire emission is not restricted to his mouth; other bodily openings capable of releasing gas also work 44 45.
• Zombie suppression: His supernatural flames severely impair zombie mobility and provoke a noticeable pain response, unlike ordinary flames over a short exposure 45.
• Finishing requirement: His fire does not kill zombies outright; an additional piercing blow to the heart is still needed 45.
• Endurance limit: His sustained combat capacity is considerably lower than Su Jin’s. His first fireball knocks him backward and leaves him visibly drained 44 45.
• Equipment interference: A helmet obstructs his ability to breathe fire 49.

Combat Experience and Practical Ideas

• Zombie hunting: Takes over the group’s frontline zombie hunting from Su Jin to gain practical experience before the medical-university expedition 45.
• Firearm safeguard proposal: Suggests adjusting distributed guns to shoot left of their aim points, reasoning that an infiltrator’s first shot would miss and give others time to react. The proposal is praised, but its implementation is not shown 48.
• Observation under pressure: Notices that the school-uniform zombie moves much faster than the others and defends Fu Hu from blame after it strikes their car 50.
• Experience limit: Despite his military background, he has never fought in an actual war 50.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Helmet and crude armor — Part of the expedition preparations. Cheng Du keeps a photograph inside his helmet but later removes the helmet at the pharmacy 46 49.
• Photograph of his younger brother — Carries it on the expedition and shows it to Su Jin during an argument with Fu Hu 46.
• Two pairs of white, high-cut socks — Offers them to Su Jin for warmth and ankle protection; Su Jin tosses them onto the back seat 46.
• Shared expedition weapons — The team departs with guns, arrows, and more than twenty bolas, intended to entangle enemies’ legs 46.

Relationships

• Su Jin — Acquaintance, rescuer, and group leader. Su Jin enables his awakening and trains him through practical zombie hunting. He chooses Cheng Du to use the next Flesh Ball before Fu Hu because its safety remains uncertain and he trusts Fu Hu more 36 44 45.
• Fu Hu — Fellow former soldier and expedition companion. Cheng Du catches him after his awakening ritual and helps him explore his new ability. They also bicker over Fu Hu’s suggestion of pairing Qingdai with Su Jin 45 46.
• Sun Ya — Oversees his isolation, reprimands him for leaving it, and later warns Su Jin about his rashness 38 39 45.
• Liu Min / Sister Liu — Fellow rescued resident and isolation roommate. Both later assist with the compound’s survivor mobilization 36 38 44.
• Younger brother — Cheng Du carries his photograph; his name and fate are not established 46.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Preparing the Medical-University Expedition

Cheng Du and Fu Hu are selected to accompany Su Jin to Dragon Mountain Medical University for materials needed to identify Disguised Infected. To improve their chances, Su Jin delays departure while clearing the compound and searching for Flesh Balls. After awakening, Cheng Du becomes the primary zombie hunter during the remaining preparations 42 43 44 45.

Before departure, Su Jin explains that seemingly ordinary people may be infected and that the expedition will obtain supplies for Sun Ya and Wei De’s detection experiment. Cheng Du questions the need to recruit more survivors but agrees to continue after Su Jin explains why isolation cannot secure their future 46.

Dragon Star Pharmacy and the School Route

At Dragon Star Pharmacy, Cheng Du accompanies the search for Wei De’s medicine. He objects when Su Jin shoots a crying child and offers a plausible explanation for the surrounding bodies. The child is nevertheless revealed to be a zombie with sharp teeth and fresh blood in its mouth, demonstrating that zombies are developing deceptive behavior 49 50.

Continuing toward the university, the group encounters more than a hundred zombies near Dragon Mountain Middle School. Cheng Du suggests using the sidewalk to bypass the horde, warns the others when a fast student zombie reaches the car, and urges Su Jin not to distract Fu Hu while he is driving 50.