Cao Feiyu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Cao Feiyu (曹非鱼)
Alias(es)	“Beast”; “Livestock” 7 213
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Kunlun Company / Kunlun Group 7 81
Occupation/Role	General manager; finance and operations lead; Gao Yuan’s chief operational aide 10 18 55 266
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Cao Feiyu and Gao Yuan have been close since childhood. They attended middle school and high school together, pursued and were rejected by the same girls, drank together, and shared an apartment while job-hunting in Hangzhou after university. Cao studied accounting while Gao studied computer science. Their friendship predates their professional partnership by nearly two decades. 7

While living in Hangzhou, Cao worked while Gao struggled through unemployment. Gao later observed that Cao had become increasingly quiet and melancholy at work, but would confide in him after returning to their apartment. 13

When Gao returned home to take over his indebted family textile business, Cao initially joked that he would someday rely on Gao for a living. After hearing about Gao Yuan’s father and the factory’s condition, he resigned from his job in Hangzhou and returned to help. With the factory’s accountant and cashier gone, he began by reconciling its accounts. 2 7 10

As Kunlun expanded, Cao’s responsibilities grew far beyond finance. He became the company’s general manager, overseeing logistics, human resources, business cooperation, advertising, recruitment, employee arrangements, and other operational work, allowing Gao Yuan to focus primarily on research and development. 23 81 94 266

Appearance

Cao Feiyu is consistently described as refined, elegant, and attentive to presentation, in sharp contrast to Gao Yuan’s casual sportswear. 7 199

• Wore a snow-white shirt, light-gray trousers, and polished black calfskin shoes when he returned to Kunlun Factory. 7
• Was first remembered by Gao Yuan as a gentle boy in a white short-sleeved shirt and black-rimmed glasses. 218
• Values a neat, formal appearance; he has been seen in a sharp suit with a red bow tie and meticulously combed hair. 199

Personality

Cao is calm, unhurried, and outwardly indifferent; Gao Yuan notes that he inherited much of his father’s free-spirited temperament. 2 He is tactful about painful subjects, refusing to press Gao over his family’s financial troubles even when he understands the situation. 2

Beneath his polished manner is a fiercely loyal and protective nature. His nickname, “Beast,” comes from the contrast between his gentle appearance and his capacity for toughness; as children, he fought ferociously to protect Gao Yuan. 7 218

He is practical and candid, frequently grounding Gao Yuan’s ambitions in finances, staffing, schedules, public response, and execution. He also teases Gao without hesitation, particularly over forgotten promises and romantic rumors. 10 39 218 231

Skills & Expertise

Finance and Business Negotiation

Cao’s accounting background made him essential when Kunlun Factory’s financial system was in disarray. He reconciled accounts, evaluated funding options, and later represented Kunlun in high-value negotiations. 10 11 149

• Identified venture capital as a fallback when bank financing proved insufficient. 11
• Helped Gao Yuan secure and manage Kunlun’s financing efforts during the early X Fiber period. 11 12
• Negotiated Kunlun’s acquisition of Cambrian, presenting a 70 billion yuan offer and challenging the company’s valuation with its declining market capitalization and losses. 149
• Tracks company finances and operational data closely, including orders, market reaction, and public-attention reports. 27 107 273

Operations and Administration

Cao evolved from temporary accountant to Kunlun’s central operations manager. 7 81

• Managed finance, ordering, employee arrangements, logistics, and even cafeteria-related matters during Kunlun’s understaffed early period. 23
• Arranged accommodation, transport, food, rest areas, and bonuses for visiting researchers. 31
• Led practical preparations for Kunlun’s large-scale recruitment drive, including housing, food, office space, laboratories, and coordination with local authorities. 94
• Was advised by Gao Yuan to delegate more of the growing company’s workload to mid-level management. 55

Marketing and Publicity

Cao recognizes that technical superiority alone does not create broad public influence. He was the principal force behind Kunlun’s livestream marketing and promotional strategy. 61 79

• Proposed using cameras and media coverage to expand Kunlun’s recognition beyond the chemical-fiber field. 61
• Initiated livestream marketing for Kunlun’s aerospace and technology projects. 71
• Organized repeated livestreams and promotional campaigns that helped turn Gao Yuan into a major technology influencer. 79
• Professionally arranged lighting, stages, cameras, industry crews, and more than 2,000 live attendees for major broadcasts. 98
• Advocates using every viable format—including recorded video—to strengthen Kunlun’s cultural influence and discourse power. 116

Strategic Analysis

Cao quickly grasps the strategic implications of Gao Yuan’s research plans and provides a grounded counterpoint to his decisions. 47 107 299

• Questioned whether a small number of papers could truly challenge Western academic dominance, prompting Gao to articulate his broader strategic position. 47
• Recognized that Kunlun’s energy-storage program could be used to build overseas power infrastructure and create long-term dependence on Kunlun technology. 107
• Warned Gao when public reaction to Kunlun Divine Craftsman’s robotic surgery was split between enthusiasm and fear of job loss. 218
• Worried that North America’s 227-meter rocket could overshadow Kunlun’s controlled-fusion work, but accepted Gao’s insistence on maintaining focus. 299

Relationships

• Gao Yuan — Childhood friend, closest confidant, and professional partner. Cao resigned from his Hangzhou job to support Gao’s failing family factory, then became the operational backbone of Kunlun Group. 7 81 266
• Xu Qingzhou — Colleague and mutual friend. Cao assessed Xu’s character favorably before Xu joined Kunlun’s research effort; the two later supported Gao’s academic and technological initiatives. 10 50 213
• Han Chang — Associate through Kunlun’s military partnerships. Cao travels with Gao during military and aerospace business in the Imperial Capital and is part of Gao’s close circle. 68 213
• Chu Luoluo — Member of Gao’s close circle. She learns Cao’s “Livestock” nickname during a friendly gathering in Lhasa. 213
• Gu Xiaoyu — Cao frequently teases Gao about rumors concerning Gu and discusses Gao’s relationship with her. 91 231
• Jiang Yuanyuan — Former classmate within Cao’s social circle; Cao repeatedly reminds Gao of his unfulfilled promise to treat her to hot pot. 12 39

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return to Kunlun Factory

Cao gives up his job in Hangzhou after learning of Gao Yuan’s family crisis and returns to Kunlun Factory. He takes over the abandoned accounting work and becomes Gao’s first trusted partner during the development and patenting of X Fiber. 7 10

Financing and Early Expansion

He accompanies Gao through bank visits for X Fiber financing, supports the company’s first strategic planning, and helps establish the practical conditions needed for researchers and staff to work at Kunlun. 11 12 31

General Manager of Kunlun

As X Fiber expands into apparel, military materials, rubber, automotive technology, and energy, Cao becomes general manager. He handles almost every non-R&D function, including staffing, logistics, business partnerships, advertising, and company growth. 18 55 81

Kunlun’s Public-Facing Strategy

Cao pushes Gao Yuan and Kunlun into livestreaming and large-scale publicity, recognizing that visibility, cultural influence, and public recognition are strategic assets in technology competition. 61 71 77 79

Galaxy Eye Recruitment Drive

When Kunlun launches the Galaxy Eye project, Cao confronts the operational burden of potentially recruiting thousands—or even more than ten thousand—science and engineering graduates. He works with local officials to secure the infrastructure needed for housing, food, workspaces, and research centers. 93 94

National and Global Operations

As Kunlun becomes tied to national-scale projects, Cao continues to manage logistics and support Gao’s work with the national team. Their division of labor becomes explicit: Gao leads research and technical direction, while Cao manages operations and execution. 104 266

Later Technological Era

Cao remains Gao’s trusted adviser through the Sky City, semiconductor, laser-weapon, controlled-fusion, and space-development periods. He monitors public reaction, coordinates company matters, and helps Gao remain focused amid international technological competition. 218 266 287 294 340

Trivia

• Cao’s name was chosen by his father with reference to the saying, “Zifeiyu, how can you know the joy of fish?” 2
• He dislikes chive-and-egg dumplings because the smell lingers after eating them. 68
• Despite his refined appearance, he fought aggressively as a child when protecting Gao Yuan. 218
• Gao entrusts Cao with mundane but essential matters, including shipment tracking numbers and personal reminders. 39
• Cao was surprised that the “Livestock” nickname was revealed to Gao’s friends in Lhasa. 213