Shen Cheng

Biodata

Background / History

Family and early cooperation

Shen Cheng raised his younger sister, Shen Yue, a teenage high school student whose only family was her brother. According to her, he handled all the housework and was a good cook who grilled meat for her 29 32.

Inside the classroom, he was the first survivor to openly support Lin Yang’s proposal to divide everyone into four-person watch groups. He reasoned that three people could keep a possible Faceling in check while nearby watchmen supported one another 13.

He took the first watch, scanning the room from beside an overturned desk. By this point, fighting alongside Fatty had brought the two closer, and they chatted quietly while remaining alert 14.

Investigating the Facelings

After two members of Zhang Hao’s group were killed overnight, Shen Cheng directed Lin Yang toward the bodies and examined their wounds, concluding that a Faceling had attacked them 15.

When the survivors escaped the classroom, he remained with Lin Yang and Jiang Yu’an rather than immediately rushing downstairs. He initially suggested leaving together, then reacted with disbelief when Jiang Yu’an said they were no longer in human society 17.

During the investigation of the balding middle-aged man, Shen Cheng asked Lin Yang for evidence rather than openly taking either side. He confirmed seeing the suspect crouching beside a desk but could not verify the claim that a drawer had caused the scratch near his eye. Liu Jialiang subsequently shot the man, exposing his black blood 25.

Tentacle hunt and disappearance

Shen Cheng volunteered for the expedition to obtain tentacle meat. Armed with a stick, he joined Lin Yang, Fatty, and the other men in pulling against the creature, repeatedly striking the same spot until the tentacle broke 27.

During the retreat, Fatty and Liu Jialiang went back to retrieve the dropped meat. Shen Cheng turned to intercept an approaching tentacle, buying them time to escape. It caught his ankle, and further tentacles seized his legs and waist before dragging him into the fog. He asked the others to look after his sister and gave Lin Yang and Liu Jialiang a thumbs-up 28.

The next broadcast reported 27 survivors rather than the 26 Lin Yang expected if both Zhang Hao and Shen Cheng had died. Since Zhang Hao’s death was certain, Lin Yang concluded that Shen Cheng might still be alive and shared that possibility with Shen Yue 29 30.

Return as the false Seer

A figure resembling Shen Cheng later appeared inside the school gates, injured and covered in dirt and blood. Welcomed by Shen Yue and Fatty, he announced that he was the Seer 32.

He claimed that an inspection had revealed cartilage connecting the tentacle to its body as a weak point, allowing him to stab it with a craft knife and escape. Lin Yang, who knew he was the only Seer, secretly inspected him and received the result Faceling 33.

Lin Yang interpreted the apparent sacrifice and return as a scheme to secure unquestioning trust. The impostor claimed to have checked four survivors—Fatty, Liu Jialiang, a middle-aged man, and a bespectacled college student—and presented them as cleared, identifying Liu Jialiang as the Gunslinger 33.

Isolation of Lin Yang and exposure

The false Shen Cheng repeatedly tried to draw Lin Yang into an office stay, searches, water collection, and patrols. Refusing kept Lin Yang away from possible attacks but made him appear uncooperative. As the impostor distributed food and maintained his helpful public image, much of the group began excluding Lin Yang 34.

On the fifth day, he announced that an inspection had identified Lin Yang as a Faceling and ordered him tied up. Lin Yang’s allies, the two men from Yanbian, attacked the impostor instead. Their knife and axe wounds caused his disguise to collapse, exposing black blood, a split face, vertical pupils, and a contorted body 35.

The other survivors joined the attack and killed him. Fatty shielded Shen Yue, telling her that the creature was not her brother; she repeated the realization while watching its destruction 36.

Appearance

• Initial appearance: A young man wearing a dark gray hoodie 13.
• Return from the fog: Torn clothing, dried mud and blood across his back, a cut beside his mouth, and one missing shoe; he initially struggles to stand 32.
• Exposed Faceling form: Mouth split toward the ears, vertical pupils, a limp and twitching neck, limbs bending unnaturally, and bones twisting beneath the skin 35.
• Blood: Black, visibly soaking his clothing and spreading across the floor after he is wounded 35 36.

Personality

Before his disappearance, Shen Cheng presents himself as practical, watchful, and willing to contribute. He supports a workable watch system, questions deductions he does not yet understand, and asks for evidence before accepting a potentially fatal accusation. His sister remembers him as a dependable caregiver 13 14 24 25 29.

The returning Faceling is calculating and skilled at performing concern. He publicly credits Lin Yang while privately considering him too dangerous to leave alive. Rather than immediately attacking, he undermines Lin Yang’s reputation and presents the eventual false accusation as a painful duty undertaken for everyone’s safety 33 34 35.

Abilities & Skills

Human Disguise

The returning Faceling convincingly reproduces Shen Cheng’s appearance and manner well enough to be welcomed by his sister and companions 32 33.

• Uses the trust attached to Shen Cheng’s apparent sacrifice to support his false identity 33.
• Maintains the disguise through several days of leadership and ordinary group activities 34.
• Loses control of it under severe pain from the Yanbian men’s attacks 35.

Deception and Social Manipulation

His claimed Seer role allows him to influence whom the survivors trust and suspect 33 35.

• Issues fabricated inspection results to give selected people credibility 33.
• Places Lin Yang in a dilemma: accept dangerous assignments or appear selfish by refusing 34.
• Uses Lin Yang’s refusals as the public justification for a false Faceling accusation 35.
• Limit: No genuine Seer inspection ability is demonstrated; Lin Yang’s system identifies him as a Faceling 33.

Faceling Combat Traits

Even after multiple knife wounds and axe strikes, the exposed impostor remains mobile and dangerous 35.

• Survives a deep neck wound and continues attacking from the ground 35.
• Moves quickly enough to bite a chunk of flesh from the taller Yanbian man’s leg 35.
• Is ultimately killed when the survivors join the assault 36.

Practical Skills

• Cooking and household work: Remembered by Shen Yue as a good cook who managed their home 29.
• Watchkeeping: Systematically scans different parts of the classroom without allowing his attention to settle for too long 14.
• Improvised combat: Uses a stick alongside Lin Yang’s knife and Fatty’s wrench to help sever a tentacle 27.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Dark gray hoodie — His identifying clothing during his first appearance 13.
• Wooden stick — Used during the tentacle hunt 27.
• Craft knife, claimed — The returning impostor says he used it to stab the creature’s weak point; the escape account is not independently verified 33.

Relationships

• Shen Yue — Younger sister whom Shen Cheng raised as her only family. His disappearance devastates her, and the impostor’s exposure forces her to recognize that the returned figure is not her brother 29 32 36.
• Lin Yang — Initially a trusted organizer whose watch plan Shen Cheng supports. The returning Faceling attempts to isolate and falsely condemn him; Lin Yang secretly verifies its identity and arranges resistance 13 33 34 35.
• Fatty — An argumentative companion turned fighting partner. He enthusiastically welcomes Shen Cheng’s return, believes the false Seer claim, and later protects Shen Yue during the exposure 14 29 32 33 35 36.
• Liu Jialiang — Fellow hunting-party member who tries to rescue Shen Cheng from the tentacles. That apparent sacrifice helps persuade him to trust the returning figure 28 33.
• Wang Jianjun — Vocal supporter of the false Seer who pressures Lin Yang to cooperate and attempts to bind him after the fabricated accusation 34 35.
• The two Yanbian men — Lin Yang’s secret allies, whose coordinated attack exposes the impostor’s Faceling body 35 36.

Notable Quotes

“Take care of my sister!” 28

“I'm the seer!” 32

“Then tie him up for now. Once we've found all the Facelings, we'll deal with him.” 35