First Referenced:
The New Exodus Vanguard (Part 1)
Additional References:
The New Exodus Vanguard (Part 2)
Cheng Yao is described as being a quiet individual, originating from an unknown part of Asia. Cheng Yao joined The New Exodus Vanguard after the events of The Crushing Fist, in which his entire direct family was wiped out. During induction, he met Carmen Faulkner, and became her lover after a night of drinking.
During the early phases of the exodus, Cheng, along with many other squads of The New Exodus Vanguard encountered a Closet Door Rift, generated by a hostile entity which would capture a person and torture them to death every six hours. When attempts to trap and burn the door failed, Cheng then returned to the staging area of The New Exodus Vanguard and retrieved a suitcase nuclear bomb.
Cheng then volunteered to deliver the bomb to the door, which was apparently sufficient to damage or destroy the entity generating the rift. Cheng survived the encounter, although he was singed by the radiated heat.
Traits:
Quiet, reserved, generally emotionally numb. Seeks emotional stimulation through exhilaration and fear. Prone to taking unusually high risks.