Driver shows the road to victory against virus

While doctors and nurses are put under the spotlight in the ongoing fight with the novel coronavirus outbreak, thousands of volunteers in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province and the epicenter of the epidemic, are proving their value as well.

Zheng Nengliang, an employee of the Hunan Construction Engineering Group, is just one of them. Zheng has been driving medical professionals and materials to where they are needed since Spring Festival in the city that has been locked down for more than 20 days to curb the spread of the virus.

After a long, busy day, Zheng finally got a chance to have a break at 4:30 am on Feb 10, seizing a chance to respond via mobile phone to interview requests from reporters.

"I am safe and fine. Thank you. Everything is OK. We volunteers have good teamwork," he says.

As many parts of the country, in the interest of public health, declared a state of emergency over the outbreak of the virus, he made the bold decision to go to Wuhan on Jan 25 to help. It was Spring Festival, two days after the city was locked down.

He drove directly to a hospital designated to treat those infected with the virus, offering to help for free.

His readiness to assist and accommodating manner quickly won him acknowledgment from not only locals, but also other volunteers in the city.

He joined a Wuhan anti-epidemic charity alliance and became a volunteer diver.

In the beginning, Gao Qiulan, Zheng's girlfriend, opposed his decision, but she changed her mind after Zheng told her the reason why he needed to go to Wuhan to help.

Zheng was born in a low-income family, and his mother is mentally challenged. He adopted his current name, which means positive energy, in college, and had a dream to make the world a better place, Gao explains.

"I could not have finished my college education without government aid and public donations. Now is the time to repay them," says Zheng.

"I am aware of the danger here, and I'm ready to die. If I pass away in Wuhan, please leave my ashes to the Yangtze River so that I can find my way back to my hometown. I am dedicated to repay my motherland, family, teachers, friends for their help, and I want to realize my dream," he stated on his WeChat moments on the second day after getting to Wuhan.

In many people's eyes, he is so true to his mission and his energy is boundless. Once receiving a call for help, he sets off immediately. He only sleeps a couple of hours a day because of the heavy workload, his peers say.

After learning about Zheng's story, Ye Xinping, president of Hunan Construction Engineering Group, contacted him immediately, and visited his family.

"You are a role model for our 30,000 employees. We are your backup. We are ready to help if you need," Ye told Zheng.

Those who are inspired or receiving help from Zheng have also shown him their appreciation in various ways.

A doctor taking his car gave him a bottle of medical alcohol for sanitation. Other passengers gave him boiled eggs, reminding him to take care of himself after learning about his experience.

Some have left envelopes containing cash in his car without telling him.

The volunteer team noticed that Zheng had nowhere to sleep, and so they paid for a hotel room for him. But he checked out two days later. "During this time, we should not waste resources," he says. He slept in the car before the other volunteers helped him to find a local gym to take a nap.

When asked if he is scared, Zheng replies in a video recorded and sent by mobile phone:"Instead, I feel warm and taken care of, not fearful, because I see many medical workers fighting on the front line day and night, and medical materials transported here from all over the world."

He says he is confident that as long as the people are united, the virus will be defeated.