I must say I was rather impressed with this quest. While it wasn't all that difficult, I found Captain Zao to be a very sympathetic character.

Nicely done.

I did his quest, but since my character's a pirate queen that fancied his uniform I robbed him. I didn't kill him - I used Intimidate to access his inventory, and swapped out his uniform for the one non-unique apparel piece I had on me at the time. I kinda feel bad for mugging him, but in fairness I gave him a fully Ballistic Weave'd Longshoreman's Outfit, and the pirate queen doesn't care.

Yeah, I helped him get his sub back in order, and then he said he was going back to China.... But, so far as I know, the sub is till there. I didn't go back and ask him if something else came up though..... Although, the sub would make for a cool house.

Of course, I suppose, staying 'in character', as a survivor of the great war that destroyed the world, one would think you would still have a great deal of resentment towards him. After all, for YOU, it was only a few days/weeks ago, that you had a spouse, a child, and a nice house.....

One of my favorite little side quests. I wish there was more Chinese specific loot, artwork and set design but otherwise I thought this was a great example of what makes Fallout 4 brilliant storytelling.

What's interesting is that when you begrudgingly agree to help him even though he was the man who basically helped to destroy the world, he acts resigned in a, "I'm not one to judge the help that comes. So be it." I'm not sure whether or not he was expecting Sole Survivor to be jumping for joy at the prospect of helping him, but I did notice that.


Though I'm still confused on one thing: He spent 210 years in that sub with no food or water? Not once even going up to the surface to make contact?

Considering that this basically amounted to a drawn out fetch quest, it was pretty entertaining. It was definitely memorable.

I asked myself the same question. A lot of people haven't encountered the 'Kid in a Fridge' quest yet, but I asked the same question there. This kid has supposedly been trapped in this fridge since the bombs fell...over 200 years ago. How? How did he not suffocate before even having a chance to starve to death? It was an amusing quest, but I had to kind of put these questions on the back burner and just accept it for what it was.

It kind of puts the pre-War segments in a whole new light. We see the end of the world just as we're lowered into the Vault, then 210 years later we see the man responsible for that. I spared him (and helped him) with one of my characters, but my other character may just decide to make him pay for basically destroying the world.


I brought Piper in with me and I was very shocked she didn't sit Zhao down and grill him with questions. I mean, if she thought we were amazing, I could only imagine what she thought of when she saw him.

Well people are fine with living in cobbled up shacks with holes everywhere for 200 years in the fall out universe so nothing surprises me.

Out of curiosity though, when he said "I've met worst capitalists", was that supposed to be a stealth insult or a genuine compliment?

I think there were a lot of missed opportunities with Piper like this. She's my main companion, and I travel with her probably 75% of the time. There are so many places that I've taken her where I've expected some really interesting dialog...and gotten nothing. I took her to

and got nothing out of her. Not one word. I thought for sure that this was going to be a prime opportunity for Piper to have some amusing dialog.

That "quest" is weird, as far as I know no one says anything interesting. Except when they see the flash in the sky.

I had Macready with me and he said something like, "what the hell was that! or did you see that!", can't remember exactly. I know i didn't see what he was talking about just heard it. seems like if they had a dialog for seeing the initial part there should be more.

I helped him on his way and sent him home. The war is long over and there's a certain amount of symbolic poetry in a pre-war American soldier and pre-war Chinese soldier working together.

I mean, he really didn't start the war himself. He launched his nukes as ordered, true, but the world would have ended with or without him. Thousands of missiles and bombs flew that day.

Plus he does seem to genuinely regret what he did. I don't really see the point in punishing him for something 200 years ago that was basically out of his hands.

Well Captain Zhao might have conceivably survived from the rations on the Yangzte. Seems like a pretty massive sub and there must have been plenty of supplies on board. Especially since its basically just him.

Alternatively though, these quests might confirm that ghouls actually don't need to eat or drink to survive. Dean Domino in New Vegas actually seems to question whether or not he does.

Professional soldiers generally respect each other even when on different sides. The politicians are the ones that start the wars.

I agree, it was beautiful, which is why I wanted to help him out. Even though he was from the enemy side from my character's perspective, I couldn't bring myself to have her exact vengeance over him when he clearly was expressing regret over it. I saw him as much of a victim of the Great War as my Sole Survivor was, so why hate him?


Not to sound weird or corny, but after the mission, I actually saluted the TV because I was disappointed Sole Survivor and Zhao didn't do that as their final parting.


The no eating part is interesting. It's wholly possible he doesn't eat because he's a Ghoul.


True, when they're not busy trying to kill each other on the battlefield.