Tao Cheng

"Man, I'm high as shit."

- Tao Cheng.

Tao Cheng is a supporting character in Grand Theft Auto V.

Background
Cheng can't speak English, though he once mentioned the name "Lifeinvader". His father is Wei Cheng, the leader of the Los Santos Triads.

Events of GTA V
Tao is contacted through Ron Jakowski who knew that he would buy the meth that Trevor cooked. Tao is visually high on drugs in the level, as he is going crazy in terms of his gibberish clamoring. He is spoken for by a translator, who works for him on pain of death from Cheng Sr. By the time they arrive at the meth lab, Ortega's Aztecas crew attack in vengeance for their master, so Cheng, Jr. and the translator are put in a freezer as the gun battle takes place. When it ends, they are released, and the translator drives Cheng, Jr. away, saying that he had seen enough.

Afterwards, Cheng decided to work with the O'Neil Brothers, a group of redneck meth dealers who operate a large meth lab on their ranch. Trevor goes to the ranch and kills all of the O'Neil Brothers, and explodes their lab with gasoline, destroying their house in the process. His father Wei Cheng hunts Trevor down in North Yankton but captures his "boyfriend" Michael De Santa and holds him hostage in a Cypress Flats meat factory. Franklin Clinton rescues him and Tao and Wei become enemies with the group.

After robbing the Union Depository and killing the last three of the O'Neil brothers, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor plan to eliminate their enemies. In "The Third Way", Franklin agrees to kill Wei and Tao. He finds their location through Lester, who traces Tao's credit card to a Pacific Bluffs beach club. He finds a three-car convoy and ambushes it. Tao may be killed, but this is purely optional; only Cheng, Sr. must be killed.

Mission appearances

 * GTA V
 * Trevor Philips Industries (Boss)
 * Crystal Maze (Boss)
 * The Third Way (Can be killed)

Trivia

 * Per Chinese naming custom, Wei Cheng and Tao Cheng's names are incorrectly constructed. In Chinese naming custom, the family name comes first, while the given name comes last. During the mission Fresh Meat, Trevor identifies that Wei and Tao are from Yangshan in China, meaning they were born in Chinese soil, where the naming custom must be upheld by law. Thus, the correct way for them to be named would have been Cheng Wei and Cheng Tao.