- Translator: "Mr. Philips."
- Trevor: "Ah, here he is. Yes, Mr. Cheng, pleasure to meet you."
- Translator: "Oh, no. I am Mr. Cheng's humble translator."
- —The translator meeting Trevor Philips.
Tao Cheng's Translator is a minor character appearing in Grand Theft Auto V and as a supporting character in Grand Theft Auto Online.
He is voiced by Phil Nee.
History[]
Background[]
He is a member of the Los Santos Triads, serving under Wei Cheng. He works as a translator for Wei's son, Tao Cheng, who is unable to speak English. However, because of Tao's tendency to get high, the translator seems to primarily handle the tasks Wei gives to Tao when it comes to non-Chinese speaking partners.
Events of Grand Theft Auto V[]
Under Wei's orders, the translator and Tao meet up with Trevor Philips to discuss a potential partnership. Trevor brings them both to his meth lab, which is under attack from the Aztecas, leading Trevor to hide the translator and Tao in a freezer to keep them safe while he fends off the attackers. After the attack, the terrified translator takes Tao away from the area.
After this incident, the translator reveals to Trevor that Wei decided against his potential partnership with Trevor in favor of another, but refuses to reveal who. He finally reveals the new partner to be the O'Neil brothers after Trevor smashed Tao's head against a wall several times.
Events of Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The Diamond Casino & Resort[]
By 2019, he still translates for Tao and works for the Cheng Family, which is under the leadership of Tao's uncle. The family renovates and opens The Diamond Casino & Resort, but have become indebted to Avery Duggan in the process, who now wants to buy the casino at a cheaper price.
Eventually, the conflict between the Cheng family and the Duggan family escalates into violence, which is partially attributed to Tao taking Brucie Kibbutz as a personal trainer, which the translator reluctantly partakes in and causes Tao to become increasingly violent and angry. Over time, Tao begins to speak near-perfect English and starts behaving competently, causing the translator to feel and become functionally obsolete.
By the end of the conflict, the casino is sold to Thornton Duggan and Tao leaves the country to return to China alongside the translator.
Character[]
Personality[]
The translator is normally a calm and reserved man, shown to be peaceful and cautious in most appearances. He does at times appear somewhat paranoid, as he is shown to be very worried about meeting Trevor Philips and Avery Duggan.
Mission Appearances[]
Grand Theft Auto V[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The Diamond Casino & Resort[]
- Casino - Loose Cheng
- Casino - Strong Arm Tactics
- Casino - Play to Win
- Casino - Bad Beat
- Casino - Cashing Out