"I've come to where I am on their shoulders, and now it's time for me to look after them," Gao says.

In 2015, Gao was admitted to Zhengzhou University of Light Industry and he chose to study marketing management.

He says it was more like a haphazard choice since neither his parents nor himself knew much about college courses.

After spending the first year studying all the fundamental courses, Gao felt he was not interested in the subject. "I was at a loss and not quite sure how I wanted to do with my life," he says.

An opportunity for a twist of fate came up in the sophomore year, when Gao knew he could serve in the army in the northwestern region of the country for two years before coming back to school.

He immediately signed up before even consulting his parents for approval. "It was a bit impulsive, and I guess I was just desperate for a change," he says, adding that he had always admired the military forces with the patriotic education he had in primary school.

The military experience immediately put Gao through his paces.

"The wind was so strong, sending the stones running and the sand turned the air yellow," he recalls.

The dry climate also gave Gao nosebleeds.

That's not to mention all the strenuous drills he had to go through every day.