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.