Way Back Into Love Episode 24 Recap
> Way Back Into Love Recap
Lu Jia continued to work on the promotional copy early in the morning, despite Xu Jiaxiu's attempts to stop her. She told him he didn't have to stay with her and should go to sleep. Later that morning, Xiaoda woke up to find Xu Jiaxiu and Lu Jia asleep on the desk. As other colleagues also began to stir, they decided not to wake the sleeping couple, recognizing they had probably stayed up all night.
Xiaoda then told Zhou Yunbo that she needed him to go out with her to deposit 20,000 yuan at the bank. Clutching the money tightly, Xiaoda expressed concern that even one yuan was crucial for the company and feared being robbed if she spoke too loudly. Zhou Yunbo, amused, dismissed her worries, saying, "Who will rob you? It's just 20,000 yuan."
Meanwhile, Chen Han led Lost Time employees in a large-scale street promotion, promising a 10-day tour through Europe to lucky registrants, which drew a large crowd. Zhou Yunbo, observing Lost Time's deep pockets, saw an opportunity to promote Pickup. Despite Xiaoda's warning that he would disgrace their company by doing so, Zhou Yunbo insisted he would make Pickup known in their competitor's territory.
He distributed business cards with QR codes to passersby, claiming Pickup was superior to Lost Time, helping users rediscover their youth and childhood sweethearts. He even used Xiaoda as an example of Pickup successfully reuniting first loves. Chen Han soon recognized Zhou Yunbo, mockingly calling him "the receptionist" and scolding him for trying to steal customers. Realizing they had been caught, Zhou Yunbo and Xiaoda quickly fled the scene.
Lu Jia published the promotional copy she had written through the night, which immediately garnered significant online attention. The article detailed her and Xu Jiaxiu's relationship journey from high school to the present. Reactions varied, with some calling it shameful that Lu Jia portrayed Xu Jiaxiu as the one constantly thinking of her, and others betting that the proud Xu Jiaxiu would never utter such words. Song Junxi saw the article and felt a pang of bitterness.
When Yu Bo and Chen Han reported the booming sales of Lost Time, Song Junxi was far from pleased. He highlighted that Lost Time spent ten million yuan for only two million new users, while Pickup achieved one million downloads with less than 200,000 yuan in promotional expenses. Despite Yu Bo's explanations that Lost Time already had a large user base making further growth difficult, Song Junxi was unwilling to listen, demanding solutions.
He gave them one month, stating that if Lost Time's input-output ratio couldn't surpass Pickup's in the next phase, he would cease all investment. Yu Bo, in turn, vented his frustration on Chen Han. Chen Han, however, remained confident, believing they could defeat Pickup because Voya was running out of money. He proposed that by injecting more capital into promotion, they could suppress and put an end to Pickup.
He reasoned that once Pickup was gone, Song Junxi wouldn't care about the input-output ratio anymore. Yu Bo then agreed to give Chen Han one more chance. Lu Jia's online post quickly gained traction, causing Pickup's downloads and registrations to soar. Xu Jiaxiu was pleased, acknowledging that Lu Jia's "good promotional text" was a key factor.
He also admitted that while Lost Time had deep pockets and a larger user base, Pickup's achievements with limited resources showed their ability to compete. He encouraged everyone to prepare for a protracted war with Lost Time, urging them to raise money and update the app to versions 2. 0 and 3. 0 to get ahead. He emphasized the goal of making Pickup an "irreplaceable" product in users' minds. The team was invigorated, shouting "Go for it!"
The next morning, Lu Jia woke to find Xu Jiaxiu already at work and complimented how attractive he looked. Noticing how tired everyone was from working overtime, she suggested to Xu Jiaxiu that they all take a day off. Xu Jiaxiu, teasing her about being a "considerate Mrs. Xu," agreed to give them a break. Early that morning, Zhou Yunbo brought a single pancake for breakfast, which was shared among the team.
Lu Jia then announced Xu Jiaxiu's decision to give everyone a day off. However, the team, including Ye Angyang, who declared himself a company partner, declined, insisting they needed to keep working to develop the 2. 0 version of Pickup as quickly as possible. Lu Jia respected their dedication, telling them they could take the day off another time. Soon after, Shao Yifeng arrived, expressing concern for Janice's many days of overtime and suggesting she relax by playing a game.
Janice, however, was busy and told him to go home. Other colleagues, including Ye Angyang and Wang Di, forcibly escorted him out. In the commotion, a box of paper clips was knocked over. Shao Yifeng loudly urged everyone to "see the outside world," warning them not to get stuck in a fixed way of thinking. Xu Jiaxiu emerged, inspired by Shao Yifeng's words.
He asked Janice about her project, and she detailed how they had refined classifications for finding classmates to make searches more precise for users. Xu Jiaxiu then scattered two more boxes of paper clips to illustrate a new idea. He pointed out that while paper clips could be divided into two boxes by number, their two boxes couldn't accommodate users who might want to divide them by five colors or ten shapes.
He explained that Janice's approach of "making boxes" (i. e. , predefined classifications) was finite, while user demands were random and potentially infinite. When Janice suggested adding a feedback mechanism, Xu Jiaxiu pointed out that it would take too long to keep up with user demand. He proposed a radical change: shifting from "making rules" to "breaking rules" by giving the initiative to the users.
This new vision for Pickup would move beyond just finding first loves, embracing "infinite possibilities" for connections between people. Lu Jia immediately grasped his idea, prompting Xu Jiaxiu to assign tasks to everyone, emphasizing that "this update must be kept secret." The team enthusiastically agreed, ready to work on "Pickup 2. 0." As the CFO, Lu Jia noted that this major update would require significantly more funds, worsening their already strained financial situation.
She announced her plan to approach banks for the largest possible loan, while Xu Jiaxiu decided to seek out more investors. Observing everyone multitasking, Zhou Yunbo expressed his unwillingness to remain "just a receptionist." He proactively offered to return to his "old job" of client acquisition and sales, a request Xu Jiaxiu readily approved. Zhou Yunbo began his search for investors.
Upon seeing a Mr. Hu, who had just invested in another project, Zhou Yunbo eagerly approached him to pitch Pickup. Mr. Hu expressed his general agreement with Pickup's design concept but felt that the market for such apps was already saturated. Zhou Yunbo, introducing himself as Voya Technology's COO, passionately guaranteed a new version next month, detailing their pioneering "self-created community function" which would give users the initiative.
Just as he was elaborating, Chen Han, passing by, maliciously disparaged Pickup, claiming that Zhou Yunbo, "just a receptionist," pursuing investments was proof of Voya's desperate financial state. Offended by Chen Han's interruption and insult, Mr. Hu abruptly left. Chen Han informed Yu Bo about Pickup's impending update. Concerned about Song Junxi's potential displeasure, Yu Bo instructed Chen Han to find a way to stop Pickup's update, even if it meant stealing their ideas.
Meanwhile, Lu Jia calculated a capital deficit of at least two million yuan. Her application for a bank loan was rejected, and Xu Jiaxiu also faced repeated rejections from potential investors, with one Mr. Fan citing the saturated social app market and the high risk of investing in Pickup. Both were anxious. Xu Jiaxiu suggested mortgaging his house and car, but Lu Jia proposed an alternative: investing in stocks.
Initially, Xu Jiaxiu dismissed it as a "gambler's psychology" and too risky, pointing out that "mock exams and the college entrance exam aren't the same." Lu Jia, however, insisted it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, citing her analysis of market trends and her past first-place win in a college mock stock market competition. She impressed Xu Jiaxiu by showing him a new watch she claimed to have bought with stock earnings, prompting him to call her a "strategist."
Despite Xu Jiaxiu's continued reluctance to use company money for such a high-risk venture, Lu Jia relentlessly pleaded for just 500,000 yuan, promising to double it within a week and take full responsibility if she failed. Finally, Xu Jiaxiu reluctantly agreed to let her try for one week. Lu Jia invested the 500,000 yuan into the stock market and meticulously monitored the fluctuations, while her colleagues gathered around, watching with tension.
Some were skeptical, with one remarking that he'd have a better chance winning the lottery. Xu Jiaxiu, however, defended Lu Jia, saying she was "good at investing in stocks." Despite his agreement, Xu Jiaxiu was also arranging to mortgage his house. Ye Angyang, seeing this, confronted Xu Jiaxiu, expressing doubts about Lu Jia's investment.
When Ye Angyang accused him of being unprincipled due to his relationship with Lu Jia, Xu Jiaxiu revealed his true perspective: the 500,000 yuan, even if doubled, would be "a drop in the bucket" compared to the two-million-yuan deficit. He only allowed Lu Jia to invest to avoid "discouraging her," explaining that solving the fundamental problem still required "new investments."
To reassure his colleagues, Xu Jiaxiu then exaggerated Lu Jia's stock market prowess, claiming she was a "rich girl" who had bought expensive items, including the game console they all played on, with stock earnings. However, when asked about the game console's origin, Janice conspiratorially replied, "It's a secret," making the others realize the story might be embellished. Xu Jiaxiu, remaining pragmatic, continued his discussions about mortgaging his house, showing the property deed to the agents.
