Way Back Into Love Episode 25 Recap
> Way Back Into Love Recap
Xu Jiaxiu’s house was appraised for a mortgage, estimated to yield only 500,000 to 600,000 yuan, which was significantly less than his expectations. He expressed his disappointment to the bank staff but decided to await their final assessment. Despite this, he bought lunch for the team, personally delivering a meal to Lu Jia, who was intently focused on her stock trading. Lu Jia, feeling dejected, told Xu Jiaxiu she had only earned a little over 1,600 yuan that day.
He consoled her and, concerned for her well-being, gently suggested she cease trading. However, Lu Jia, reminding him of their one-week agreement, insisted she would not give up and would "fight again tomorrow" after a good night's sleep. Her determination was quickly tested when, during a brief trip to the bathroom, her stocks dropped, causing her to lose 1,200 yuan, leaving her greatly annoyed. Meanwhile, Xu Jiaxiu had also been seeking other investors.
An old acquaintance offered him a personal loan, but Xu Jiaxiu politely declined, stating that he was looking for like-minded partners who shared his vision, not just money. The following day, Lu Jia triumphantly announced she had made 68,000 yuan, exclaiming that she had regained her confidence and power, and vowed to make even more in the coming days. Encouraged by this, Xu Jiaxiu decided to revisit Fan Xing of Daxing Assets, an investor who had previously rejected them.
He recognized Daxing Assets as one of East China's top firms, professional and with keen investment insight, and was unwilling to give up after a single refusal. Impressed by his persistence, Ye Angyang offered to accompany him. Due to his wife being away, Fan Xing invited them to his home, where he was caring for his son, Shuwen, who had autism and was typically withdrawn from strangers.
Fan Xing candidly pointed out that Pickup, despite its merits, lacked distinctiveness and was unlikely to become a "phenomenal app." Observing Shuwen struggling to mix colors, Ye Angyang, a designer, stepped in and helped the boy find the right shade, earning Shuwen's rare gratitude. Seizing the opportunity, Xu Jiaxiu presented Fan Xing with Pickup’s latest project plan, detailing an upcoming major update that would address the app’s uniqueness.
He explained that everyone, much like Shuwen, has needs, but many do not receive timely or accurate responses, leading to user churn—a prevalent issue in social applications. Pickup’s update would revolutionize this by "breaking rules" instead of setting them, giving users the initiative and providing accurate, customized services. Impressed by this vision, Fan Xing agreed to present the project to his company's shareholders.
However, he imposed a strict condition: his company would invest three million yuan if, within a week of its update, Pickup surpassed Lost Time's download volume. Xu Jiaxiu confidently accepted, believing Pickup could reach 20 million users. On their way back, Ye Angyang voiced his concerns, noting that Lost Time already had 18 million users to Pickup's 15 million, requiring a gain of at least 5 million users in a week to catch up.
He also worried about Lost Time potentially releasing its own update. Xu Jiaxiu, however, remained resolute, stating he had anticipated these challenges and urged Ye Angyang to focus on his design work. Later that day, Xu Jiaxiu received an urgent call from Janice, informing him that Lu Jia had fainted from overwork. He rushed back to the office to find her regaining consciousness. Lu Jia, still somewhat disoriented, apologized for "only" making 367,892.
56 yuan, as she had fallen short of her personal goal. Her colleagues, however, were astonished and hailed her as the "goddess of Voya" for her impressive achievement in just one week. Despite this significant sum, Lu Jia felt it wasn't enough to fully close their financial gap. Ye Angyang then shared the good news that he and Xu Jiaxiu had secured a new investment.
Xu Jiaxiu confirmed that Fan Xing's company intended to invest three million yuan for 10% of their shares, acknowledging that while the official process would take time, Lu Jia's successful trading had provided crucial immediate relief. The team rejoiced at this dual triumph. Soon after, Fan Xing unexpectedly arrived at Voya to personally deliver the investment contract. He reiterated the stringent condition: Pickup's download numbers must exceed Lost Time's within a week of its update.
With Lost Time now at 19 million users, Voya needed to attract at least 5 million new users. Fan Xing stressed that he had personally vouched for Voya to his shareholders and warned that if they failed, the three million yuan investment would automatically convert into a debt. Xu Jiaxiu acknowledged the high stakes, stating that Voya was "going for broke" but remained confident in their update.
After Fan Xing's departure, Ye Angyang again expressed his anxieties to Xu Jiaxiu, particularly about the possibility of Shenyu releasing a new version of Lost Time, further complicating their target. Xu Jiaxiu, undeterred, emphasized his belief that "crises and opportunities are intertwined" and that they must "go for broke" rather than face defeat without a fight.
Just as Voya prepared for its update, Lost Time preemptively released its own new version, heavily promoted by celebrities, causing its download numbers to surge past 20 million. To Voya’s dismay, Lost Time’s new features included a customer customization service, advertised with slogans identical to those Xu Jiaxiu had used for Pickup's unreleased update. The team immediately suspected blatant plagiarism.
While Janice checked their system for hacks, Zhou Yunbo was horrified to realize he might have inadvertently leaked their update plans to a client, Mr. Hu, during a sales pitch, with Chen Han of Shenyu overhearing. Xu Jiaxiu quickly intervened, urging the team not to panic or blame Zhou Yunbo, as they lacked concrete evidence for a legal challenge.
He redirected their focus to implementing "differentiated adjustments" to Pickup and ensuring its timely release, calling Ye Angyang and Janice to his office to strategize. Overwhelmed by guilt, Zhou Yunbo left a heartfelt letter to his "comrades," apologizing for being a burden, and then departed without a trace. His concerned colleagues immediately set out to search for him. Meanwhile, Yu Bo of Shenyu, having learned about Voya's new investment, worried about Pickup's potential for a resurgence.
Chen Han proposed a cunning strategy: cripple Pickup by poaching its Chief Technology Officer, Janice, arguing that without her, the app would be "hopeless." At Voya, the search for Zhou Yunbo proved fruitless, and Xu Jiaxiu advised the team to give him space, believing he needed time to process his remorse. He then refocused everyone on Pickup's update plan.
Janice reported their analysis of Lost Time's new features: although Shenyu had indeed stolen their "self-created community" concept, their implementation was limited, only allowing friends to form communities, thereby remaining largely "closed." Pickup, in contrast, was designed to be "open," enabling strangers to connect. This meant they didn't need a complete redesign but still required "differentiated adjustments." Xu Jiaxiu encouraged the team to accelerate development for the scheduled update.
At this critical juncture, the Mosaic team unexpectedly arrived, offering their assistance. With renewed purpose, everyone at Voya united, committing to the intensified work. Janice later received a suspicious phone call from a man claiming to have hit her beloved electric bike. She rushed out to investigate, only to find her vehicle undamaged. Yu Bo then appeared, revealing the call was a ruse to draw her out.
He tried to poach Janice, extolling the financial benefits at Shenyu, where programmers could drive sedans after three years, unlike Voya. He warned her against betting her future on Voya, which he called a "boat that will turn over anytime," arguing that while men could easily recover from failure, a young woman like her could not afford such risks and should make a "correct choice" for her future.
Janice firmly rejected his offer, emphasizing her desire to work with "like-minded people" on "interesting projects" and implicitly criticizing Shenyu's "shameless" plagiarism. She countered Yu Bo's cynical outlook by comparing Voya to a small boat that sailed with opportunity and danger, and Shenyu to the "Titanic," reminding him that even grand ships could sink.
Infuriated, Yu Bo retorted that Pickup’s days were "numbered," Voya would "close down sooner or later," and if she waited until Voya failed, "no one would hire her." Janice shot back that his desperate attempt to recruit her only proved his fear of Pickup as a threat to Lost Time, warning him against "making a cocoon for himself" and suffering retribution. Enraged, Yu Bo stormed off. Later, as Janice rode her electric bike home, its brakes suddenly failed.
She screamed for Ye Angyang as the bike careened out of control and crashed into a guardrail, leaving her with a dislocated arm. Back at the office, Ye Angyang fussed over her, trying to prevent her from working. Despite her injury, Janice was determined to finish the new version. Unexpectedly, Shao Yifeng arrived with snacks, expressing concern. Although Janice was initially skeptical, Shao Yifeng demonstrated astonishingly fast and accurate coding skills, revealing he had previously studied programming.
Impressed, Xu Jiaxiu entrusted Shao Yifeng with completing Janice's tasks. Ye Angyang, observing Shao Yifeng and Janice's seamless collaboration, felt a pang of jealousy. He also found the electric bike's sudden brake failure highly suspicious and decided to investigate the cause himself.
