Later, I Laughed Episode 14 Recap
> Later, I Laughed Recap
In 2008, in Jianing City, Cao Zhiyong was working a stable but monotonous job with no prospects. He decided to quit and head to Shanghai to try his luck. Using his savings, he bought a truck and started a moving business. Over time, his business grew, and he established a moving company that quickly gained a solid reputation. He even brought his wife to live with him in Shanghai.
In 2011, Cao Zhiyong discovered stand-up comedy and became deeply fascinated by it. He invested a significant amount of money to buy a storefront and opened a bar where people could perform stand-up comedy. However, the bar’s business was bleak, and it had been losing money since its opening. To keep the bar afloat, Cao Zhiyong made the drastic decision to sell his moving company without consulting his wife, which infuriated her.
Later, he even considered selling his gold chain and watch, but the offers he received were too low. One day, Shi Ye was performing stand-up on stage when Wu Xiuya suddenly went up, grabbed the microphone, and delivered her own routine impromptu. Her natural talent for stand-up comedy wowed the audience, reigniting Cao Zhiyong’s hope. However, now that Xiuya had decided to quit stand-up, Cao Zhiyong was once again left directionless.
Desperate, he placed his hopes on Xu Yunfeng, hoping Xu would invest in the bar because of his fondness for stand-up. Xu Yunfeng didn’t beat around the bush and agreed to meet him on Wednesday night at 9:00 PM at Banghe Bar. Meanwhile, Xiuya and Xu Yunfeng were growing more comfortable and natural around each other, though Xiuya still couldn’t fully open up to him physically. Xiao Lan suggested that Xiuya take the initiative.
On the other hand, Cao Zhiyong withdrew all his savings and returned the 250,000 yuan in full to his wife’s unscrupulous brother. When Cao Zhiyong’s brother-in-law learned that he would be meeting Xu Yunfeng to discuss a collaboration, his interest was immediately piqued. He pushed the money back, hoping to secure a share in the bar. However, Cao Zhiyong, having seen through his true nature, refused without hesitation.
To prepare for the meeting, Cao Zhiyong had Xiao Lan launch a special promotional campaign, filling the bar with customers. However, Xu Yunfeng quickly saw through it, recognizing that the customers were drawn by the discounts rather than the stand-up performances themselves. From a professional investor's perspective, Xu Yunfeng didn’t see a bright future for stand-up comedy. His support for Xiuya was driven by his personal stance, not his belief in the industry.
Supporting Xiuya’s career in stand-up didn’t conflict with his skepticism about its future. Even if Xiuya wanted to pursue a career as a successful businesswoman, Xu Yunfeng promised to unconditionally support her, as he was serious about pursuing a future with her, including marriage. Shi Ye overheard Xu Yunfeng’s words and felt a pang of discomfort, realizing how serious Xu was about Xiuya. By the time Xiuya arrived at the bar, Xu Yunfeng had already left.
Xiao Lan then shared Cao Zhiyong’s struggles with everyone. Xiuya offered to use her savings to help, but Cao declined, knowing it was only a temporary fix. Shi Ye, summoning all his courage, urged Xiuya not to give up on stand-up comedy. After reflecting on it, Xiuya presented a challenge to Xu Yunfeng. She proposed renting a large theater with 500 seats and organizing a commercial stand-up comedy show.
If they could turn a profit, it would prove the viability of stand-up as a business. Although one profitable show wouldn’t necessarily be conclusive and might be considered a small sample, Xu Yunfeng accepted the challenge. Xiuya assigned tasks to everyone. She took responsibility for event planning and reaching out to a performance company. However, the performance company had never heard of stand-up comedy, making negotiations difficult. Meanwhile, Shi Ye and Xiao Lan also faced significant challenges with their tasks. As for Cao Zhiyong, he returned to his hometown, humbly approaching his wife’s brother once again to discuss reinvesting in the bar.
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