Recently, during a live broadcast at the launch of his new book, comedian Cao Yunjin spoke about his past with his former mentor, Guo Degang, and the events surrounding their former relationship at the Deyun Society. This marks his first substantial explanation since the “cleaning out” incident in 2016, providing a more complete narrative on the matter.
If you’ve read Cao Yunjin’s book Hello, Please Listen to Me, you’d know that many of the topics he discussed in the live broadcast were already mentioned in the book. The book gives a public first account of the complicated relationship between him and Guo Degang, his connection with Guo’s wife, Wang Hui, and the widely circulated “birthday party incident.” Cao Yunjin's detailed retelling of these events during the live session brought back many memories for his audience.
The infamous “birthday party incident” occurred on January 18, 2010, at Guo Degang’s birthday celebration in Beijing. It is widely believed that during the event, Cao Yunjin publicly pointed at Guo Degang and scolded him, even swearing to never return to the Deyun Society. Rumors also suggested that Cao Yunjin forced Wang Hui to kneel.
However, fifteen years later, Cao Yunjin reflected on the event and clarified that it was not as chaotic as the rumors suggested. He had traveled from Nanjing to Beijing for Guo Degang’s birthday and had even sent a text message beforehand confirming his attendance. To show respect, he also brought his girlfriend along. During the party, Cao Yunjin did not get into any conflict with anyone. It was only when he was about to leave that a disagreement arose between him and Guo Degang's agent, Wang Hai. Cao Yunjin explained that when Zhang Deyan tried to stop him as he was leaving, he merely waved his hand and continued to leave. On his way out, he briefly bumped into Guo Degang in the stairwell, where he bowed in front of a statue of Guan Yu and said, “I will never come back,” before leaving.
Despite the widespread rumors of Guo Degang singing “Wei Yang Palace” or Wang Hui being forced to kneel, Cao Yunjin stressed that these things actually happened after he had already left the party, and he had no involvement in them. However, Cao Yunjin didn’t fully disclose all the details, especially regarding why he said such harsh words about never returning. While issues such as unequal distribution of income and not being compensated in proportion to his worth were clearly part of the problem, these issues likely accumulated to a breaking point. On November 4, a fan of Cao Yunjin, who had witnessed the event firsthand, shared a video from the birthday party that might bring us closer to the truth.
The video shows one of the founding members of Deyun Society, Guo Degang’s younger brother, Li Jing, warmly greeting guests and hosting them with a smile. The next scene cuts to Cao Yunjin, who is raising his glass in a toast, with people thanking him at each table. The overall atmosphere seems to suggest that Cao Yunjin was trying to fulfill his role with a sense of duty, making an effort to make everyone feel welcome. However, he also appeared somewhat to be drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
One fan mentioned that only fifteen years later did he learn that Cao Yunjin didn’t even have a seat that night. Though Cao Yunjin never expressed his dissatisfaction to the fans, the details shared by the fan suggest that Cao Yunjin felt a deep sense of loneliness and frustration at the time. He had always weathered life’s storms without speaking out about his struggles, but it seemed that, one day, he could no longer remain silent.
In the video, after toasting one table, Cao Yunjin wobbles towards the next. Regarding the rumor that he scolded his apprentices, Yan Yunda, the former senior brother of Deyun Society, publicly stated that at his table, Cao Yunjin did not scold anyone. Instead, it was more like a parting reminder, urging everyone to take their work seriously and not to slack off. Based on the video footage, Cao Yunjin’s actions seemed to align more with Yan Yunda’s description.
Cao Yunjin’s apprentice, Li Chunyi, also liked the video post, further confirming the authenticity of this footage.
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