Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C41

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Chapter 41: Zhong Kui

"Hello, may I ask what this is about?" Mr. Li still harbored a hint of caution as the person on the other end of the line had yet to reveal their identity despite rambling on.

The caller finally introduced themselves, and with each passing moment, Mr. Li's expression became increasingly perplexed.

"Oh," "Really?" "I see," Mr. Li responded absently, casting an odd glance at his student.

After more than three minutes, Mr. Li hung up the phone.

Gu Lu shifted uncomfortably under that gaze. "What?"

"The judge from the Ye Shengtao Cup committee, who’s also the director of the Children's Literature Publishing House, just called to tell me you submitted something to Young Literature?" Mr. Li phrased it as a question, though he already suspected the answer since Director Jian had reached out earlier to request a manuscript.

Was the world really so small? Gu Lu felt disoriented. This secret hadn’t even fully matured, and yet here it was, exposed?

It wasn’t so much the world being small—it was the tight-knit circle of publishing and education elites all connected at the top.

"That’s right," Gu Lu admitted. "I had some inspiration, so I sent in a few pieces. One of them, Breaking the Pig, got selected by Young Literature. That’s why I said I had money—it’s all from my royalties."

Mr. Li thought back to the interview with Young Pioneer Newspaper·The Vanguard a few days ago when Gu Lu mentioned his dream of becoming a writer. He hadn’t expected the boy to already be putting it into action.

"Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic!" Mr. Li exclaimed, repeating the word several times. "Save your money for high school. Today, I absolutely insist on treating you. Hahaha!" His laughter rang out loud and clear, drawing curious glances from nearby tourists. It was genuine joy—the kind Gu Lu remembered seeing once before when Chen Na ranked first in her grade, and Mr. Li beamed just as brightly.

No. 37 Middle School was peculiar; no single student could dominate the top spot from seventh to ninth grade.

"If you have ideas and the capability, consider signing with Young Literature magazine," Mr. Li suggested. "Of course, it’s entirely up to you. I’ll give you Director Jian’s number shortly."

"I’ll think about it carefully," Gu Lu nodded, inwardly hoping The Little Prince would come out soon!

On the way home, he decided to visit the zoo or perhaps a garden.

Meanwhile, Mr. Li happily purchased two tickets and even bought cotton candy for his student.

"Woah, cotton candy! Thanks, Mr. Li!" Gu Lu recalled memories of the previous body owner—it had been three years since he last tasted this treat.

He took a bite—mmm… just as sweet as he remembered. Nothing brought greater happiness than rediscovering a flavor from memory. As he savored it, Gu Lu began pondering logistics: if he won an award, should he personally bring the certificate to the admissions office of his future high school? He had no experience—none whatsoever.

The pair enjoyed watching marine animals at the aquarium, making their trip to Rongcheng a delightful one.

By the time Gu Lu returned to his humble abode, it was past nine o’clock. Mr. Li had seen him safely to the entrance of his building—a thoughtful gesture for a teacher.

Officially speaking, it was quite late, so Gu Lu figured he’d call Director Jian tomorrow instead.

Personally, though, it seemed too early to sleep—it felt disrespectful to the weekend. Gu Lu decided to pick up White Deer Plain. Without distractions like TikTok, Bilibili, games, web novels, or TV dramas, reading books was still his preferred activity.

In fact, many techniques used in online fiction originated from traditional literature. For instance, the famous A Study in Scarlet followed a common trope in web novels: someone doubts (Watson), then the protagonist (Holmes) proves them wrong. The opening line of White Deer Plain would have exploded in the web novel scene: “What Bai Jiaxuan later boasted about most proudly was marrying seven women throughout his life.”

The book then introduced these seven wives, diverging slightly from typical web novels by subtly weaving in the background of the Bai family through their stories.

Then there was Yu Hua’s The Seventh Day, which explored what happens to souls that remain unburied—they enter a realm known as [Nowhere to Be Buried]. A classic creative concept.

Oh, wait—he almost forgot. In this world, Yu Hua didn’t exist. After an hour and a half of reading, it was nearly bedtime.

Closing his eyes, Gu Lu drifted off… except for a brief interruption during the night to relieve himself; he’d drunk too much water earlier.

Back in bed—"Huh, what’s this?"

He noticed pencil scribbles on the wall: [The Buddha, the Monkey King, General Feipeng, Invincible Suppression, Untouchable by Ghosts or Gods!]

Thinking back, the memory was hazy—it must’ve been written two years ago when his former self was terrified of sleeping alone. Every light in the house, including the bathroom, stayed on.

The shaky handwriting was meant for self-comfort, but clever Gu Lu realized something else. "So this world has the Chinese Paladin series!"

These words were likely written during the height of the Chinese Paladin craze, explaining the mention of Feipeng.

"If it’s for warding off ghosts—" Gu Lu climbed out of bed, grabbed a pen, and added [Zhong Kui] to the list. Perfect!

This time, he slept soundly until morning.

After breakfast—a plate of sticky rice cakes, fried dough sticks, and a cup of soy milk—it was nearly ten o’clock when Gu Lu finally called Director Jian.

"Hello, is this Director Jian from the Children’s Literature Publishing House?" Gu Lu asked immediately after the call connected. "This is Gu Lu."

"Gu Lu, I’ve been waiting for your call for a while now," Director Jian replied.

"I got home late yesterday, so I thought I’d call today instead," Gu Lu explained.

"Young people should go to bed early and wake up early—it’s healthier," Director Jian began directly. "Gu Lu, you show remarkable talent in writing. Would you be interested in becoming a contracted author for Young Literature?"

"The main benefit of being a contracted author is higher royalties and access to certain resources," Director Jian continued.

"What kind of resources?" Gu Lu asked curiously.

"Not anything extraordinary—participation in events hosted by the Children’s Literature Research Association, assistance with entering awards after publication, things like that," Director Jian summarized.

"Do minors need parental consent to sign?" Gu Lu inquired.

"Just an ID card and a parent’s signature will suffice." Believing Gu Lu might worry about parental disapproval, Director Jian reassured him, "Our Young Literature is known as a cradle for writers. Many renowned authors have emerged from our ranks, and we’re highly regarded in society. So don’t worry, Gu Lu."

"Thank you, Director Jian. I’ll think it over carefully and let you know as soon as I decide."

For now, Gu Lu lacked confidence because his novel wasn’t complete.

Seeing this, Director Jian didn’t push further. He genuinely admired Gu Lu’s potential.

Lunch was a quick affair since Gu Lu had forgotten to buy groceries.

In the afternoon, he visited Fat Boss’s shop. Even with exams approaching, plenty of students still gathered to play games on Sundays.

Through research, Gu Lu learned that winning the Ye Shengtao Cup negated the need to present results to the admissions office himself. Prestigious high schools and universities often knew competition outcomes long before students did.

"So I can relax," Gu Lu sighed in relief.

"Chronicles of Mystery still hasn’t approved my submission yet. Compared to Story Digest, they’re so slow," Gu Lu muttered.

Time moved swiftly despite Chronicles of Mystery’ sluggish pace. Before he knew it, the June issue of Young Literature arrived.

Yes—the issue featuring Gu Lu’s work!

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