Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C51

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Chapter 51: The Impromptu Speech

A famous public speaking guru once said, "If you're nervous, just say it."

"Two weeks ago—no, wait, three weeks ago—I can’t quite remember which week exactly—but anyway, Zheng Qianji from Class 10 of Grade 9 gave a speech on stage after being awarded and directly admitted to college for winning an Olympiad math competition."

"That moment really stirred something in me," Gu Lu said, pausing dramatically. "It was like when Xiang Yu saw Emperor Qin Shi Huang during his procession in Kuaiji and boldly declared, ‘He’s replaceable.’ I felt that same surge of confidence." He paused again, grinning sheepishly. "But let me tell you, standing up here under the gaze of the entire school? Terrifying. My mind went completely blank."

"So,” he continued with a playful smirk, “I’ll end my speech with this question: ‘Am I not nervous?’” He adjusted the microphone slightly. “My name is Gu Lu, but you can also call me Not-Nervous.”

To be honest, Gu Lu's mouth was moving faster than his brain at this point—whatever came to mind, he said.

This happens when you're too nervous.

But to everyone else watching—

"Mr. Li," Teacher Ji from the neighboring Class 7 whispered enviously, "your student isn’t fazed at all. How impressive!"

"Just how he is," Mr. Li replied, beaming proudly.

Teacher Ji’s eyes practically turned green with envy. Having a student who won first prize nationwide? That kind of talent would surely boost any teacher's career.

Teacher Ji wanted progress too.

"Now, as for sharing tips on writing essays," Gu Lu began, "there aren’t many things I can offer. After some thought, I’ve narrowed it down to two points. First: grab attention right away." He gestured emphatically. "In online novels, they call it the ‘Golden Opening Three Chapters.’”

"The very first sentence of your essay has to make people sit up and take notice—or even better, knock them off their feet," Gu Lu explained. "Only then will the grading teacher remember you vividly."

"For example, take my entries for the Ye Shengtao Cup preliminaries and finals: The Resounding Shadow and Why Do We Have National Confidence? Let me use those as examples."

"The shadow of man makes no sound; the shadow of gods deafens. Our ancient ancestors were suddenly enlightened by one thunderous word: influence…" Gu Lu recited smoothly. "That opening was for an essay about giving a speech at a book club. I imagine the judges probably thought, ‘What? Did this kid go off-topic?’"

The students and teachers listening had never seen Gu Lu’s work before. Judging purely from the excerpt, it was hard to see how it connected to a book club or why such an opening would win awards. Some teachers decided they’d look it up online later.

Mr. Li, meanwhile, marveled silently. No wonder Gu Lu could speak without notes—he must have a wealth of words stored up inside him.

"Take this other piece, Why Do We Have National Confidence?" Gu Lu continued. "Here’s its opening line: ‘No other country in the world still uses pictographic characters systematically except ours. And no nation survived a seventeen-nation coalition attack while maintaining sovereignty…’ Does that grab your attention?”

Perhaps ten years later, these ideas might feel commonplace, but in 2012, Gu Lu felt confident about them.

One teacher’s reaction stood out as particularly telling.

"No wonder he won!" exclaimed the ever-mysterious PE teacher. "These lines are powerful—they made my blood boil!"

"But whether you aim to shock or dazzle," Gu Lu added, "you must always tie it back to the topic. Otherwise, you risk veering off course entirely." He paused meaningfully. "The second tip I want to share is reading."

"This is the foundation for crafting compelling openings. You need a rich pool of material to draw from so you can select what works best."

"Some of you may think reading is pointless since you forget most of it afterward."

Gu Lu spoke sincerely, drawing from personal experience. If not for all the books he’d devoured in his past life—and admittedly, his special edge—he wouldn’t have won first place in the Ye Shengtao Cup.

"It’s not true. Even if you forget the details, the essence of what you read becomes part of you. Someday, it’ll resurface in unexpected ways."

"That’s all I have to share," Gu Lu concluded. "So finally, am I not nervous?"

He looked out at the crowd below.

Gu Lu underestimated one thing: this was a flag-raising ceremony. Below him were mostly teachers, and students rarely responded verbally.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Fortunately—

"No way!" shouted someone. "Of course not, Gu Lu, you’re my hero!" Another voice chimed in, "Gu Lu, you’re so cool!" More voices joined in: "Gu Lu, I admit you’re slightly better than me!"

Class Five erupted into cheers, led by Ren Jie, Wang Jianhua, and Chen Xue (who hadn’t attended evening study hall that day). Their loud voices carried far, each one worth ten ordinary shouts.

Fan Xiaotian wasn’t as loud, but she yelled herself hoarse, her face flushed red.

With Class Five leading the charge, other classes followed suit.

The atmosphere flipped instantly.

"If you’re sure, then thank you," Gu Lu said with a small bow. "That concludes my speech." He stepped down and handed the microphone back to Principal Chang.

"Brilliant," Principal Chang praised. "Much better than me. Without notes, I wouldn’t know what to say."

Same here, Gu Lu thought silently.

As he walked back to his class, he sighed in relief. "Thank goodness my classmates had my back!" In his heart, he crowned Class Five the best class ever.

Back in formation, surrounded by familiar faces, he felt safe again.

"Great job!" Tang Jingjing offered succinct praise.

But with Gu Lu’s speech over, the ceremony moved to its next phase.

Principal Chang announced the winner of the [Outstanding Class] award. When he called out, "Grade 9 Class 5 has shown respect for teachers and fostered an excellent learning environment, earning them this week’s [Outstanding Class]," the class exploded into celebratory cheers.

Chen Na, the class monitor, went up to accept the certificate.

And with that, Monday’s flag-raising ceremony concluded, and everyone filed out in order.

Gu Lu found himself surrounded by classmates congratulating him on his performance. Still buzzing with excitement, they peppered him with questions.

"Does winning first prize guarantee admission?"

"A provincial first prize gets you in the newspaper—does a national one mean TV appearances?"

"Mr. Gu, I want to learn how to do this!"

Voices overlapped chaotically.

"My first speech seemed to go well enough," Gu Lu reflected.

But faced with so many questions, he couldn’t answer them all. Appearing on TV still felt impossibly distant.

Students from other classes tried to approach, but seeing Gu Lu mobbed by his peers, they didn’t stand a chance.

Caught in the tide of enthusiasm, Gu Lu was swept back to the classroom. Winning [Outstanding Class] had put everyone in high spirits.

However—

"There are less than two weeks until the high school entrance exam," Ms. Yan, the math teacher, reminded them sternly. "I won’t assign homework anymore. Ask me anything you don’t understand. Focus on key exam topics."

The exam dates were set for June 22nd through the 24th, with a total score of 750 points. Chinese, math, and English each accounted for 150 points, physics 80, chemistry 70, politics and history 50 each, and physical education another 50.

Ms. Yan’s words sobered the room. As daunting as she could be, her teaching skills were undeniable—and she was right. The entrance exam loomed ahead for every student.

Ms. Yan had been the first to notice their nerves spiraling out of control, and now she sounded the alarm. Though sharp-tongued, she cared deeply.

For now, Gu Lu had two tasks ahead: choosing a high school and continuing serialization of The Little Prince.

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