Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C64

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Chapter 64: Good News, Too

"But that's not included in our package tickets," Gu Jiayu hesitated.

The amusement park had rows of temporary booths set up along the pathways, functioning as snack stands or hosting games like ring tosses and balloon shooting.

"It's fine. You invited me to the park, so let me treat you this time," Gu Lu said with a smile.

"Really?" Gu Jiayu’s face lit up, and she bounced over to the stall like an excited squirrel.

The vendor was a middle-aged man with a dishtowel slung over his shoulder, ready to wipe away sweat at any moment. His face was plastered with a practiced grin, and he greeted them warmly as they approached.

"Two kids here to play? I’ll give you a special discount," the towel-wielding vendor said.

"What’s the price?" Gu Lu asked.

"Two options: either use this rifle for 20 shots at 5 yuan, or try your hand at archery with 15 arrows for the same price," the vendor explained.

The shooting range was framed by a large white canvas backdrop, with colorful balloons arranged neatly in rows and columns.

"If you hit 18 out of 20 balloons with the rifle or 13 out of 15 targets with the bow, you can pick a plush toy as a prize," the vendor added. "I'll even throw in two extra bullets or one additional arrow on top of that."

It wasn’t exactly a bargain compared to stalls outside the park, but considering the inflated prices inside amusement parks, it was reasonable enough.

"We’ll take the 5-yuan option," Gu Lu said decisively. Turning to Jiayu, he asked, "Jiayu, which would you prefer—air rifle or bow and arrow?"

"Bow and arrow, obviously," Jiayu replied without hesitation. What kind of warrior uses guns? she thought silently.

The makeshift bows weren’t professional-grade equipment; they were just slightly better than plastic children’s toys. After Gu Lu paid, Jiayu eagerly took the bow and 16 arrows from the vendor.

In her mind, she envisioned herself effortlessly hitting target after target, arrows flying with precision. Reality, however, proved less glamorous. Her first two arrows sailed far off course, missing entirely. By the sixth shot, though, she began to find her rhythm.

Final score: 7 hits out of 16 attempts.

Not bad—almost half. Seeing her lingering dissatisfaction, Gu Lu suggested, "Want to go again?"

"No way, too expensive! Five yuan for barely ten-plus arrows," Jiayu shook her head firmly.

Fair enough. Gu Lu turned to the vendor, eyeing the prize cabinet nearby. "How much is that toy bow?"

"This one? Fifty yuan, but since you're students, I’ll sell it to you for forty-five," the vendor declared magnanimously, as if granting them an enormous favor.

Before Gu Lu could respond, Jiayu piped up indignantly, "Forty-five? I saw something similar at the supermarket for thirty-five! That’s outrageous!"

"The supermarket sells in bulk, so their profit margins are thinner. Selling these individually barely covers our costs," the vendor countered smoothly. "Tell you what—I’ll cut it down to forty. Best offer I can make."

Gu Lu wasn’t particularly skilled at haggling, neither in his past life nor this one, and he had no idea about the market value of toy bows. Glancing at Jiayu, who seemed satisfied with the final number, he handed over the cash.

As soon as Gu Lu accepted the bow—

[Edogawa Ranpo Award][Detective Dies][Shūkan Bunshun's Best Detective Fiction of the Year] Three labels coalesced into a single book titled After School.

Details: A campus detective fiction known for its classic-style tricks and shocking motives. The story unfolds within the confines of a school setting.

Ah, of course—it was this book! Gu Lu smacked his forehead. How could he have forgotten? In the story, the protagonist deduces the truth only to be killed off casually by his wife in the end.

One of Keigo Higashino’s four masterpieces—Malice, Journey Under the Midnight Sun, The Devotion of Suspect X—and this fourth work marked his breakthrough in the literary world.

But adapting this novel into anything usable posed serious challenges. For starters, its intricate plot relied heavily on sliding doors and an archery club—elements unlikely to exist in domestic schools. Moreover, the murder motive was far too inappropriate for younger audiences. Gu Lu sighed deeply.

"True, not every triggered book can be used," he mused aloud. "Like Decisive Moments in History and now After School."

On the bright side, clearing those titles freed up space in his inventory sequences, making room for other potential works to trigger.

With The Little Prince and Mr. Holmes securely in hand, Gu Lu felt confident.

"Here you go, Jiayu. Take this home so you can practice shooting balloons whenever you want," he said, handing her the bow.

"Thank you, big bro!" Jiayu beamed, cradling the gift like a treasure.

They spent the rest of the afternoon completing the remaining attractions covered by their tickets...

To be fair, Gu Lu hadn’t been idle during the summer break. He’d been diligently typing away day after day.

Through this process, he came to realize two important things:

First, he lacked artistic talent. Copying illustrations took him ages. Out of 63 drawings, he’d managed only 24 in three weeks—a pace of roughly one per day. Thankfully, the original artwork didn’t demand advanced techniques; it resembled simple, childlike sketches. Otherwise, outsourcing might have become necessary.

Still, envisioning The Little Prince becoming a bestseller gave him pause. Copyright issues would undoubtedly complicate matters, so despite the slow progress, he preferred taking his time to ensure quality.

Second, his typing speed had improved significantly—from 2,000–3,000 words per hour to 3,000–4,000. Practice truly made perfect.

"I’m exhausted!"

Gu Jiayu collapsed onto the rosewood sofa, completely disregarding her usual poise. Unfortunately, the hard surface proved uncomfortable, forcing her to sit upright moments later.

By 7 PM, they returned home after spending the entire day at Nanping Amusement Park.

Gu Lu quickly prepared a simple meal—one meat dish and one vegetable dish—and once dinner was done, he set up a makeshift bed for himself on the sofa.

Apparently, all rosewood sofas shared the same design flaws: the backrest consisted of semi-circular protrusions, and there was a noticeable gap between the cushion and the frame. Gu Lu stuffed cotton padding into the crevices to make it more comfortable.

Their rented apartment was small—a one-bedroom unit—and letting Jiayu sleep in the living room was out of the question. So, naturally, he offered her the bedroom while he settled for the couch.

"Goodnight, big brother!" Jiayu murmured before drifting off almost instantly. After such an eventful day, exhaustion claimed her quickly.

Early the next morning, Jiayu left at 9:30 AM. She needed to return to Lockmouth Hill ahead of time to wait for Uncle Xiao to pick her up, ensuring Gu Lu’s new address remained undisclosed.

Despite her young age, Jiayu displayed remarkable foresight.

"Take these twenty yuan. Buy whatever snacks you like. Big brother has money now," Gu Lu said, slipping some pocket money into her hand before she departed.

It wasn’t that Gu Lu was stingy—Jiayu simply wouldn’t accept more than a modest amount.

Over the following days, Gu Lu resumed his disciplined routine: visiting nearby internet cafes to write, drawing illustrations for The Little Prince, and reading books borrowed from the library.

Without Mr. Li around, Gu Lu frequented the Sha District Library instead, where he obtained a membership card allowing free rentals.

Finally, in mid-July, Gu Lu sent the first draft of Mr. Holmes—a 50,000-word manuscript—to Han Cang. Of course, this wasn’t the full version. The complete manuscript exceeded 100,000 words, but Gu Lu wanted feedback before proceeding further. Confidence aside, caution never hurt anyone.

Han Cang, thoroughly irritated by a string of subpar submissions lately, received the file with cautious optimism.

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