Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C87

Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.

Thank you.

Everyone from Otaku Translation

Chapter 87: The Release of Chronicles of Mystery!

"This place is perfect. After we're done playing, we can grab something to eat nearby," Gu Lu said casually.

Zhou Lin was dressed in a sleek black tracksuit and sporty sneakers, looking every bit the professional athlete. In contrast, Gu Lu—despite organizing the outing—appeared decidedly amateurish in his casual attire.

Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting golden streaks that seemed to dance on Zhou Lin as she warmed up with her racket. Her energy outshone even the brightest rays of the sun.

Gu Lu picked up a long, dry branch and placed it in the middle of their makeshift court, serving as the "net."

And so, the game began.

After about half an hour, Gu Lu noticed a problem. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hit the shuttlecock high enough to reach the treetops.

The weather and location were ideal, but Gu Lu had overlooked one crucial factor: his own strength. He’d overestimated himself.

But—

"Smash!"

Unlike someone trained in badminton, whose racket would angle upward in a "\” shape to send the shuttle soaring higher, Gu Lu’s efforts for the past half hour had been futile. Zhou Lin, however, executed a flawless smash.

The shuttlecock lodged itself in the tree…

"So she really is the legendary powerhouse girl. The water bottle incident wasn’t just my imagination," Gu Lu thought, slightly awestruck.

"Hold on, what are you doing?" Gu Lu quickly stopped Zhou Lin.

Her first instinct was to toss her racket and ram into the tree to dislodge the stuck shuttlecock.

"Do you think the racket is more expensive or the shuttlecock?" Gu Lu asked pointedly.

"You’re right," Zhou Lin realized. She then scoured the ground for small stones and began hurling them at the trapped shuttlecock.

After several failed attempts due to poor aim, she sighed. "We can’t just call it quits after only thirty minutes of play."

"I think there’s a stationery store nearby. Wait here for a few minutes—I’ll go buy a new shuttlecock." With that, Zhou Lin set down her racket and dashed off.

Ding! A familiar chime echoed in Gu Lu’s mind.

[Adapted multiple times into TV series][Best Story of 2005 in Japan][A Literary Genius] transformed into The Selected Works of Minato Shukawa.

"I knew it!" Gu Lu exclaimed, thrilled. This was the first time he’d actively triggered a synthesis instead of relying on random chance.

The Selected Works of Minato Shukawa contained six short stories: Iron Pillar, Owl Man, Park of Yesterday, Moon Stone, Listening to Moon Songs in a White Room, and Flower Herb Bento.

Gu Lu vividly remembered the opening scene of Park of Yesterday: a father and child playing badminton, only for the shuttlecock to get stuck in a tree, prompting the child to leave and buy a new one. That’s why he’d deliberately chosen this spot—a clearing surrounded by lush trees with a nearby shop to purchase replacements.

At least, he assumed stationery stores like Morning Glory carried badminton supplies, including shuttles and ping pong balls.

"These five stories… This collection’s value rivals that of The Human Chair," Gu Lu mused as he browsed through the contents.

In fact, this anthology might even surpass it.

Owl Man won the All Yomimono Rookie Award for mystery fiction, Flower Herb Bento took home the prestigious Naoki Prize, and Listening to Moon Songs in a White Room earned Japan’s top horror short story award. Moreover, three of the six stories had been adapted into TV dramas—an impressive 50% adaptation rate!

"Fantastic, absolutely fantastic!" Gu Lu beamed. This was the fastest synthesis yet, and Little Gu was elated.

Just then, Zhou Lin returned with a fresh tube of shuttlecocks. To prevent another mishap, she’d purchased an entire cylindrical container—twelve shuttles in total.

"Alright, today I’ll show you what a badminton prodigy looks like!" Gu Lu declared confidently, buoyed by his earlier success.

Clearly, Gu Lu would come to regret those words…

Three hours of intense badminton later—with only a brief thirty-minute break—Gu Lu was utterly exhausted, his limbs limp and unresponsive.

"A badminton prodigy, huh?" Zhou Lin teased, her tone laced with playful skepticism. It stung.

"It’s our first time playing together, so I went easy on you. Wouldn’t want you avoiding me next time," Gu Lu explained lamely.

"Mmhmm," Zhou Lin nodded, feigning sincerity. "Your explanation sounds convincing. Next time, don’t hold back—we can play longer."

Gu Lu fell silent. His silence wasn’t poetic like Cambridge’s moonlit bridge—it was heavy, like tonight’s oppressive moonlight.

"I never heard Zhou Lin liked sports before…"

During evening study hall, Gu Lu’s legs trembled as if he’d just completed a grueling round of frog jumps during gym class.

By the time he got home, he barely had the energy to brush his teeth before collapsing into bed. Planning his next literary masterpiece was out of the question. Gu Lu felt like sugarcane pulp—completely drained, not a drop left.

It was safe to say this was the soundest sleep he’d had in ages. Exhaustion did that.

---

The weather turned abruptly, as unpredictable as a dog’s mood. Torrential rain poured down in sheets.

Boys, too, could be fickle creatures.

"Regrets, so many regrets! I should’ve chosen to sleep in. Ten extra minutes in the morning feels like an entire hour!"

With a resigned sigh, Gu Lu dragged himself out of bed.

Just yesterday, he’d gloated to the class representative about not having to do weekend homework, claiming he finally had time to read.

He wouldn’t admit that his whole body ached when he woke up.

"My stamina isn’t great, but joining the basketball club should help. Even if I don’t make the school team, regular training will do wonders," Gu Lu muttered as he double-checked his backpack.

[Gu Lu: Director Jian, when will The Little Prince be published? I’m excited—it’s my first book!]

[Gu Lu: Editor Han, any chance Mr. Holmes might get published?]

Before heading out, Gu Lu sent two text messages. Unless necessary, he usually didn’t bring his phone to school.

Holding his umbrella, he bought breakfast downstairs: a tea egg and a bottle of Wahaha AD milk.

To heal his stomach issues, Gu Lu had started eating three meals a day, despite previously skipping breakfast altogether.

"Too early—the newsstand isn’t open yet," Gu Lu muttered, disappointed he couldn’t pick up a starch sausage or the latest issue of a journal.

September 1st marked the start of the school year, and Gu Lu had already spent two weeks at school. Mid-September signaled the release date of the Gold Edition of Chronicles of Mystery!

As mentioned earlier, six students from Class Five of No. 37 Middle School hadn’t passed the high school entrance exam. Money and scores mattered equally—if your grades were poor but your family wealthy, private schools remained an option. Take Zhang Yudong, for instance. Despite abysmal grades akin to Chen Xue and Fan Xiaotian, his parents paid for him to attend Second Foreign Language School.

Though not as prestigious as No. 8 High School, Second Foreign Language School was still considered elite.

Ah, the once-united Park Alliance now scattered to different paths!

Zhang Yudong, who used to shout “We unite!” with such fervor, had faced nothing but setbacks since starting school.

His usual reliance on financial power had faltered. At No. 37 Middle School, Zhang Yudong had been untouchable—a "sugar daddy" among peers. But at Second Foreign Language School, his family’s wealth no longer stood out.

Zhang Yudong’s pride took a hit, and he abandoned the Park Alliance’s lunchtime good deeds initiative…

"Not going. You guys play—I’ll read," Zhang Yudong declined an invitation to join classmates for a game of basketball.

Compared to No. 8 High School, Second Foreign Language School’s club culture was even livelier, especially in basketball and soccer—both ranked among the best in high schools.

"Hehe, Donggua(Winter melon), check out this cool thing I found," Zhuo Feng nudged Zhang Yudong with his elbow.

Donggua? Since when had “Brother Dong” become “Donggua”? Could anyone blame him for feeling irked?

"Look here," Zhuo Feng pointed to an article in the magazine he held.

"What am I looking at?" Zhang Yudong snapped impatiently. His desk mate was obsessed with manga magazines like Illustration, Zenith, and Friendship Comics.

"This person’s name is exactly the same as yours—even the characters match," Zhuo Feng said, pointing to a piece in Chronicles of Mystery.

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/literary-genius-this-kid-was-born-smart/

If you like this project, please vote for this novel through the above link, thank you.

Join our discord you will receive update notification

If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.

All the tiers provide an off-line reading experience

Tier 1: 10 Advance chapters

Access fee $3.00 Monthly