Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C85

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Chapter 85: Forever the Holmes Enthusiast

While waiting for Teacher Gao to finish reading the magazine, Gu Lu took a moment to observe her workspace. Unlike his old middle school homeroom teacher’s cluttered desk—piled high with papers and even a vase of roses—Teacher Gao’s office was meticulously organized.

The only notable exception was the stack of poetry collections neatly arranged on her right-hand side: Chu Ci, The Complete Works of Li He, and The Poetry Collection of Xin Qiji.

Unlike Gu Lu’s casual inspection, Teacher Gao read with intense focus.

Traditionally, Chronicles of Mystery reserved space for two or three translated foreign works alongside its regular features. But this time, they had made room exclusively for Gu Lu’s story. The editorial team hadn’t held back either—they’d faithfully included his opening dedication thanking Zhang Yudong at the start of the piece.

Though Teacher Gao wasn’t a fan of detective fiction and initially worried about finding it inaccessible, she quickly realized her concerns were unfounded. Mr. Holmes was a delight to read, even for someone like her who harbored some resistance to the genre. Through the narrative, readers gained insight into both the iconic Sherlock Holmes and the enigmatic elderly protagonist of Gu Lu’s tale.

What particularly struck her was the writing’s extraordinary delicacy. As someone who paid close attention to word choice and descriptive language, Teacher Gao found Gu Lu’s prose remarkably refined.

[However, I must confess that my interest in Mr. Keller’s account stems not from his lengthy, tedious descriptions but rather from two entirely unrelated yet deeply personal reasons: first, my enduring curiosity about the infamous glass harmonica—I’ve always longed to hear its sound…]

“Is that all?” Teacher Gao exclaimed as she snapped out of her reading trance, remembering the serialized nature of the magazine. “They really know how to leave you hanging! Did Mrs. Keller actually cheat, or is her husband just paranoid? This cliffhanger has me desperate to read the next installment. Too bad I’ll have to wait another month—I should’ve resisted peeking.”

Her words resonated deeply with Gu Lu. Though he may have been an unsuccessful writer in his past life, he’d trained extensively in crafting suspenseful endings during his days at Qidian’s Chapter Break Workshop. Back then, readers would affectionately (or sarcastically) comment: Cliffhanger fiend, go die! Teacher Gao’s critique could easily be summarized in those words.

Chronicles of Mystery had split his novel into six parts, each around 26,000 words. “It’s the magazine that loves cliffhangers,” Gu Lu thought wryly, “not me.”

“A high school freshman capable of such brilliance…” Teacher Gao mused aloud, shifting gears. “No wonder you didn’t join the literary club. At your level, participating might feel beneath you.”

Wait, no—that wasn’t what I meant. Before Gu Lu could clarify, Teacher Gao continued, “There are books people give me that I can never bring myself to read.”

“Just so happens…” She rummaged through a shared cabinet in the adjacent office, pulling out a dusty copy of The Five Orange Pips, a collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories. Shelves upon shelves of forgotten books lined the cabinet.

For a brief moment, Gu Lu’s mind went blank. Was Teacher Gao subtly hinting that he should acknowledge her in his work? Should he thank her?

“It’s a gift meant for you,” Gu Lu began hesitantly, but Teacher Gao cut him off.

“If left untouched in a cabinet, a book becomes nothing more than a collectible. Its true purpose is fulfilled when it finds its way into the hands of a reader.” She smiled warmly. “You love mysteries and write about Holmes. It makes sense to pass this on to you. Hopefully, you’ll flip through it often instead of letting it gather dust. And if inspiration strikes, write more great stories—but only if it doesn’t interfere with your studies.”

As Gu Lu walked away clutching The Five Orange Pips, his thoughts were still tangled. Was this truly a generous gesture, or did Teacher Gao secretly want acknowledgment in his future works? Both possibilities seemed plausible.

People were complicated, and Gu Lu couldn’t quite decipher her intentions.

Another surprise awaited him too. Upon receiving The Five Orange Pips, his internal sequence pinged—a notification indicating yet another addition to the list. Both the dialogue column and item column were now full again. Clearly, The Canon of Sherlock Holmes was proving to be a treasure trove.

“Even though I’m surrounded by Christie fans, I’ll always belong to Team Holmes!” Gu Lu declared silently.

Determined, Gu Lu resolved to purchase every remaining Sherlock Holmes title after school except The Sign of Four and The Five Orange Pips. Who knew what other unexpected rewards might await?

---

Flipping back to his mental tags—

[Adapted multiple times into TV series]

[Best Story of 2005 in Japan]

[A Literary Genius]

“Best Story of 2005 in Japan? That’s quite the boast!”

Without a doubt, these were among the most exaggerated labels Gu Lu had ever encountered. What kind of masterpiece could earn such accolades within a single year while also being adapted repeatedly for television? Stranger still, despite originating from Sherlock Holmes, the tags suggested little connection to detective fiction.

Their vagueness left Gu Lu unable to pinpoint the specific work, unlike the clarity he’d experienced with Liu Cixin’s science fiction anthology. He couldn’t even recall a rough category.

---

“No homework,” Gu Lu told Director Hu firmly.

“At No. 8 High School, we recognize the creative pressure Gu Lu faces. To encourage innovation and originality, after discussions between school leadership and grade directors, we’ve decided that Gu Lu may temporarily suspend completing daily assignments,” Director Hu announced officially.

Fair enough. As long as promises were kept, Gu Lu didn’t mind the formalities.

His decision-making process had been straightforward. Skipping morning study sessions meant arriving at class by eight instead of seven, allowing him to sleep until 7:20—a full extra hour of rest. Homework, however, was a different beast altogether. With teachers already piling on the workload, even a seasoned veteran like Gu Lu needed over three hours nightly to complete everything.

And let’s not forget the late-night study sessions. Students poured every ounce of energy into finishing their assignments, which explained why designated club activity days existed—if not for them, there’d hardly be time for extracurriculars.

“Additionally, no morning readings or evening study sessions. Good luck, Gu Lu,” Director Hu said cheerfully.

“No problem. See you again, Director Hu.” Gu Lu departed the office and headed toward his classroom.

Meanwhile, Wan Bai—the president of the school’s literary club—also exited the office, making his way to Class 10.

Advisor Wu Du couldn’t wait until Wednesday; he wanted results by Friday.

Standing at the classroom door, Wan Bai stood out as a conspicuous upperclassman.

“President, why are you here again?”

“Is something up with the club, President Wan?”

Both questions overlapped—one from Li Guyuan, the other from Qi Caiwei.

“I’m here on behalf of Mr. Wu and The Tree People Literary Club,” Wan Bai stated bluntly. “Has your classmate Gu Lu considered joining the literary club?”

“I asked him already. He’s not interested,” Li Guyuan replied confidently. “Gu Lu prefers basketball.”

“…” Wan Bai stared incredulously. A genius writer preferring basketball? Ridiculous.

“Can you help me arrange a chat with Gu Lu?” Wan Bai requested earnestly.

Why does everyone insist on dragging Gu Lu into this?! Future president material stands right here! Li Guyuan raged internally but recognized the underlying issue—he wasn’t stupid.

“I’ll ask him,” Qi Caiwei offered.

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