Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C91

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Chapter 91: No Empty Reputation Under Great Fame!

Wu Du said nothing further, lowering his head to continue reading. By now, even he was thoroughly engrossed in the story.

Zhou Lu could not accept the news of his friend's death, no matter how many times he visited the scene of the accident. Just hours earlier, they had been playing together—and now this?

The next day, under a drizzling rain, Zhou Lu wandered aimlessly near his home. Unconsciously, he found himself back at the park where he and his friend had played table tennis the day before. Walking along the stone path, he noticed how old and worn-out the park's facilities appeared.

But then, out of nowhere, a ping-pong ball bounced into view right in front of him.

Confusion clouded Zhou Lu’s mind. The wear patterns on the ball, as well as the small markings etched with a marker for tricks during matches, matched his own perfectly. But that ball was sitting safely at home—wasn’t it?

[Suddenly, the air around him changed.

It felt as though he had passed through a thin film of dampness, only to be enveloped by a dry, gentle breeze.]

In an instant, everything shifted. Morning turned to afternoon, and the dreary rain gave way to bright sunshine.

Most crucially, Zhou Lu saw his friend—the very same one who had died just yesterday.

Nothing seemed to have happened. Zhou Lu even realized he was wearing the same T-shirt from the previous day, as if transported back to a time before the tragedy occurred.

After some questioning, Zhou Lu confirmed what he already suspected: he had returned to yesterday.

"Ah, Park of Yesterday," Wu Du murmured, nodding thoughtfully. "The title fits perfectly."

Determined to save his friend, Zhou Lu escorted him directly home, successfully avoiding the fatal car crash. Triumphantly, he settled down to watch cartoons, confident he had rewritten fate. But moments later, another call came. His best friend, after safely returning home, had gone out to help his family sell goods—and was struck and killed by a car...

"Is eternal destiny truly unchangeable?" Wu Du muttered, sensing where the story was headed.

And indeed, the narrative unfolded exactly as he predicted. No matter how many times Zhou Lu ventured onto the park's stone path to retrieve the ping-pong ball, his friend would still die—and worse, the deaths began to involve others, such as his friend’s younger sister.

["I’ve tried everything, but no matter what I do, you’re going to die. At this point, there’s nothing left for me to do but tell you to save yourself. Be careful when you leave the house; if there’s a fire, escape immediately. If possible, don’t sleep tonight. If you must, sleep near the balcony so you can climb over to the neighbor’s place if needed."

Zhou Lu’s voice grew heavier with each word, as though a fishbone were lodged in his throat, making it hard to breathe.]

Despair gripped Wu Du as he felt the protagonist’s anguish. Despite giving his all to save his friend, things only spiraled further out of control.

When Zhou Lu broke down in tears, his friend believed him and stayed awake all night, attempting to save himself. But the following day, the entire family perished in an explosion...

Helpless, Zhou Lu finally decided to give up. His friend had once begged him, no matter what, to protect his younger sister.

"A good older brother," Wu Du reflected softly. "Even knowing he’s doomed, he still thinks of his sibling. Giving up is often the hardest choice."

This time, Zhou Lu didn’t pick up the ping-pong ball that landed on the park path...

But what truly elevated Park of Yesterday to legendary status was what followed.

["Dad... you wouldn’t understand… It’s okay if you don’t…" Zhou Ning’s voice trailed off.]

How hauntingly familiar those words sounded. It took Zhou Lu a long moment to realize where his son, Ningning, had come from.

"Ningning, Dad understands. I know you did everything you could to save me... I understand." These final words from Zhou Lu sent shivers down Wu Du’s spine, as though an invisible fist had struck his heart.

The brilliance of this closing segment lay in its emotional depth and layered meaning.

The protagonist realized his son had traveled from the future, just as he himself once tried desperately to save his friend. Predictably, Ningning too must have attempted countless times to alter the past, only to fail repeatedly, much like his father.

In his final moments, Zhou Lu chose to comfort his child instead.

"This story..." Even someone as stoic as Wu Du teared up. It was heartbreaking.

No wonder both magazines wanted to sign Gu Lu. Regardless of his previous works, Park of Yesterday alone made him deserving of any literary contract outside pure literature circles.

"Fate cannot be changed—not even by traveling back in time. We should cherish the present more deeply. Before dying, the protagonist probably regrets not spending enough time with his child," Wu Du mused inwardly, overwhelmed by the weight of the tale.

"Mr. Wu, how is it? Does it need revisions?" Wan Bai hesitantly broke the silence, noting Wu Du had been silent for a while after finishing the manuscript.

After all, two prior scripts submitted to the advisor had been rejected outright.

Revisions?

Only one thought echoed in Wu Du’s mind: Am I worthy? To revise such a flawless, complete story—do I even deserve to touch it?

"It’s absolutely perfect. This is the best short story I’ve read this year, hands down," Wu Du declared. "There’s no empty reputation here—calling Gu Lu a genius writer is entirely justified."

"The key advantage is that the setting is minimalistic. Fewer than ten actors are needed, with only four main characters," Wu Du added. "The more I think about it, the more terrifying this student’s writing ability becomes. He crafted a compelling narrative rich in substance while keeping it perfectly suited for stage adaptation."

Wan Bai couldn’t agree more. The sadness lingered in his chest, refusing to dissipate. Initially, he thought it was because he hadn’t read enough books—but hearing the seasoned advisor praise the work so highly validated his reaction.

"I’ll tweak the formatting slightly since it differs somewhat from standard play scripts," Wu Du said. "During lunch break, I’ll go over it with you."

He was eager to meet this prodigious writer.

With no issues identified, Wan Bai left the office feeling relieved.

Meanwhile, miles away, something else connected to Gu Lu was unfolding. About a week remained until Chronicles of Mystery hit shelves, and the first batch of feedback forms arrived at the editorial office.

Before 2012, reader responses largely relied on these surveys—online feedback wasn’t yet widespread.

Chief editor Gao placed great importance on them. Upon arriving at the office that morning, he began reviewing the submissions.

Though the magazine sold roughly 200,000 copies per issue, only a fraction of readers mailed back the completed surveys.

This initial batch contained seventy or eighty forms. Normally, Chief editor Gao started his day browsing the AC Forum, but the 21st of each month was an exception.

[Specific impressions of this issue:

- The logic puzzles in “The Detective Club” are becoming weaker.

1. What content do you think Detective Magazine should add or adjust?

2. Join our “Total Detective Challenge” and share interesting real-life deduction stories with us!

3. Solve the mystery puzzle and mail your answers to the editorial department. Correct entries will qualify for a chance to win a book from our detective series.

4. Do you have anything to say to your favorite authors?

...]

The personal information section at the top held little interest.

“The logic in the detective puzzles isn’t strong enough?” Chief editor Gao jotted down notes after seeing similar comments three times in a row.

One of Chronicles of Mystery’s signature features was its [Detective Puzzle] column, which challenged readers to solve mysteries every month. Many purchased subsequent issues simply to prove their solutions correct.

Now, it was time to see how readers responded to Mr. Holmes. Its publication depended entirely on their verdict.

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