Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C109

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

Thank you.

Everyone from Otaku Translation

Chapter 109: I Want to Take a Bold Step

The and were sister publications, often cross-promoting each other. The corresponding editors and chief editors on both sides were familiar with one another, their relationship akin to that of old friends.

Chronicles of Mystery was the stronghold of Christie fans, while The World of Detective Fiction served as the eternal bastion for enthusiasts. For years, the two magazines coexisted peacefully, basking in mutual admiration—until the serialization of . That’s when The World of Detective Fiction lost its cool. In an attempt to ride the wave of popularity, they resorted to some questionable tactics, including undercutting their rivals. The editor-in-chief, Li, quietly deleted his social media posts after realizing how awkward things had become.

Even so, it became fodder for aficionados to chew over during their downtime.

“Here’s a joke for you,” one fan quipped. “The best fanfiction about Sherlock Holmes has absolutely nothing to do with The World of Detective Fiction’s official writing contest.”

Another chimed in: “I bought the October issue of Chronicles of Mystery out of curiosity and read through both serialized installments of Mr. Holmes. To be honest, Mr. Holmes feels more like a story cloaked in mystery but driven by humanistic concerns. Meanwhile, the top three entries from Chronicles of Mystery’s contest blew it out of the water in terms of clever plotting and deduction techniques. I don’t get why the is backing Mr. Holmes.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” someone countered. “Fan-created works are built upon the foundation of the original material, and staying true to the characters is key. Those three winning stories you mentioned? They’re dripping with Chinese cultural elements. Sure, the tricks and deductions are solid, but when it comes to capturing the essence of and Holmes, Mr. Holmes nails it. Just look at the descriptions—it’s not even close.”

“Actually,” another voice interjected, “the author of Mr. Holmes is pretty sly if you think about it. Who did he create? Watson? Nope—he’s dead in this version. ? Dead too. ? Also gone. And Holmes himself is now an elderly man decades past his prime. So who exactly is he creating? Why does everyone feel like this aligns so well with the original work? Because the prose is deliberately Europeanized, almost stiff with translationese. Honestly, I can barely believe a Chinese writer produced this. Is secretly a British expat or something?”

In niche communities, discussions tend to be purer, less diluted by mass appeal. It’s like debating the merits of single-pea shooters versus double-pea shooters in —to outsiders, it might seem trivial, but to those involved, it’s a meeting of minds, akin to the legendary bond between .

Detective fiction may not be mainstream, but its fans take their debates seriously. Chief Editor Gao, however, couldn’t resist fanning the flames. That afternoon, he posted a second update.

Chronicles of Mystery Highlights: [ recently asked me why Chinese people pour wine onto the ground during rituals. I explained that wine offerings have been a tradition in China since ancient times, represented by the character ‘酹,’ which specifically means pouring wine on the earth. Writing stories about Sherlock Holmes while incorporating Chinese culture—now that’s something special. Mr. Lee expressed hope that one day, Mr. Holmes could be translated into English. @ Looking forward to your next masterpiece.]

These consecutive updates catapulted Gu Lu into the spotlight within the detective fiction community. His account, @GuLuTheGreat, surged past 35,000 followers overnight.

For a detective fiction writer, having their work translated into English is a rare and prestigious achievement. Modern detective fiction originated in Europe and America, with Japan being the first to popularize it in Asia. The situation mirrored that of science fiction: foreign works dominated the domestic market, making any recognition abroad all the more significant.

Even though many suspected Mr. Lee’s comment was just polite flattery, Gu Lu’s peers couldn’t help but feel envious. Success always breeds jealousy, especially in such tight-knit circles.

Gu Lu didn’t learn about the online buzz until late that evening. By then, the fervor had already cooled, leaving him scrambling to catch up. His inbox was flooded with hundreds of new messages, each one demanding his attention.

“Oh? Is that Cat-san?” Gu Lu muttered as he opened a private message.

It was indeed -Ning: [Completely different style from your Mingzhi series. Is this the advantage of being young and still finding your voice? Also, I noticed you write quite a bit about alcohol. As a minor, maybe lay off the drinking, yeah?]

They hadn’t exchanged words since parting ways at the ’s tenth-anniversary offline gathering. Despite Gu Lu’s undeniable talent, he was still just a teenager, and —an older, established figure—wouldn’t normally reach out unless there was a reason.

In the original draft of Mr. Holmes, the protagonist travels to , where he learns about using three stones to commemorate the deceased from families affected by the . Gu Lu rewrote this scene, replacing it with a journey across China in search of . In the revised ending, an aging Holmes pours a glass of and spills it onto the ground, mourning Watson, Mycroft, and others long gone.

The mention of Burgundy white wine came straight from The , a detail Gu Lu added to tie the story closer to canon. Holmes kept a bottle in his pantry, reserved for moments of celebration shared with Watson. These subtle touches weren’t accidental—Gu Lu took plagiarism seriously, even when borrowing from the greats.

[Don’t worry, I don’t drink. Thanks for looking out, Cat-san.] Gu Lu replied.

Cat-San-Ning’s concern wasn’t entirely altruistic. Moments later, he followed up with another message: [Glad to hear it. Almost forgot—I’ve just released the second volume of The . First print run was 20,000 copies, which accidentally broke our record for Chronicles of Mystery. Pretty embarrassing, honestly. Send me your address, and I’ll mail you a couple of copies. After all, we’re practically buddies, right?]

If Gu Lu remembered correctly, the initial print run for Mr. Holmes had been set at 30,000 copies. But due to royalty disputes, he’d declined the offer.

Still, Gu Lu provided his address. Ever the good sport, he decided to let Cat-San-Ning bask in his moment of glory. [Impressive, Cat-san! Maybe Volume Three will break even more records!]

Two volumes, totaling around 250,000 words, would conclude the series. Rarely did detective novels exceed 300,000 words, so this was no small feat.

Cat-San-Ning hadn’t originally intended to show off in front of Gu Lu; after all, what was there to brag about to a mere student? But seeing Gu Lu’s rising star… well, he couldn’t resist gloating.

After scrolling through the flood of comments online, Gu Lu called Chief Editor Gao to express his gratitude. It turned out the editor had played a crucial role in securing the interest of New Star Publishing.

“They’re offering an 8% royalty rate,” Gao said. “It’s a great opportunity.”

He added, almost as an aside, “Just so you know, writers like Cat-San-Ning and , who got their start in Chronicles of Mystery, only received 7% royalties for their debut books.”

Back when Gu Lu published The , he’d studied industry trends and toyed with the idea of negotiating a performance-based royalty agreement—if sales reached X million copies, the royalty percentage would increase accordingly. But in reality, such deals were unheard of in book publishing, though they occasionally happened in film.

“Thank you, Chief Editor Gao,” Gu Lu said. “But I’m planning to release a children’s book in November, so I’d rather wait until then to discuss further.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Then Gao spoke, his tone measured. “Xiao Gu, I’ve been in the publishing business for over a decade, so I consider myself somewhat experienced.”

“Of course, Chief Editor Gao. Please share your thoughts.” Gu Lu replied.

“Children’s books often experience delayed success. Their popularity might skyrocket years after publication, but initial sales figures tend to be low. November is next month, and if the early numbers aren’t strong, New Star Publishing might try to renegotiate the terms.”

Chief Editor Gao’s advice was clear: seize the higher royalty rate while you can.

“Thank you, Chief Editor Gao—but I have faith in this project.” Gu Lu said firmly.

Ah, the fearless enthusiasm of youth. Gao understood now. This impulsiveness, this courage—it was quintessentially student-like. At the offline gathering before, he’d thought Gu Lu seemed unusually mature, lacking the typical traits of someone his age.

“Well, if you’re confident, give it a shot,” Gao said. “I’ll do my best to keep the 8% royalty rate locked in for you. Go ahead and take the leap!”

Gu Lu thanked him sincerely. So far, every editor and publisher he’d encountered had been supportive.

From an idealistic perspective, seasoned professionals wanted to nurture new talent. From a pragmatic standpoint, anyone capable of bringing profit was worth investing in.

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