Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C125

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Chapter 125: On the News

Ma Xuanyou didn’t see the name of the , so he tossed the newspaper to Zeng Jie as if it were trash. Then, he turned around and snatched the from Dou Ke’s hands.

It was a bit domineering, but given Ma Xuanyou’s imposing physique from shot put training, Dou Ke didn’t dare say anything.

[Under the correct guidance of and other school leaders, Chongqing No. 8 High School has consistently adhered to the concept of elite clubs, achieving commendable educational results through club activities that have enriched campus life...]

What nonsense! This Mountain City Morning Post was even worse than the , devoid of any substantial content.

"Our volleyball club isn’t mentioned either," Zeng Jie said, setting the paper aside.

After skimming through the school celebration coverage, the two newspapers lost their value. Who cared about the other news?

The papers students had scrambled for just moments ago now returned to Dou Ke’s hands like used tissues—clutched tightly one second, discarded the next.

"Why only the and Hanfu Club? Our dance club has won eight consecutive championships—don’t we deserve a mention?"

"The culinary club got the short end of the stick. Everything was eaten! I remember a reporter ate three servings! They enjoyed the food but didn’t mention us in the report?"

Students voiced grievances on behalf of their clubs.

Eh! Dou Ke, unnoticed once again, quietly returned to his seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the unused air conditioner and entertained a mischievous thought: what if the air conditioner broke down right now?

No, that wouldn’t work. His dad coming over would be exhausting, and besides, the weather had cooled down, making the air conditioner unnecessary.

Even an ordinary student craves attention. But some succeeded in reversing their fortunes—take Class Monitor Lu Yi, for instance.

"Brother, can you pass this to Lu Yi in your class?" was stopped just outside his classroom during break time. A boy from another class shoved a love letter into his hands and disappeared before Gu Lu could respond.

Lu Yi’s rise made her a prominent figure in her class.

"How many today?" Gu Lu handed the letter to Lu Yi.

The recipient remained silent, but Lu Yi’s tomboyish desk-mate quickly chimed in, "Six today alone. That’s what popularity looks like."

"This is popularity," the tomboy said. "Lu Yi, let me take a look at them. I’ve never received one in my life—let me learn something."

Gu Lu completed his mission and returned to his seat.

"What’s with the sighing? The books you gave me—I’ll definitely finish writing the reading guide before dismissal," Gu Lu said, hearing Qi Caiwei stir beside him.

"It’s not that." Qi Caiwei frowned. "It’s Lu Yi. She seems a bit unhappy."

I didn’t know you two were close. But girls’ friendships are none of my business, so Gu Lu didn’t ask further.

Qi Caiwei was practically half of Lu Yi’s dance teacher, more helpful than the official dance club instructor. She worried she might have taught incorrectly.

Cc lacked initiative but was sensitive, easily empathizing with others—a personality that drained her emotionally.

As for love letters, both pots boiled equally. Due to yesterday’s spotlight, Gu Lu also received several.

Some shy girls sent their best friends to deliver them; others boldly blocked Gu Lu’s path themselves.

Seven in total. Gu Lu read them all and wrote polite rejection letters for each.

Feelings develop easily in school, almost like kids playing house. Still, Gu Lu believed in respecting heartfelt gestures. If someone took the courage to write a letter, he owed them a sincere response.

It wasn’t because Gu Lu was particularly gentle. In his past life, he once mustered the courage to write a love letter to his crush, only to find it unopened in the trash...

"What’s next is PE class. Finally, no rain! We should go out this time—I refuse to believe otherwise," Wei Jiao stretched after hours of writing, her neck sore.

Hearing this, Gu Lu’s expression tightened. "Panda, don’t jinx it by saying that."

Too late. Surprisingly, even high school PE teachers weren’t in great shape, so English teacher Xiao stepped in to cover the class.

Well, the rare sunny day was wasted.

In the afternoon, every student was engrossed in homework. Gu Lu absentmindedly gazed out the window, framing the sunset with the classroom window—a breathtaking view.

Missing a sunset in high school wasn’t a big deal; there’d be another tomorrow. High school had plenty of tomorrows, so much so they became mundane. Except for Gu Lu, most students were preoccupied with their assignments.

In the classroom, students began evening reading—

At 6:25 PM, the homeroom teacher unexpectedly entered early.

"Tonight’s evening reading involves watching the news," Ms. Gao announced before turning on the classroom TV.

Could it be? Gu Lu had a hunch.

Sure enough, the teacher tuned the TV to Chongqing Television. At 6:30 sharp, the familiar opening jingle played.

Opening narration: "Daily 630, close to the people. Dear viewers, welcome at 6:30..."

"Today, the entire school will watch the news during evening reading, including senior year," Ms. Gao emphasized senior year because they were in the final stretch, and evening reading wasn’t as leisurely.

Principal Liu was indeed resourceful. Yesterday, he invited reporters from Chongqing Television’s news program, and today, he arranged for the whole school to watch the news. Technically, this wasn’t outrageous since No. 8 High School occasionally dedicated evening reading sessions to international news.

Around the 20-minute mark of Daily 630, the segment on No. 8 High School began.

"Bashan vast, Yushui deep, the legacy of our esteemed educators lofty and enduring. In 2012, Chongqing No. 8 High School celebrates its 74th anniversary." The news anchor continued, "Distinguished guests, faculty, students, and alumni worldwide join in celebration. Students prepared splendid performances for this occasion. Let’s follow our camera crew."

The scene shifted to the on-site reporter.

Several wide-angle shots swept across the school’s gymnasium and playground, showcasing club activities.

But these shots ignited excitement in Class 10.

"That’s me! Did you see? I’m holding the basketball!" Lü Ping stood up.

"I almost made it. If the camera panned a bit further, you’d have seen me. Such rotten luck."

"I saw Qi Caiwei! Cc was filmed! You were interviewed!"

Students buzzed with excitement, and Ms. Gao didn’t intervene because most people never got the chance to appear on TV.

Gu Lu finally realized why cc sounded so familiar. Wasn’t cc the immortal witch from ?

Only he was lost in thought while classmates envied Qi Caiwei for being interviewed.

In reality, only two students were interviewed: Qi Caiwei and the Honor Guard Team’s president. Then the camera focused on the teachers.

Qi Caiwei’s interview stemmed from her graceful dance posture. Even casual observers could spot trained dancers, let alone someone like her who won the . Reporters easily singled her out in the crowd.

This segment ended, leaving Class 10 puzzled: why wasn’t Gu Lu, the brightest star of this event, featured?

The next news item began: "Here’s another story from No. 8 High School. According to Principal Liu, student clubs represent a new educational model in modern education. The outstanding stage performances of No. 8 High School clubs left a deep impression on guests during the celebration."

The camera cut to the Hanfu Club and the Language Arts Club’s performances. As for the gold-winning Dance Club... promoting them posed challenges.

"Especially . Their meticulously staged play earned high praise from ."

"According to Principal Liu, the core of these clubs revolves around self-organization, self-education, and self-development, highlighting students’ central role and enriching educational diversity, nurturing excellent talents for society."

"Gu Lu, a Grade 10 Class 10 student, is a prime example. At sixteen, he has submitted 20 manuscripts and is a contracted writer for magazines like , , and Chronicles of Mystery."

The TV station’s information channels were efficient. Gu Lu had just signed with Youth Digest. While Principal Liu hadn’t known yesterday, today’s broadcast covered it comprehensively.

On reflection, it made sense. Chongqing TV’s Daily 630 was a flagship news program. Before reporting, they likely verified Gu Lu’s credentials.

Ms. Gao nodded silently. She knew Gu Lu would receive significant attention.

"Gu Lu, how do you manage to create so much while maintaining your studies? Don’t you ever run out of inspiration?" the field reporter asked.

"So far, the school provides ample inspiration for my works," Gu Lu replied. "For instance, when my homeroom teacher, Ms. Gao, recommended books, it sparked a sci-fi idea."

"Sci-fi? Gu Lu’s writing spans a broad range. Mr. Hu mentioned Gu Lu loves reading. No wonder he won the Ye Shengtao Cup national first prize," the reporter said. "Can you recommend any books?"

"Can I promote my own?" Gu Lu asked. Seeing the reporter nod, he added, "Advertising here—my book , releasing next month, should appeal to all ages. Otherwise, I personally enjoy ’s works."

...

Watching himself on TV, Gu Lu nodded approvingly. He felt his performance was decent and noted that TV news media were cautious. Interview tones revolved around "balancing studies with writing" and "reading to accumulate knowledge."

The interview lasted a full minute and a half—an extraordinary duration.

Other students appeared briefly. Qi Caiwei and the Honor Guard Team president were notable, each answering one question.

But Gu Lu? He enjoyed a full minute and a half, with the reporter firing four or five questions.

Remember, school leaders only received two or three questions!

Maximized exposure—truly maximized!

Classmates weren’t envious anymore.

Qi Caiwei’s interview might stir gossip behind the scenes.

But Gu Lu’s? Only one very international Chinese word summed it up—"awesome!"

"Daily 630 has a very high viewership in Chongqing. Your former classmates, parents, relatives—they’ll all see it," Qi Caiwei said. "You’re really famous now."

"Publishing a book? I’ll definitely support it and buy a copy," Li Guyuan said.

"If Class 10 doesn’t support its own, who will?" Lü Ping added.

"I’m in the same class as Gu Lu. Wow, I can brag about it later," Zeng Jie said.

The classroom buzzed with chatter, too much to handle.

The atmosphere exploded. Ms. Gao didn’t intervene until students had vented their excitement, then calmed them down.

English teacher Xiao smiled warmly. Mr. Lu seemed stern but joked in class. Though these main subject teachers appeared friendlier, the poker-faced Ms. Gao was actually the most patient.

"Envious of Gu Lu? Next year, work hard to get yourself on the news," Ms. Gao said.

"I think I’d make the legal news easier," Zeng Jie quipped.

"Zeng Jie—"

"Got it. I’ll stand at the back," Zeng Jie preempted the teacher’s words and moved to the back of the classroom.

Having a chatterbox like Zeng Jie was truly exasperating. Ms. Gao scanned the room.

Facing students whose emotions hadn’t settled, Ms. Gao quieted the restless hearts with one sentence:

"Midterm exams are on the 10th of next month. Focus."

Didn’t we just have monthly exams? Why another midterm? Groans filled the room.

Silenced, most students refocused on studying.

By the way, The Little Prince was set to release on the 9th of next month.

Soon, it was dismissal time. Gu Lu delivered his rejection letters and happily headed home.

Today marked both his TV debut and a day of revenge, worthy of celebration. He treated himself to KFC.

As for the revenge...

Sprout Editorial Office.

"Hmm, come in? Sit. How long have you been with the editorial team?" The editor-in-chief of Sprout glanced up, waiting for the other person to sit before continuing.

Barely seated, Qi Bian suddenly stood up again.

"Why are you standing? Sit," the editor-in-chief said.

"What did you call me for, Chief? I’ll listen standing," Qi Bian replied.

The editor-in-chief’s three killer questions—"How long have you been here?" "How’s work going?" "Any future plans?"—left Qi Bian no room for carelessness.

"How’s work recently?" the editor-in-chief pressed.

Oh no! Qi Bian panicked. "Chief, I’ve been with Sprout for four or five years. If I’ve done anything wrong, please enlighten me."

..." The editor-in-chief paused, sighed, and handed Qi Bian a newspaper.

"This is The Young Pioneer Newspaper. It has extensive reach among students in the southwest," the editor-in-chief explained. "A friend gave it to me, saying, ‘Your Sprout has become famous.’"

Famous through a newspaper? What does this have to do with me? Confusion written on his face, Qi Bian flipped through the paper.

"Don’t flip. Look at the front-page headline first," the editor-in-chief prompted.

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