Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C123

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Chapter 123: Turning a Cold Shoulder

"Ms. Gao, your truly has some hidden talents," sighed Lin, the homeroom teacher of the neighboring class.

As fellow educators, Teacher Lin fully understood the advantage of having such a student in class. Setting aside everything else, even if were to burn out like a shooting star, his reputation as a genius writer was assured.

Adding a line to one's teaching resume—[Mentor of Genius Writer Gu Lu, who provided guidance on his writing journey]—was worth its weight in gold within educational circles.

"Gu Lu is a very steady student; I hope he can continue on this path," Ms. Gao responded somewhat irrelevantly. She thought about how much effort the boy had put in to achieve such honors.

"No wonder the school library suddenly ordered a mystery magazine and a children's magazine recently," Teacher Lin remarked with a tinge of envy.

"Yes, previously our school library only had ," another teacher chimed in.

Teacher Lin wondered why Principal Liu hadn't assigned Gu Lu to their experimental class—it seemed quite fitting...

"Why did you write such a story, Gu Lu? Tell us about it," Principal Liu smoothly moved to the center stage and handed the microphone to Gu Lu.

"The inspiration came from a scene and an image," Gu Lu said. "When my classmates and I were playing badminton on , the ball got stuck in a tree, which sparked the beginning of '.'"

"And the image was of a child unable to save his father no matter what, and even after exhausting all efforts, there was no effect..." Gu Lu fabricated earnestly.

He paused momentarily for several seconds before continuing, "The success of the stage play is inseparable from the hard work of the literary club members. They trained day and night alongside their studies."

"Very good, then let’s have everyone give a round of applause for Gu Lu and !" Principal Liu changed his words at the last moment.

Another round of applause followed, bidding farewell to the silver award winners as they left the stage.

Yan Ting, who had been waiting anxiously to return as the program host, finally stepped back on stage. She mused, "They gave the second-place winner so much time, but this freshman really is extraordinary. At sixteen, he's won district, city, and national awards and is preparing to publish a book."

, being a municipality, equates its city-level status to provincial level.

"The winner of the 74th anniversary celebration stage performance gold award is—the Dance Club's 'Phoenix Melody,' with a final tally of 973 votes," announced Yan Ting.

In fact, students who were attractive, like Zhou Lin, , Zhang Liru, and Zhang Liwan, didn’t join the dance club.

Especially Qi Caiwei, whose classical dance skills ranked first in the school and who won third place in the youth B group of the 10th in 2012.

The Taoli Cup is the most authoritative dance competition in the country, gathering many talented dancers. Winning third place in the youth B group (ages 13-14) proved Qi Caiwei’s exceptional talent...

Returning to the topic at hand, despite that, the Dance Club still led significantly in votes and won the championship. Lu Yi and the team members took to the stage; the gold trophy was also made of plastic.

The only difference among the three trophies of gold, silver, and bronze was the color of the emblem on the base.

However, the hot topic among the students wasn’t about who came first or second but rather about Gu Lu from Class 10, Grade 10. This name instantly resonated throughout No. 8 High School!

"Tsk tsk, Lü Ping, this student you introduced is impressive," said Lu Shangtong, president of the basketball club.

Lü Ping replied, "He recently participated in the Chongqing liquor culture essay contest. Others can probably only compete for second place."

"No wonder his athletic talent isn't great; every training session feels like crossing a trial. Now it makes sense. A brilliant mind often comes with a less-than-stellar body," Lu Shangtong commented.

Lü Ping agreed, "Generally, those with sharp minds aren't great at sports."

All major clubs were buzzing—

"Zhou Lin, the student you mentioned earlier who would be listed under our , is named Gu Lu too, right? Could it be... the same person?" asked Mi Zan, president of the Model UN, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Seeing him lost in thought, Mi Zan repeated his words.

Zhou Lin's thoughts, interrupted, returned to reality. "Of course, it's the same person. As I said, he was already a prominent figure in middle school."

"Your truly produces remarkable talents," Mi Zan said, whimsically adding, "If all else fails, we should invite Gu Lu to join our Model UN. Look how much Principal Liu adores Gu Lu. If Gu Lu asks the principal, it will surely be fine."

"President, your idea is good, but do you know that even the advisor of The Tree People Literary Club couldn’t persuade Gu Lu to join?" Zhou Lin said.

It was already generous of him to lend his name; asking him to approach the principal was pushing it. Zhou Lin thought this way.

Mi Zan clicked his tongue and said nothing more. It was normal for top talents to be difficult to recruit.

Aside from Wan Bai of The Tree People Literary Club, the other club presidents seemed unreliable. The Model UN and Time Radio Station were prime examples.

"It's already October; I wonder if he won any awards. Knowing this earlier, I should have interviewed him. Now everyone in the school knows, and the buzz is gone," Zhang Liwan of Time Radio Station realized belatedly.

"You're very perceptive. Even knowing all about Gu Lu, our report can just focus on whether he will win awards, and many people are looking forward to it. It’ll definitely be fine," President Liu Wen said.

Zhang Liwan sighed. President Liu Wen was entirely focused on studying and didn’t want to deal with Time Radio Station matters, offering no help whatsoever.

Currently, the news produced by the station received little attention, leaving Zhang Liwan worried...

Amid the discussions, Wan Bai and the members of the literary club returned to the crowd, while Gu Lu followed the principal to the front row of the small auditorium.

There were renowned writers, educational leaders, and social elites present.

Principal Liu introduced Gu Lu to everyone.

"He creates excellent and positive works, representing our outstanding students of Chongqing and showcasing the results of No. 8 High School's tailored education," the educational leader’s remarks carried authority. "Other high schools should follow suit, at least actively participating in various municipal essay contests."

Gu Lu felt himself evolving into the fabled "other people’s child." Facing the leader’s praise, he resembled an emoticon—obediently folding his hands.jpg.

From being somewhat nervous meeting his middle school principal to now calmly facing municipal education leaders, he had made significant psychological progress.

"I've been somewhat negligent as vice-chairman; I didn’t know Chongqing had such an excellent writer. Are you a member of the ?" Mo Huaiqi asked.

"No, but Director Jian from the Children's Publishing House invited me to join the Beijing Writers' Association, and I’ve already filled out the forms," Gu Lu truthfully answered.

"!" Mo Huaiqi’s expression turned serious. Although ultimately everyone would join the National Writers' Association, affiliating with different local associations made a significant difference.

Director Jian of the Children's Publishing House wasn’t familiar to Mo Huaiqi, but he recognized him from certain events.

But—why would the Beijing Writers' Association come to Chongqing to recruit talent? Mo Huaiqi said, "The Beijing Writers' Association is quite far from Chongqing. After joining, attending meetings and such wouldn’t be convenient."

"It’s inconvenient now, but it should be easier once I start university," Gu Lu replied.

Mo Huaiqi realized Director Jian must have said plenty of persuasive words. Now it seemed like trying to bring him back to his association would be challenging.

Meanwhile, reporters from Daily 630 and print media all converged, their target clear—Gu Lu.

"Principal Liu, our news segment wants to film Gu Lu. Is that okay?" a reporter from 630 asked.

"Long time no see, Gu Lu," Wang Ji greeted. "What a coincidence! The interview news will appear in tomorrow’s issue of The Vanguard."

Oh? Gu Lu realized. So, the news of his rejection from Sprout would be widely known.

"Reporter Wang, do you know Gu Lu?" a colleague exclaimed in surprise.

"Our Pioneer Newspaper has interviewed Little Gu two or three times, so we’re quite familiar," Wang Ji said.

For some reason, despite years of experience as a Young Pioneers reporter and meeting many important figures, Wang Ji felt a small sense of pride from being acquainted with Gu Lu.

Realizing he was going to be on TV, Gu Lu subtly adjusted his uniform.

"Let’s film at the gymnasium; the lighting is better there," Principal Liu suggested.

Everyone agreed, and the group moved to the indoor gymnasium.

Parents and students had already begun to leave in an orderly manner, with teachers maintaining discipline. Only a few students liked to chase and play in the crowd, requiring some extra effort from the teachers.

"Don’t overthink it. Your writing is excellent too, but all of Xiao Gu’s talent is concentrated here," Li Guyuan’s mother consoled him, fearing him might feel discouraged by his good friend’s achievement.

"What! Gu Lu and I are the literary twin stars of No. 8 High School. The stronger he gets, the more famous the twin stars become, and the more famous the twin stars are, the stronger I get. So the stronger Gu Lu gets, the stronger I get!" Li Guyuan argued convincingly.

"...Twin stars, indeed, you dare to claim that," his mother joked, seeing him showed no signs of being discouraged.

By the time the event ended, the sun was setting, natural light fading. The lights in the teaching buildings were already on, and evening study would start in two hours.

A drizzle began to fall.

"Good thing you brought an umbrella. The weather forecast was accurate; it rained just as predicted on this sunny day," Mr. Xiao held the umbrella and spoke to Gu Lu's mother, though the latter looked somewhat dazed.

Just moments ago, Gu Lu had been the center of attention... Something Gu Lu’s mother had never imagined. Her child was so outstanding, even to the point of feeling unfamiliar.

"Go say hello," Mr. Xiao noticed Gu Lu coming out with a group of reporters.

With difficulty, Gu Lu’s mother called out, "Gu Lu—"

Gu Lu glanced briefly in their direction and quickly looked away.

"There are too many people; he didn’t hear," Mr. Xiao said.

He heard, Gu Lu’s mother was sure. But his gaze towards her was like looking at a stranger, devoid of former closeness.

Why was this? Last year when she and Gu Jiayu visited Gu Lu at Ockmouth Hill where he rented a place, he was overjoyed, running out to buy fruit and saying he wanted to cook a meal for her.

However, Gu Lu’s mother noticed he bought some meat and vegetables, clearly insufficient for three people. This reminded her of Gu Lu’s father.

Gu Lu’s father often acted irresponsibly, whether drunk or sober. For instance, he once lent money without consulting anyone, intending to help a so-called good brother, despite saving to move into a new house...

"Changed..." Gu Lu’s mother recalled how she had left with Gu Jiayu at that time.

The once lingering affectionate gaze contrasted sharply with the current icy glance, making her heart ache faintly.

The exchange between these two gazes was fully observed by Principal Liu. He admired his quick thinking; fortunately, he hadn’t invited Gu Lu’s parents onto the stage.

Mr. Hu said Gu Lu had a poor relationship with his father, but it appeared now that relations with both parents were strained.

"If my child were this outstanding, I’d call him Dad. I don’t know what they’re doing," Principal Liu thought, withdrawing his gaze.

"Principal Liu, No. 8 High School is the best in Chongqing, and Gu Lu is an outstanding student here," Mo Huaiqi approached Principal Liu. "Shouldn’t Gu Lu join the Chongqing Writers’ Association?"

Wu Du had misjudged. He thought after ‘Park of Yesterday’ and his introduction, Gu Lu would surely join the Chongqing Writers’ Association. In reality, the vice chairman was poaching talent. Principal Liu couldn’t make decisions for the students, so he could only promise to persuade them.

The gymnasium hadn’t been cleaned yet, with several sports clubs holding activities upfront, but it didn’t affect filming.

The news segment might air for a few seconds, but capturing footage took a long time. Gu Lu spent over an hour being interviewed by Daily 630 and Chongqing Morning Post, delaying dinner.

The principal and others had already reserved places for dinner.

Meanwhile, Gu Lu ran through the rain, finally reaching the much-anticipated cafeteria.

By this time, many students had finished eating and were walking out shoulder to shoulder, chatting and laughing.

"This year, our Hanfu Club did well, almost completing the ."

"Aren’t you skilled in traditional Chinese painting? Why didn’t you perform?"

"Knowing a bit and meeting the standard for performing are vastly different. Though I didn’t perform, checking hand gestures and overseeing the overall formation was exhausting. My eyes almost crossed, it was really tiring."

"I was even more tired. Our Language and Culture Club revised the lines seven or eight times. I wrote three versions; I couldn’t finish my homework. One night after lights-out in the dorm, I had to take it to the corridor to work."

Two students walked past, complaining about their fatigue, but their faces and tones radiated vitality.

They brushed past Gu Lu.

"Isn’t that Big Brother Gu?" "It really is. Big Brother Gu is a true powerhouse, directly elevating the literary club." "Others boast, but he’s genuinely incredible..."

Now, he was recognizable around the school, truly a notable figure. Gu Lu became prominent at No. 37 Middle School in three to four months, but at No. 8 High School, it took less than two months.

Using his card to buy food, many dishes in the cafeteria were already sold out, especially meat.

The plate of delicious steamed pork was empty. Making do with what was available, Gu Lu was hungry.

"Though I appeared in front of the entire school, it seems I was the loser of the school celebration," Gu Lu thought while eating.

Core members preparing programs for clubs were surely exhausted, but recalling these efforts later, the memories of diligent members would shine brighter than those of "tourists" like Gu Lu.

"High school lasts only three years, meaning three opportunities for school celebrations. Have I already missed one?"

"Should I really find an accomplished club to join?" Gu Lu pondered. The basketball club was out of the question; the gap between physical health and athletic talent was significant.

So, which club suited him? Gu Lu hadn’t figured it out even after finishing eating and washing his plate.

Entering Class 10, the other twin star inspired him.

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