Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C120 Part 2

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Chapter 120: What a Novel Idea Part 2

The next morning greeted them with drizzle. Students dashed across campus, some sans umbrellas, laughing as rain soaked their uniforms. Youthful energy radiated everywhere.

Gu Lu, however, walked steadily beneath his umbrella. Street vendors huddled under oversized red canopies, yet space was scarce. Rather than compete, he opted to buy breakfast elsewhere.

rainstorms arrived swiftly and furiously.

“Look at this rain—it’s like heaven itself doesn’t want us in class,” Zeng Jie joked.

His roommate shot back, “When it’s sunny, you say the sun’s a celestial alarm clock. Now it rains, and suddenly heaven’s crying. Sounds like neither suits school, huh?”

“Listen to the raindrops—they sound like dismissal bells,” Zeng Jie continued, unfazed.

His roommate groaned. “If avoiding school were an art form, you’d be .”

Even literary geniuses had to attend morning readings. Reluctantly devouring three portions of buns, Zeng Jie trudged toward class, mourning his fate.

In Ms. Gao’s classroom, Gu Lu learned something unsettling: the accelerated classes— and —were leagues ahead of regular ones, including . Already struggling students in the latter group faced unimaginable pressure trying to keep pace.

“I should ask Zhou Lin about this,” Gu Lu resolved. “Completing senior-year coursework in three semesters—is that humanly possible?”

Sometimes, it felt like academically gifted students belonged to a different species entirely.

As the bell rang, Ms. Gao detained the class briefly to announce an important opportunity.

“The is hosting a student essay contest. I’ll post the prompt on the bulletin board shortly,” she announced.

Turning to Gu Lu and Li Guyuan, she added, “Both of you write well. Consider entering this year—it’s quite prestigious. Winners earn recognition in their permanent records.”

Recognition worthy of inclusion in academic files carried significant weight. For context, only city-level model students qualified—not district or county-level ones.

Gu Lu decided to check it out. If the theme aligned with his interests, he’d give it a shot.

Once Ms. Gao left, Li Guyuan rushed to the office to fetch the assignment sheet. While some classmates lingered near the blackboard, others spilled outside. Minutes later, Li Guyuan returned, waving the paper triumphantly.

“Hold on, let me pin this up first. Why the rush?” he teased, squeezing through the crowd.

[Throughout China’s five-thousand-year history, alcohol has played a pivotal role in culture. More than mere sustenance, wine permeates spiritual life…]

The essay prompt centered on —a common theme given its rich heritage alongside poetry, music, chess, painting, and tea. Scanning the requirements, Gu Lu noted the freedom to choose angles and formats. Inspiration struck immediately.

“Gu Lu, let’s settle this once and for all!” Li Guyuan declared dramatically, drawing stares.

“Our first clash as ’s literary duo begins now!” he proclaimed.

Gu Lu cringed internally. “Please stop. You’re killing me.”

“How about it? Dare to compete? Let’s see who scores higher in this contest,” Li Guyuan challenged, adjusting his slipping glasses.

“Fine, fine,” Gu Lu agreed hastily, hoping to silence further theatrics.

“I won’t hold back!” Li Guyuan vowed, addressing the rest of the class. “Anyone else wants to challenge us twin stars, feel free. Either way, Gu Lu and I are unbeatable.”

“No, no, just you being unbeatable is plenty,” Gu Lu muttered, edging away from the spectacle.

Thus, Li Guyuan found himself playfully mobbed by classmates—head rubs, playful shoves, and mock wrestling moves raining down upon him.

"Better him than me," Gu Lu thought to himself.

"Master Gu Lu, please tell me what to do if I feel sleepy while reading?" his desk mate, Qi Caiwei, asked.

"Sleepy while reading?" Gu Lu pondered. "Don't you like writing?"

"I like writing, but that has nothing to do with feeling sleepy while reading," Qi Caiwei replied. "I just enjoy writing and expressing myself."

"What exactly do you mean by this symptom?" Gu Lu asked.

Qi Caiwei explained, "It's not that I fall asleep after reading a hundred or two hundred words. It's more like when I read a work of about 100,000 words, by the time I reach 50,000 words, I start finding it boring and begin to yawn continuously."

"Boring? What kind of works are you reading?"

"All kinds. , , Hemingway... Even ',' which many people say is very exciting, I find quite dull."

This was perplexing. Qi Caiwei’s reading comprehension wasn’t poor, so there shouldn’t be any issue understanding the original text’s intended message.

"What about your textbooks?" Gu Lu asked.

"Textbooks have a goal. I read them with a purpose, so naturally, I don't feel sleepy," Qi Caiwei said.

This peculiar way of thinking implied that perhaps he couldn't find the key points in books?

"I'll think about it and see if I can come up with a solution," Gu Lu said.

"Thank you, Master Gu Lu!" Said Qi Caiwei while making exaggerated prayer-like gestures.

...

During lunchtime, Gu Lu happened to bump into Zhou Lin at the school canteen entrance.

"What a coincidence," Gu Lu greeted her.

"I waited here specifically for you; it's not a coincidence at all," Zhou Lin said.

So, she had something on her mind. They got their food and started eating while chatting.

Zhou Lin informed Gu Lu of all the current predicaments facing the club.

"Model UN sounds good, but isn't it just empty talk?" After hearing Zhou Lin's introduction, Gu Lu's first reaction was that it seemed somewhat like keyboard warriors—no matter how passionately they ranted online, it wouldn't change anything in reality.

"In a way, yes," Zhou Lin didn't refute him, which surprised Gu Lu.

"But becoming the Secretary-General of the Global Model UN would really allow one to speak at the , voicing our country's youth perspectives," Zhou Lin said. "The attention gained as the Secretary-General of the Model UN surpasses even that of the national youth representatives at the UN."

"That's hellishly difficult," Gu Lu commented.

"Hellishly difficult indeed, but how will we know without trying?" Zhou Lin said. "First, the initial step is to become the domestic Secretary-General of the Model UN. From what I understand, to become the national Secretary-General, one must get into either the , , or ."

"The Model UN framework in our country is constituted by these three schools," Zhou Lin continued. "I will also aim for these three schools in my college entrance exam. Goals can be set far, but achieving them requires taking one step at a time."

Was it her who had a cheat, or was it me?

Gu Lu never imagined himself standing on the United Nations stage representing his country, akin to the figures and events seen on the nightly news—it felt unreal.

Young lady, your future is boundless! You dare to dream and take steps towards your goals, already surpassing ninety percent of people.

Should I set a small goal too? With eight synthesized works under my literary cheat, five of which are short story collections—focusing primarily on short stories—to become the most popular short story writer domestically?

Gu Lu mused.

Whether in a parallel world or Earth, there aren't globally renowned short story writers in the country. Even Mr. Lu Xun is also famous for writing essays rather than short stories.

"Do you think my ideas are impractical?" Zhou Lin noticed his silence.

"Not necessarily, it's just..." Gu Lu rephrased his thoughts, "Dreams this grand usually only exist in kindergarten or elementary school. As we grow older and learn more, such lofty ambitions tend to fade. Listening to you describe it now feels like seeing a pair of beautiful wings that haven't been clipped."

"No wonder you won the national first prize; your praise makes me genuinely happy," Zhou Lin said.

"So, you want me to talk to Principal Liu?" Gu Lu asked. "I've met Principal Liu twice, but I can't guarantee success."

"Of course not," Zhou Lin replied. "It has nothing to do with you after all, so I shouldn’t have troubled you like that."

"I want you to be listed in the Model UN. The more members with city-wide honors we have, the easier it is to succeed in our application," Zhou Lin said. "You are the most outstanding person I know at No. 8 High School."

This sudden compliment made Gu Lu take a bite of his fried noodles and humbly respond, "I'm not that outstanding."

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