Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C140 Part 2

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Chapter 140: National Recognition, Part 3

It wasn’t that New Star Publishing was being stingy—by 2012 market standards, royalties exceeding 10% were already considered high. Even writers who reached 15%-18% were typically those with multiple bestsellers under their belts.

“Let’s try, but I can’t guarantee success,” Chief Editor Gao said. “Xiao Gu has a mind of his own.”

After some deliberation, Dao Mei responded, “…Why don’t you introduce him to me directly? I’ll approach this young writer with sincerity and have a chat.”

Chief Editor Gao agreed, and the two proceeded to discuss where to host the dinners for negotiation.

A few minutes later, Chief Editor Gao hung up the phone.

“I should’ve realized earlier,” he muttered to himself. “In , he depicted in such a pitiful and tragic light. Writers skilled at portraying sorrow must also excel at capturing beauty.”

After all, tragedy was about shattering something beautiful—but how could one tear it apart without first knowing how to depict its beauty?

He wondered if Gu Lu would ever write another full-length detective novel. If not, would Mr. Holmes become his swan song?

Whether there’d be more long-form mysteries depended on what triggered next. Currently, Gu Lu’s two synthesis lists were full again, with six blurry tags floating around:

[Amazon Bestseller 2017][][Non-Typical Masterpiece]

[Excessively Absurd and Bizarre][Wins Through Weirdness][Master of Outrageous Ideas]

“The first tag… could it be ? Please, anything but that—it’s not a good fit!” Gu Lu prayed silently as he noticed his homeroom teacher walking into the classroom.

Rarely did Ms. Gao’s usually stern face break into a smile. Standing at the podium, she clearly had good news to share.

When the bell rang and students rushed back to their seats, Ms. Gao finally spoke. “The results of ’s essay competition are out.”

Zeng Jie managed to suppress his urge to interrupt, holding his tongue by sheer willpower.

“Congratulations to our classmate Gu Lu and Li Guyuan, who won first and third prizes respectively,” Ms. Gao announced, holding up two certificates. “Come to the office after class to collect your prize money.”

For the city-level competition, there were three first-prize winners, five second-prize winners, ten third-prize winners, and twenty honorable mentions—fewer slots than the district-level contest, but with much higher cash rewards. If Gu Lu remembered correctly, the first prize came with an impressive 8,000 yuan.

Ms. Gao led the applause. “Li Guyuan’s Three Shadows Under the Moon, an excellent essay, begins with observing his father drinking alone, links it to , and ultimately elevates it to a discussion of . Brilliant!”

Starting small and personal was Li Guyuan’s signature style—a hallmark of authenticity and relatability. However, this approach had its drawbacks. By focusing on individual moments, the piece sometimes lacked broader cultural depth. For example, while emotions tied to alcohol were vividly rendered, the exploration of cultural significance fell short. This likely explained why Li Guyuan’s polished prose earned only third place.

Once the applause died down, Ms. Gao continued. “ is bold—a modern poem entered into the competition, carving a unique path.”

“After class, I’ll post both essays on the bulletin board at the back of the room for everyone to read and learn from,” she added. “Study how Li Guyuan structures his writing, maintaining coherence despite its fragmented nature. But don’t emulate Gu Lu’s modern poetry—it requires real skill.”

No wonder Ms. Gao was delighted. The city-wide essay contest included entries from all high schools across Chongqing, and many schools struggled to secure even one award. Yet Class 10 had two winners—how could she not be thrilled?

This achievement reflected well not just on her students, but also on her career.

“There’s more,” Ms. Gao said. “I must commend Gu Lu again. Qi Caiwei informed me yesterday that, thanks to Gu Lu’s guidance, her essay scores have improved significantly.”

The students turned their gaze toward Qi Caiwei. Not only was Gu Lu excelling himself, but he was also lifting others along with him!

Some students with weaker writing skills, like Lü Ping, perked up. Lü Ping’s mother had once gifted Gu Lu a pot of osmanthus flowers, asking him to tutor her son in writing. Though initially uninterested, Lü Ping now realized the advice had actually helped.

“No way—I’ll ask Mom to send over another pot of osmanthus. This definitely needs renewal!” Lü Ping thought to himself.

“Classmates, take a page from Gu Lu’s book—help each other out,” Ms. Gao concluded before beginning the lesson.

Today’s text was ’s .

Another forty minutes passed, and when the bell rang, Ms. Gao posted the two winning essays on the bulletin board. Students swarmed around eagerly—not to study, but purely out of curiosity.

Among them, the trio with the largest “tonnage”—Lü Ping, Ma Xuanyou, and Zeng Jie—took the lead. Occasionally, murmurs of admiration could be heard: “Wow, he can even write poetry!”

At this time, the title “poet” still carried mystique. Mentioning poetry evoked awe, often surpassing the prestige of being called a writer.

But never fear—future generations would inevitably bring poets down to earth, throwing metaphorical feces alike!

“What’s on your mind?” Gu Lu approached Li Guyuan, who was munching on a lollipop.

Gu Lu hadn’t come to boast—he merely wondered if Li Guyuan, having publicly challenged him in front of the entire class, might feel defeated now.

“Of course, I’m thrilled! Third prize at the city level—it’ll go on my academic record. I’m pretty proud of myself,” Li Guyuan declared confidently.

Hmm? Gu Lu hadn’t expected this reaction.

“You’re not here to comfort me, are you?” Li Guyuan suddenly sensed something. “You didn’t actually believe my talk about us being No. 8 High School’s twin stars, did you?”

Gu Lu waited for the rest of the sentence.

“I know. Your achievements in writing far surpass mine already,” Li Guyuan admitted. “But I was serious when I challenged you—pressure fuels motivation.”

“When I wrote my essay, I kept thinking, ‘I need to work hard, I can’t lose too badly, or it’ll be embarrassing.’ And look—I succeeded. I’m very satisfied with this piece!”

Upon reflection, Gu Lu realized this made perfect sense. If Li Guyuan truly believed they were equals, he wouldn’t have proactively applied for the Publication Club only to step aside and let Gu Lu take charge as editor-in-chief.

By voluntarily ceding leadership and positioning himself as a supporting figure, Li Guyuan demonstrated that he recognized Gu Lu’s superior talent.

“So, Gu Lu, keep pushing forward. Your excellence inspires my potential. After all, we’re No. 8 High School’s twin stars,” Li Guyuan said, patting Gu Lu on the shoulder—a gesture made easy since Li was one of the tallest boys in the class.

Acknowledging the gap between them and using it as motivation… Gu Lu felt Li Guyuan was stronger in this regard. While Gu Lu wouldn’t envy someone close to him excelling, he might lean toward complacency rather than striving to catch up.

“Everyone has their strengths,” Gu Lu mused. “All the students at No. 8 High School are exceptional—it’s no surprise, given that this is Chongqing’s top high school.”

After collecting their prize money in the office, Li Guyuan treated the whole class to lollipops. In return, Gu Lu couldn’t be stingy—he handed out green-tongued ice creams to everyone.

A detail worth noting: Ms. Gao notified parents about the prize money. For instance, she informed Li Guyuan’s mother about the 3,000-yuan reward—a significant sum. Such actions weren’t always appreciated by students.

As for Gu Lu’s parents, Ms. Gao didn’t bother. After the home visit, she essentially treated Gu Lu’s father and mother as non-existent.

“Save wisely. If you have issues with rent or living expenses, feel free to call me,” she said casually while handing over the money.

Gu Lu ate meals at school, so Ms. Gao was aware of that. Her comment primarily referred to rent—the biggest expense for someone living independently.

Before evening self-study, Gu Lu had planned to deposit the 8,000 yuan at a nearby bank. Carrying that much cash wasn’t safe, but something delayed his trip.

“Gu Lu, I’d like to ask you something,” Lu Yi said.

Lu Yi? They weren’t particularly close. Gu Lu nodded, sensing that the class monitor wanted to discuss something privately.

The two walked to the artificial rockery. Gu Lu assumed Lu Yi, like other classmates, sought advice on writing—after all, he’d just been praised by the teacher.

To his surprise, Lu Yi began with, “Gu Lu, you’re the most famous student in our class—no, in the entire school. Does being constantly watched make you afraid?”

“If the attention is positive, then no,” Gu Lu replied, puzzled but sensing the importance of the question based on Lu Yi’s expression.

“But unwanted negative attention would certainly be uncomfortable,” Gu Lu added. “What kind of attention are you referring to?”

“It’s neither good nor bad,” Lu Yi clarified.

“I joined the dance club for personal reasons, and suddenly, everyone started paying attention to me. It’s overwhelming.”

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