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

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Chapter 140: National Recognition, Part 2

“It is! They recently celebrated hitting a billion unique visitors in a single month,” replied. “By the way, I always search for reviews before reading a book, then pick a theme to focus on. Do you think that’s okay?”

What about new books without reviews? Gu Lu held back this question, recognizing progress in Qi Caiwei’s approach. “Absolutely fine! You’re brilliant!”

Receiving Gu Lu’s approval, Qi Caiwei beamed as though she’d acquired a magical wand.

Her joy wasn’t due to Gu Lu being a genius writer—it stemmed from having her direction validated. For reasons unknown, Qi Caiwei craved affirmation from people like him, finding it sweeter than honey.

Student conflicts arose mysteriously and dissolved just as abruptly. Like Gu Lu and his desk partner, their camaraderie returned to the point where they resumed buying snacks for each other at convenience stores.

One thing Qi Caiwei got right: was selling like crazy.

“The Little Prince: The Fairy Tale That Sold Out Nationwide —What’s the Secret?” — Southern Metropolis Daily

Clickbait headlines thrived. Initially, only a few small-city Xinhua branches reported stockouts, but such reports created the illusion of nationwide shortages.

“Recently, The Little Prince, penned by ’s prodigy Gu Lu, has captured the nation’s hearts.” — Chongqing Daily

Did you catch that? The genius writer and the book itself weren’t the focus—the real emphasis lay on gaining national acclaim.

No one could blame Chongqing for its excitement. After all, and Chongqing shared close ties… but Sichuan’s modern literature overshadowed Chongqing’s, especially with four of the famous hailing from Sichuan. Healthy competition persisted, leaving Chongqing feeling the pressure.

“A fairy tale written by a youth—this year’s most surprising fairy tale.” —

The subtitle read: A work praised by as a gift for adults.

“National sales reached 100,000 copies within five days, making it the fastest-selling fairy tale of the year.” —

With multiple forces propelling it, The Little Prince achieved first-week sales of 130,000 copies!

Ripples spread throughout the national publishing industry.

Numerous publishers took notice of this writer named “Gu Lu.”

Claiming that a single author could sustain a publishing house might be hyperbolic, but a best-selling author was undoubtedly a publisher’s lifeline.

As they say, smart investments yield rewards. Director Jian had secured a valuable asset for the Children’s Literature Press.

On the day the press received the first-week sales report, a meeting convened to allocate additional promotional resources for The Little Prince.

“Director Jian truly has an eye for talent.”

“Out of the two hundred-plus books we’ve published this year, The Little Prince ranks among the top five in sales—who could have predicted that?”

“I think The Little Prince’s stationery line holds great potential. Many surveys show students love the book covers.”

“At first, I thought giving a debut author nine percent was too high, but now I understand why Jian is the director, and I’m only the deputy. With proper promotion, this could become a 500,000-copy hit.”

…

During the meeting, everyone praised Director Jian.

The praise was well-deserved. After all, he had believed in Gu Lu since .

“Regarding print media promotion,” Director Jian picked up several newspapers reporting on The Little Prince, “we still need support—and I’d like a comparison item.”

At the mention of “comparison item,” the attendees exchanged knowing smiles.

Suggestions poured in: “How about Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince? Both feature princes.” “What about Flanders’ Dog or The Wandering Witch? They share the road-trip vibe.” “Pick something famous—like Window-Side Totto-Chan.”

Clearly, the publisher aimed to piggyback on the reputation of long-established foreign fairy tales.

For publicity, nothing was beneath consideration.

“Sigh!” Cat-San-Ning set down Yangtze Evening News with a heavy sigh.

A few seconds later, he picked it up again. “New author Gu Lu’s The Little Prince garnered attention from multiple writers even before publication… These young people are terrifying. On the surface, they seem harmless, but when they act, they aim big.”

Consider this: Cat-San-Ning’s pride and joy, The Missing Element, sold 80,000 copies in its first month. Yet Gu Lu surpassed that in a single week.

Any book exceeding 150,000 copies qualified as a bestseller. The Little Prince fit the bill comfortably, with a high likelihood of reaching that milestone within ten days.

“Debuting with endorsements from industry giants and glowing reviews from Yu Xinyao—what I wouldn’t give for such treatment…”

Cat-San-Ning almost declared that he could succeed under similar circumstances, but upon reflection, he reconsidered.

Forget it. Yu Xinyao alone could tear him apart with sharp criticism.

“Besides, securing support from influential figures is something Xiao Gu earned through his talent. What’s there to envy?” Cat-San-Ning muttered to himself. He and Gu Lu had met once. Even without keen observation skills, the phone-buying incident revealed that Gu Lu didn’t come from privilege.

[Congratulations on The Little Prince—it’s incredible! When you visit Tianjin, let me show you around.]

After sending the congratulatory text, Cat-San-Ning took a deep breath. “I need to step up too. I can console myself by saying The Little Prince isn’t in my genre and thus incomparable. But if becomes a hit, I’ll truly be left behind.”

As the saying goes, the waves of the Yangtze push forward. Cat-San-Ning intended to stay atop the crest!

Fueled by determination, he declared, “I must write the opening of my new work today—five thousand words!”

Intermittent bursts of ambition carried him until precisely 8 p.m.

“Forget it. I’m hungry. Writing can wait—it’s not urgent. Besides, I’ve accomplished plenty today.”

Whether forgiving himself or indulging his laziness, Cat-San-Ning dragged his weary body toward the door, ready to grab a bite of “masa.”

He glanced at the word count on his computer’s Word document: 216.

Night fell, darkness enveloping the sky.

During the day, Cat-San-Ning had felt envy and jealousy, but eventually accepted it with equanimity. Others, however, couldn’t remain so composed.

“Old Gao, you’re really not a friend. Not a friend at all!” Deputy Director Dao Mei of New Star Publishing accused. “No wonder you rejected our offer of eight percent. So you had this hidden card all along!”

“Why not say it outright? How many years have we worked together? Did you really need to hide this from me?” Deputy Director Dao Mei fumed. “Playing mind games with me, huh?”

In truth…

Chief Editor Gao opened his mouth, swallowed his words, and refrained from admitting he had no faith in fairy tales. His support for Gu Lu stemmed from not wanting to dampen the boy’s enthusiasm.

“We’ve been friends for years. How could I possibly play mind games with you?” Chief Editor Gao explained.

“And you deliberately invited me to dinner, saying academics should come first, asking if we could delay Mr. Holmes’ publication by a month. Were you using the ? A secret maneuver, eh?” Deputy Director Dao Mei snapped.

Chief Editor Gao couldn’t explain. Could he have foreseen that Gu Lu’s fairy tale would outshine his detective fiction?

“Old Mei, it’s my fault—my mistake. I apologize sincerely,” Chief Editor Gao stood at attention, ready to take the beating. “Tell me, can two dinners fix this blunder?”

“Two won’t cut it. At least three,” Dao Mei quipped before turning serious. “Old Gao, let’s stop joking. Can we sign Mr. Holmes for 10%?”

“…That’s difficult. I heard The Little Prince was at nine percent.” Chief Editor Gao replied.

Indeed, with The Little Prince exploding in popularity, offering only one percentage point higher felt insincere.

Though fairy tales and detective fiction were entirely unrelated genres, a bestseller elevated an author’s status. Look at Earth’s bestselling author —his works outside the mystery genre commanded high royalties too!

“What about 11%?” Dao Mei asked.

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