Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C151 Part 2

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“Let’s start in the living room. And no taking photos with your phone,” Director Wang instructed.

“Of course not, Dad. Do you think I’m stupid?” Wang Ban replied earnestly.

Writing short stories in The Little Prince’s style? Wang Ban estimated his success rate at 100%. He began with Flower Lunchbox.

“What does Flower Lunchbox mean?” As he read, Wang Ban understood—it referred to children’s imaginative play using sand and flowers to create “meals.”

[One day, I discovered my elementary school-aged sister suddenly writing complex sentences. Upon inquiry, I learned young Gu Lu(The name of his sister) seemed to have awakened memories of a past life.]

[Her previous self was a thirty-something office worker…]

[Unable to resist her pleas, I took my sister to visit her “past-life” family in a small town.]

[Gu Lu transferred a Flower Lunchbox, crafted by her “past-life” self, to her former father’s hands.]

“Hmm? Why does the narrative style differ completely from The Little Prince?” Wang Ban sensed trouble brewing.

After losing his beloved daughter, the father spiraled into guilt, unable to eat real food. He survived on milk and juice, maintaining strength solely to visit her grave.

Why maintain strength? To honor her memory.

When the father received the Flower Lunchbox, he instantly recognized it.

[… Holding chopsticks, the old man mimicked eating repeatedly. “Mmm, delicious.” His practiced acting mirrored genuine enjoyment perfectly.]

Though unable to eat real food, the Flower Lunchbox allowed him indulgence.

Deeply moved, Wang Ban paused. Though devoid of twists, Flower Lunchbox brimmed with emotion, especially in its continuation.

The follow-up truly choked Wang Ban emotionally. Now reborn, the girl called Gu Lu had new family ties. What then?

“… Such a heart-wrenching story,” Wang Ban sighed, taking several seconds to recover before continuing.

“Past lives—a tired trope. Yet this resolution elevates it to literary greatness. Brilliant!” Having grown up surrounded by books, Wang Ban possessed keen discernment.

“Wait!” Wang Ban jolted awake. At this level, how could he possibly compete?

Crafty old fox! Wang Ban glared at his father sipping tea leisurely in the study before storming in.

“Don’t rush. Maybe the first story was just exceptional. Finish reading—you’re my son; I wouldn’t harm you,” Director Wang preempted calmly.

Director Wang foresaw this reaction. He’d been captivated by Flower Lunchbox upon first reading, convinced Gu Lu was destined for writing.

With minimal words, he vividly portrayed a guilt-ridden father.

The concept of searching for a past life earned Flower Lunchbox six points; the brother’s reaction elevated it to nine out of ten.

Thus, Director Wang strategically placed Flower Lunchbox first and Park of Yesterday last in the collection.

Ordering short stories was truly an art.

“Fine!” Wang Ban returned to the living room to continue.

The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God, Iron Pillar, Shoes, Owl Man—one by one, until the final page.

“Heheheh.” Wang Ban grinned widely.

Look how happy he was.

No comparison at all. Wang Ban genuinely laughed. Against this benchmark, ninety-nine percent of short stories fell short of publication standards.

Rushing to the study, he found it empty—his father had left.

[I’m out with your mother for dinner. You were so engrossed, we didn’t want to disturb you. There’s leftover food in the fridge. Also, return Park of Yesterday to the study undamaged after reading.]

Checking his phone, Wang Ban saw his father’s text.

Silent for a moment, he headed to cook instant noodles.

Eating, Wang Ban mused, “Still, Dad unearthed an extraordinary short story collection.”

“The only question is—could Gu Lu be two students collaborating?” Like the Queen Brothers, who co-created works. The anthology displayed distinct styles.

Searching online, Wang Ban uncovered traces from Hualong News in Chongqing.

Titled Exploring the Mysterious Student Writer Gu Lu, the article featured an interview with journalist Wang, familiar with Gu Lu.

It explained Gu Lu’s wide-ranging themes.

[Gu Lu wrote a short story called A Brute’s Love, inspired by Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio’s clay figurine tale.

The clay figurine depicted a love so profound it moved heaven and earth, allowing a deceased husband to possess the figurine.

Similarly, A Brute’s Love explored a man’s affection for a wooden doll. More realistic, the doll remained lifeless, making the fetish unaccepted. The protagonist ultimately committed suicide with the doll.

Gu Lu’s extensive reading fueled his creativity, enabling diverse storytelling.

Additionally, his adaptability resulted in varied writing styles…]

Wang Ban marveled. Never had he encountered a writer capable of shifting styles so fluidly.

Purchasing Story Digest, he read A Brute’s Love, noting its stark contrast to the anthology’s dual styles.

Though lacking Chinese Studio’s tone, the story carried hints of ghostly elements.

“Rather than mimicry, Gu Lu selects the most fitting style for each story type.”

Realizing this, Wang Ban mentally admired the young man’s skills,

Returning home from Dockside District’s Cui Garden required two bus transfers, totaling six yuan in fare.

Gu Lu disembarked early, retrieving a pre-ordered birthday cake.

“Hello, is the cake I ordered yesterday ready?”

“Here’s your receipt.”

Collecting the golden ingot-shaped cake, Gu Lu chose a ten-inch size—perfect for consumption without waste.

Boarding a tricycle, he headed to Bai Le Grocery Store.

“Vroom vroom—” The engine roared, exuding fatigue.

Yet Gu Lu, who’d run errands all day, felt no exhaustion.

“Not as good as imagined, nor as bad,” Gu Lu reflected on the reunion.

Even without triggering synthesis lists, it wasn’t a loss. Besides, it did trigger.

“In the grocery store, I triggered item sequences. Now, dialogue sequences,” he mused. Trigger points stemmed from classmates discussing school anecdotes—too many words to pinpoint exactly what triggered it.

Thus, confirming Flipped based on content alone proved impossible.

“Wait, grocery store—grocery store.” Gu Lu eyed three keywords ahead: [Amazon Bestseller 2017] [Bungeishunjū Literary Prize] [Non-Typical Masterpiece]. The more he thought, the surer he became.

“Could these tags refer to The Miracles of the Namiya General Store? Published around 2016-2017, Keigo Higashino writes mysteries, making this a non-typical masterpiece. Makes sense!”

“So why did I trigger it? Did Li Guyuan share half a grocery store? Seems unlikely. Then there’s only one possibility—are there promises or boasts in the book?”

“Did I gain boasting or promises?” Gu Lu vaguely remembered a time-traveling shop.

Unable to confirm fully, he decided to attempt guiding someone to say:

“If there’s a hole in one’s heart, beautiful things leak out.” The only line he recalled from Miracles of the Namiya General Store.

How to guide someone to utter it?

Arriving at Bai Le Grocery Store, he entered.

Not celebrating a decade milestone, today’s gathering excluded relatives. Even the birthday feast took place inside the shop to keep it open.

“Little Gu’s here? Come in.”

“Why bring a birthday cake? He’s old enough to skip cakes!”

“Li Guyuan! Hurry out! Gu Lu’s here.”

…

Today marked Father Li’s birthday, with abundant dishes complemented by Gu Lu’s cake—far exceeding consumption capacity.

A fulfilling day.

“Gu Lu, club activities may pause temporarily,” Li Guyuan said quietly while escorting Gu Lu home.

“Final exams are on January 25th. Mom demands improvement over midterms, or she’ll cut my allowance,” Li Guyuan explained.

Next year’s Lunar New Year fell on February 9th, slightly advancing the exam schedule.

“True, academics take priority,” Gu Lu nodded. “By the way, Guyuan, what competition are you in?”

“…” Li Guyuan sighed. “Biology Olympiad.”

“Biology Olympiad?” Gu Lu guessed, genuinely unaware biology had competitions.

“Why the question? Math, physics, chemistry, and biology are the four mainstream contests!” Li Guyuan emphasized.

“Ohhh!” Gu Lu exclaimed. “You’re really busy—balancing clubs, writing submissions, improving grades, and competing in biology.”

Seemingly busier than Gu Lu himself.

“Exactly. Time’s tight, so writing must pause. Break will focus on biology and review,” Li Guyuan said. “I envy you.”

“Envy me for not competing?” Gu Lu asked.

“Envy you for having such a reliable friend like me,” Li Guyuan handed over two notebooks. “The red notebook contains the interim results from the Publication Club. Take it home.”

“The blue notebook covers difficult points in politics, history, and geography—common mistakes. Though not as precise as teachers’ notes, it’s helpful,” Li Guyuan added.

“Thanks. I’ll study diligently, living up to the Gemini reputation,” Gu Lu smiled.

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