Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C164

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Chapter 164: Debut In Japan!

"Oh? There’s more content after the interview?"

Regular readers of Faust only paid attention to the first two-thirds of the magazine. The writer interviews at the back were usually dismissed as filler—completely devoid of substance.

Many subscribers skimmed through their purchases, having already paid for them.

But no one expected today’s issue to hold a delightful surprise—three serialized stories from abroad.

Gu Lu felt his pieces were placed too far back, right after the fluff-filled interviews.

[The Genius Writer of 30 Million People! The Evil Flower of Human Nature Blooms, Luring the Masses into the Abyss. Only Detective Kogoro Akechi, Who Walked Out of the Abyss, Can Pluck It!]

"Genius writer? Holy cow! Japan’s population is only 120 million, and this guy claims to represent 30 million people?"

"A detective who walked out of the abyss? Intriguing."

"Luring the masses into the abyss? How exactly does that work?"

Editor Katsushi Ota’s nickname for Gu Lu had some scientific basis. In 2012, Chongqing’s population was 29.75 million, so rounding it up to 30 million wasn’t unreasonable.

Whether readers were intrigued or indifferent, they all approached the magazine with the mindset: "I’ve already bought it, so I might as well check it out."

Doctor Mera's Mysterious Crimes

"Wow—a unique approach to crime! The victims are lured into mimicking the crimes themselves out of curiosity. So clever and original."

Murder on D Street

"Mingzhi represents a different kind of justice compared to traditional detectives—he doesn’t seek truth; he seeks amusement. While Sherlock Holmes also enjoys solving cases for fun, ultimately, he thrives on complexity and intellectual adventure. Mingzhi, however, cares more about the killer’s reactions. Whether the culprit is guilty or not barely matters!"

"Marquis de Sade? Seriously? Is the shopkeeper’s death tied to this? This is twisted—but I love it."

"What if the murderer doesn’t turn themselves in? I doubt Mingzhi would report them."

Marquis de Sade, the infamous pioneer of eroticism, represented by “S.” Alongside Austrian writer Masoch, they coined the terms “S&M,” standing for sadism and masochism.

The Stalker in the Attic

After reading this piece, many readers glanced up at their ceilings. Their first thought was how to imitate the killer’s methods. Their second thought—"Damn, I live in a single-story house!"

Even those living in multi-story buildings found the idea impractical—their ceilings weren’t accessible.

Japan led the world in voyeurism and peeping statistics, making the concept of spying on others’ lives from an attic oddly appealing.

All three short stories, especially the latter two, resonated deeply with Japanese readers' tastes!

It was well-known that reader feedback was crucial in Japan, whether for manga or serialized novels. Poor reception could lead to immediate cancellations.

["I haven’t seen such twisted yet captivating stories in ages. Please continue serialization."] [4.1]

["A genius writer representing 30 million people? That title seems off. Even with our nation’s 120 million people, we haven’t produced a writer like this!"] [4.0]

["Not a writer exploring human nature (crossed out), but a hardcore writer from China—Gu Lu! Please keep pushing this magazine."] [4.0]

And so on. The numbers following each comment represented reader ratings. Faust used a peculiar 4.6-point scale based on an editorial system: "Trickery 1.2 points, Logic 1.2 points, Foreshadowing 1.2 points, Storytelling 1 point."

While the idea was commendable, readers rarely adhered strictly to these criteria. Everyone had their own standards. Generally, anything above four was considered excellent.

For context, even the works of Faust’s famed Five Tigers hovered between 3.8 and 4.2.

Some readers even mentioned Gu Lu’s stories on [The Edge of Mystery], though few tourists replied.

Gu Lu’s debut in Japan was a smashing success!

Though he hadn’t sparked widespread discussion among Japanese mystery enthusiasts, he certainly left a distinctive impression on Faust’s readership.

Chief Editor Gao of Chronicles of Mystery received a call amidst his busy schedule. Initially frowning, his expression softened into a smile as he hung up, his face beaming with delight.

"Xiao Han!" Chief Editor Gao called out from his office.

At the sound of his superior’s voice, Han Cang immediately rushed over. "Chief Editor, what has you so happy?"

"Just now, someone from Japan’s Faust called," Chief Editor Gao said, despite the caller’s poor Chinese pronunciation, he understood perfectly.

Han Cang instantly grasped the situation. "Great feedback for Mr. Gu?"

"Better than expected! The magazine has been on sale in Japan for only two or three days, and they’re already asking us for more contributions specifically naming Gu Lu." Chief Editor Gao’s tone carried a light, joyful note.

His excitement wasn’t about money. Short stories going overseas barely profited the editorial department once translation costs were factored in—it was the author who benefited most.

What thrilled Chief Editor Gao was breaking new ground. For years, Japanese mystery works had successfully entered China, while domestic works struggled to gain traction abroad. Now, finally, there was a success story!

"Yes!" Han Cang clenched his fists in triumph, resisting the urge to wave them around since his boss was watching.

"I knew Mr. Gu’s style would resonate. His eccentricity fits perfectly." Han Cang grinned.

"Eccentricity aside, Gu Lu learned something invaluable from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: exposing greed and corruption while dissecting the darker sides of human nature—a hallmark of Japanese storytelling. Junichi Watanabe uses a cold scalpel to dissect desire between men and women, whereas Gu Lu dissects criminal psychology."

"In mystery fiction, there are three Ws, but Gu Lu focuses on why—the killer’s motive. Motive is the banner of social-issue mysteries, yet Gu Lu never delves into societal causes. Instead, he explores individual motivations—a rare trait among writers."

This made sense. Despite learning from Strange Tales, Gu Lu’s youth limited his understanding of society’s complexities.

"So that’s why you signed him immediately after reading these three stories?" Han Cang realized. "No wonder you’re the chief editor—your judgment is unmatched. I still have much to learn."

The flattery hit just right. Chief Editor Gao struggled to suppress his grin, feigning seriousness. "Enough. Go tell Gu Lu that being a mystery writer popular abroad is unprecedented domestically."

"On it!" Han Cang wanted nothing more than to become the editor behind a globally renowned mystery writer!

...

Unbeknownst to him, Gu Lu was contemplating a dilemma—

Morning or evening?

This question weighed heavily on his mind, akin to Hamlet’s existential musings.

Skipping evening study sessions gave Gu Lu more time to write and "work." For example, preparing for the upcoming The Little Prince signing event—selecting posters, entry passes, and small gifts.

Though he could leave everything to the publisher, this being his first signing, he wanted to take part in the process.

Skipping morning study offered clear advantages, but which should he choose?

Suddenly, a classmate interrupted his deliberation:

"Bro Gu Lu, can you pretend to be my dad for a bit?"

"..."

Gu Lu had read plenty of harem novels where heroines asked the protagonist to pose as their boyfriend. Why did his version involve pretending to be a father?

"You need me to forge a parent’s signature or something?" Gu Lu guessed.

Winter was coming—or rather, exams loomed. Courses were nearly complete, and practice tests began weekly. Students had to bring their results home for parental signatures.

"Hehe, sharp as ever," Tian Xiao admitted. "Ms. Gao knows calligraphy and is a handwriting expert. Many classmates got caught forging their signatures."

"Only you, bro Gu Lu, don’t submit homework regularly, so Ms. Gao barely knows you." Tian Xiao explained.

"Why not ask someone from another class? Wouldn’t that be safer?" Gu Lu spotted the flaw.

"People outside our circle aren’t trustworthy," Tian Xiao whispered. "These things require teamwork."

Teamwork, not gang, Gu Lu corrected mentally. Having signed numerous long-term contracts with magazines using forged guardian signatures, he was quite experienced.

Next period belonged to the homeroom teacher.

Ms. Gao strode briskly into the classroom, slamming test papers onto her desk—and metaphorically, into students’ hearts. Silence fell instantly.

"Tian Xiao, how many times have I told you about typos? Pay attention to typos!" Her tone was icy, tinged with frustration.

"After finishing your exams, you were supposed to double-check. Look at these fill-in-the-blank questions—they’re easy marks!" she continued. "Tomorrow, bring your parents to school. Clearly, your focus isn’t on studying."

"Guan Xiao Li, what’s your excuse?"

She named five students in total.

This week’s test results infuriated Ms. Gao. Many students showed significant declines.

"These questions were all within the scope of the syllabus. Why did you get them wrong?" She scanned the room.

Because they couldn’t solve them, Zeng Jie instinctively wanted to speak up but wisely held back under Ms. Gao’s stern gaze.

Among the named students, only Tian Xiao faced the dreaded summons for parental involvement.

Repeated warnings about his typo issues went unheeded. Mistakes like that drove Ms. Gao to demand a meeting with his parents.

"Since we’re summoning parents..." Gu Lu internally sighed. No saving him now.

During the penultimate morning class, the bell rang. Gu Lu dashed straight to Mr. Hu’s office.

Choosing to skip evening study sessions!

Recently busy, Gu Lu informed Mr. Hu about the promotional activities.

Mr. Hu flipped through Faust, puzzled by its mix of kanji and kana but piecing together meaning despite knowing no Japanese.

"Considering Gu Lu’s insufficient creative time and his repeated successes in essay competitions, our school advocates personalized education. Therefore, Gu Lu may stay home during evening study sessions to focus on his writing."

After delivering the official spiel, Gu Lu appreciated its necessity. It sounded far better than bluntly stating, "He’s good, so he can skip evening study."

"The administration will issue a note. To ensure safety, a parent must sign it, confirming the student stays home." Mr. Hu explained.

"Parental signature?" Gu Lu hesitated.

"This measure ensures student safety. If anything happens during evening study, the school bears responsibility. So yes, a signature is required."

Mr. Hu’s emphasis on the last sentence clarified the unspoken rule—forging a signature was acceptable as long as nothing went wrong.

As Gu Lu prepared to leave, Mr. Hu stopped him.

"Here—this is a talent scholarship worth 2,000 yuan." He handed over a brown envelope.

Huh? Another scholarship? Gu Lu was baffled.

According to No. 8 High School’s rules, talent scholarships were awarded annually. He’d already received one upon enrollment.

"No. 8 High School offers a Super Talent Scholarship," Mr. Hu explained.

Super Talent Scholarship—what a throwaway name. Not listed on the school website, Gu Lu wondered if Mr. Hu was paying out of pocket.

"Triggering conditions are tough, so it’s not publicized. The last recipient was Ma Dongfang in 2006." Mr. Hu elaborated. "Extraordinary achievements in talents earn additional rewards."

Ah, Ma Dongfang. Gu Lu recognized the name from the school brochure—a model student. She won first place in the Taoli Cup ballet competition’s junior group and was recruited by Sichuan’s Song and Dance Troupe before graduation.

Publishing in foreign magazines equaled winning first place in the Taoli Cup. Gu Lu understood.

On a side note, Gu Lu’s name topped the list of outstanding graduates in No. 37 Middle School’s brochure.

Confident it was legitimate, Gu Lu accepted the award.

Tonight marked his final evening study session.

Back home, Gu Lu joined a video conference via QQ regarding illustrations for Mr. Holmes. This Holmes differed drastically from tradition.

One passage read:

["I’ve never worn a deerstalker cap or smoked a large pipe. I suspect it’s just the writer trying to make me stand out—and sell more books—by exaggerating details. As for writing, I have no say."]

In fact, Arthur Conan Doyle’s original works never mentioned a deerstalker cap. The iconic trio—the deerstalker, cape, and pipe—were inventions of an illustrator.

Thus, fan art officially overshadowed canon. Subsequent adaptations and illustrations adopted this design, including The Canon of Sherlock Holmes.

Such was the power of a legendary illustrator, transforming a hunting hat into the quintessential "detective hat."

"The illustrators are here," Han Cang announced over the video call.

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