Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C169

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Chapter 169: What Kind of Magical Place?

"Mr. Mo, your offer is very generous, but this huge opportunity has left me a bit overwhelmed," Gu Lu said. "As for The Little Prince’s copyright, I…."

"No worries, take your time to think it over," Mo Guanghai interrupted. "I’m confident our collaboration will be fruitful. All we need is the licensing rights; you won’t have to worry about operations. Besides, merchandise also serves as promotion for the book itself."

Gu Lu agreed on that point. Even in his past life, people who hadn’t read The Little Prince were still exposed to its merchandise everywhere.

Sorry, Director Jian—Gu Lu pulled out his ultimate shield. "I understand what Mr. Mo is saying, but there’s one more thing: The Little Prince’s copyright is managed by Youth Literature."

At this, Mo Guanghai’s enthusiastic expression froze, like a speeding car slamming on the brakes.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"It means all copyright-related matters go through the publisher. My personal consent doesn’t matter," Gu Lu explained. He knew this from bitter experience in his past life. Once, someone wanted to adapt one of his books into an audiobook, but the platform rejected the offer because they thought the price was too low.

He had been furious!

"Why sign such a contract?" Mo Guanghai couldn’t comprehend. "If I’m not mistaken, you’ll have to split the profits with the publisher, right?"

"Fifty-fifty," Gu Lu confirmed. "I figured the publisher has wider distribution channels. Plus, as a student, I don’t have time to manage these things, so it’s a practical arrangement. If you’re interested, you can negotiate directly with them."

"That works. I’ll reach out to Youth Literature," Mo Guanghai said sincerely, still eager to pursue the deal. "But splitting fifty-fifty seems unfair to you, Gu Lu."

Gu Lu and Director Jian were on the same page. The latter had readily agreed because Gu Lu was underage—and Director Jian knew well about the complications in Gu Lu’s family situation.

With the discussion over, Gu Lu needed to get back to class, so he excused himself. Only Principal Liu and Mo Guanghai remained in the office.

"Thank you, Principal Liu, for mediating. If this collaboration succeeds, I’ll donate a set of stationery to your school—featuring The Little Prince designs, of course." Mo Guanghai grinned. "I hope you’ll put in a good word."

Donations are valuable, but Gu Lu’s presence was even more precious.

"Hahaha, as Little Gu just mentioned, the agency handles the rights," Principal Liu chimed in. "It seems he’s open to the idea. Naturally, I’m also looking forward to this partnership."

Principal Liu spoke diplomatically, offering no concrete promises.

The exchange between the two adults wasn’t particularly interesting, so let’s shift our focus back to Gu Lu.

---

During today’s politics class, the regular teacher was sick—a real illness—and a substitute took over. This older teacher, around fifty years old, began by saying:

"I’ve heard that Class 10 has a famous writer among its students. Who might that be? Can you point him out?"

The students immediately pointed toward Gu Lu. "It’s him!" "Gu Lu’s a real author—he’s published a book!" "He’s won awards!" "He’s even joined the Chongqing Writers Association—it’s official!"

Not quite accurate. Gu Lu was part of the Capital Writers Association, and membership wasn’t considered formal employment; that distinction belonged to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Still, why did this substitute teacher look at him like he was some kind of spectacle? Nevertheless, Gu Lu politely greeted the teacher.

"Impressive, impressive! I dabble in writing too, though I submit to magazines like Harvest and October," the elderly teacher remarked. "Popular literature may gain more recognition these days, but the true literary lineage depends on traditional works."

The teacher continued, "If you ever have questions about traditional literature, feel free to ask Teacher Ji anytime."

Ah, Gu Lu understood now. This teacher was envious—perhaps even jealous. Knowing that a young student had already published a book while he himself hadn’t after years of effort must have left him feeling unbalanced.

With that, the conversation ended, and the politics lesson began.

It must be said, the substitute teacher’s skills lagged far behind the original instructor. Many students barely endured until the bell rang.

"Ugh, I’d give up five years of my roommate’s singlehood if it meant our teacher would recover sooner!"

"Shut up!"

"You act like I’m holding out on you. Even without my ‘donation,’ you’ll still be single in five years—you’ll only be a sophomore then, and judging by your track record, college bachelorhood is practically guaranteed."

The students joked cruelly, but their teasing hit hard. Was it really possible to remain single throughout university? Gu Lu noticed someone in the class visibly offended.

As the weather grew colder, students started bundling up in puffy jackets.

"Let’s go, gotta pee," Zeng Jie called to Lü Ping.

Their friendship had returned to normal. Though Lü Ping dragged Gu Lu along, despite having nothing urgent to relieve. But since they invited him, a trip to the restroom wouldn’t hurt.

The real purpose was the walk there and back—to chat or ogle (read: check out girls).

"Sister Zeng, aren’t you cold wearing so little? It’s freezing outside!" Lü Ping asked.

Ever since Gu Lu pointed it out, Lü Ping stopped calling her "Zeng Ha'er" and switched to "Sister Zeng"—not much better.

True enough, Zeng Jie wore a white short-sleeved shirt under a thin spring jacket. Even autumn temperatures would make that outfit unbearable, let alone winter.

"Not at all," Zeng Jie replied coolly.

"My muscles keep me warm. Look, Ma Xuanyou copies me too," she added proudly.

"I’m not cold either, but my mom insists I dress warmly," Lü Ping admitted.

"You could take off your coat and wear just a long-sleeved shirt. You’re an athlete—you shouldn’t fear the cold!" Zeng Jie suggested.

Lü Ping, nicknamed "Flathead Brother" but sharing traits with a honey badger—stubborn and easily provoked—immediately shed his thick, fleece-lined coat, leaving only the long sleeves underneath.

"Gu Lu, you…."

Before he could finish, Gu Lu cut him off. "Not me! I don’t have muscles—I’m freezing! I can’t compare to you guys!"

Seeing his resolve, Lü Ping didn’t press further.

As they walked, many passersby stared incredulously at Zeng Jie and Lü Ping, silently questioning how they weren’t freezing.

Ironically, those looks made Zeng Jie and Lü Ping smirk smugly.

In their minds: Real men don’t fear the cold! Brave warriors of the icy winds!

To everyone else: Are these two idiots?

Even Gu Lu wanted to distance himself slightly.

Currently, three boys in the class—Zeng Jie, Ma Xuanyou, and Lü Ping—were embracing this trend of wearing minimal clothing. Hopefully, it wouldn’t spread further.

Don’t underestimate teenage boys—they’re a peculiar bunch.

---

At lunchtime, the cafeteria served noodles: supposedly Shanxi-style knife-cut noodles, Henan-style stewed noodles, and Jiangcheng-style hot dry noodles. In reality, they were just variations of thin noodles—dry, thinner noodles, and even drier noodles—with none capturing the essence of their respective cuisines.

After finishing lunch, Gu Lu didn’t leave campus today. Instead, he headed somewhere new.

With stealthy steps, he approached the school library.

"Hey!" A sudden black blur darted out from around the corner.

Holy crap! It startled Gu Lu, but it turned out to be a person.

"Qi Caiwei? What are you doing here?" Gu Lu recognized her.

"Cough, cough—I’m skipping my nap today. The teacher gave me special permission to study in the library. Surprised?" Qi Caiwei explained quickly.

Hmm? Before Gu Lu could ask, she launched into an explanation. She was preparing for the Huaxia Youth Dance Competition in December, and her mother, worried about her falling behind academically, had arranged with the homeroom teacher for Qi Caiwei to study in the library during lunch breaks.

Art students usually aren’t held to high academic standards, Gu Lu thought. Then again, he hadn’t taken any art exams, so he wasn’t sure. And you can’t question other parents’ decisions.

"I thought you competed in the Taoli Cup? Isn’t that the most prestigious domestic competition?" Gu Lu hinted subtly.

"The Taoli Cup happens only once every three years. In between, I participate in other competitions to gauge my progress," Qi Caiwei explained. "The Huaxia Youth Dance Competition is quite reputable too."

"Good luck!" Gu Lu encouraged, then gestured subtly toward the library entrance.

Qi Caiwei looked embarrassed. "I just came out of the library—"

"Why?" Gu Lu asked.

"There are seniors studying inside, and it’s a bit noisy," Qi Caiwei admitted. "Well, not too noisy, but… I stepped out for fresh air and saw you."

"Got it. Follow me," Gu Lu said.

He led her to the deepest corner of the corridor, where a small storage room stood partitioned off. To Qi Caiwei’s astonishment, Gu Lu pulled out a key and unlocked the door.

Before her eyes lay the mysterious Publication Club activity center—

About 20 square meters, with two three-seater leather sofas placed against the north and south walls—the same model as the principal’s office, albeit a bit worn. Three bookshelves and a water dispenser filled the remaining wall space, while a large conference table dominated the center of the room. The only difference? Two computers sat atop the table.

"Come in."

Once Qi Caiwei entered, Gu Lu closed the door behind her.

"Is the Publication Club something you founded, Bro Gu Lu?" Qi Caiwei asked, then quickly added, "Don’t worry—I’ll keep this secret to my grave!"

"Hahaha, it’s not that serious," Gu Lu chuckled. "You can study here. If you get tired, browse the books on the shelves. I brought them all myself; feel free to read anything."

Two rows of shelves held only about thirty books, making the space seem sparse.

With arrangements complete, Gu Lu ignored Qi Caiwei and turned on one of the computers, beginning to type.

Forgot to mention: the computer had internet access. This was part of the reward Gu Lu received for winning the Chongqing Literary Award, intended to enrich the activity center.

Both the computers and sofas were labeled as "discarded" by the school—but they were in perfect condition, just rebranded.

If necessary, Gu Lu could even request leave to handle urgent matters at the club’s activity center.

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