CS: I’m Only 16, and You Want Me to Stage an Old Veteran Comeback?

"Nice one, Xiao Yang!"

As soon as the pistol round ended, Brother Xiaosa praised him over voice chat.

"Xiao Yang?" Jiang Yang asked, puzzled.

Brother Xiaosa explained, "Your ID sounds like 'Yang,' doesn’t it?"

DD chimed in, "Bro, your dual pistols were on fire! I was just watching the kill feed light up. You took them all down!"

It really was surprising. Jiang Yang's pistol skills were usually below average compared to theirs, but in this round, he scored an impressive quad kill. It was a brilliant performance.

"Eh, just standard procedure," Jiang Yang joked, lightening the mood. "Have you guys ever heard of the national standard Marco Polo?"

...

Ma Xixi, who was commentating on the match nearby, heard Jiang Yang’s excited exclamation: "National standard Marco Polo, baby!"

【Holy sh**, a farming simulator?】

【Is this kid playing attack-speed builds now?】

【I think I get it now—dual pistols in his hands are like hair dryers! Cousin is showing off again!】

【What? Are pistol rounds ECO now?】

【The terrifying ECO King has arrived.】

Watching the stream, viewers joined in on the banter while cheering for the Steel Helmets, who’d started strong. They hoped the team would continue their good momentum.

After the pistol round ended, on MO's suggestion, Jiang Yang swapped weapons with Brother Xiaosa.

Brother Xiaosa handed him an A1, while Jiang Yang gave him a "hair dryer" (SMG). This was to save up for a sniper rifle in the next rifle round. Over the past few training matches, the Steel Helmets members had come to appreciate Jiang Yang’s sniper skills and were confident in his ability with an AWP.

As the countdown ended, Jiang Yang moved to the VIP spot to hold an angle.

Thanks to their decisive pistol round win, the attacking side had no economy for this round, meaning they’d likely play a pure ECO.

"Newhappy is broke—only Jee bought an unarmored Desert Eagle. The rest are grouping at the T-spawn entrance, looks like they’re planning to rush mid for trades."

"Mid is being double-held. They’re ready to crossfire anyone who pushes. Jiang Yang is holding VIP, Brother Xiaosa is watching Lower Tunnels, and the mid crossfire is in play!"

From VIP, Jiang Yang noticed someone charging out. Acting on instinct, he immediately swung his crosshair toward the target.

"Bang bang bang!"

【young used M4A1 to headshot Daniel.】

The moment Jiang Yang got the kill, he realized the enemy’s plan: a pure ECO aiming to trade for better weapons. He quickly adjusted his position to avoid getting overwhelmed and called out in voice chat.

"Whoa!! He snagged one, then another! Brother Xiaosa followed up with a trade, and DD’s flashbang blinded mid completely!"

Jiang Yang swapped to his pistol to finish off the last opponent at mid, securing another quad kill and maintaining his hot streak.

"That’s it—solid ECO round, no upsets!" Ma Xixi clenched his fist in excitement.

The closed qualifier was a BO1 single-elimination format, meaning every round on Dust2 was critical.

With an 8/0 perfect start, Jiang Yang was clearly in great form, setting the tone for the match.

...

"Pause already?" Jiang Yang asked, surprised.

It was only the third round.

MO explained, "They probably think we’re off to too strong a start and want to cool our momentum."

Though an understandable tactic, it was undeniably annoying. Jiang Yang absentmindedly rubbed his mouse on the pad.

MO evaluated their weapon setup and suggested, "Xiao Yang, toss your M4 to Xiaosa and get yourself a sniper rifle."

"Sticking with an SMG during a rifle round puts you at a huge disadvantage."

Despite being retired pros, the habits and rationality of a professional player still lingered in the Steel Helmets squad. Jiang Yang followed instructions and then suggested, "I’ll head straight to A2."

His position was closest to A2, allowing him to exploit the angle with a timing play.

When the countdown ended, Jiang Yang made his way to A-Site, using a quick rotation jump technique to get on A2 and scoped in to hold the angle.

"The Ts are moving quickly, rushing mid for control. Meanwhile, the CT sniper has set up on A2."

"But the Ts are cautious around A2, avoiding early engagement. Judging by their positioning, Newhappy seems to be planning a B-Site split through B Short."

"Mid pressure continues. Su Di from B Short narrowly dodges the flashbang as he peeks out—can he get the kill?"

"But he misses! He gets taken down instead!"

Seeing Su Di fall, Brother Xiaosa quickly smoked the archway to delay the push.

Jiang Yang stayed calm, continuing to hold the A2 angle with his sniper rifle while DD covered him from A-Short to prevent a flank.

Jiang Yang advanced cautiously into A2 to clear it, hoping to free up A-Site for defense. However, the opposing player holding A2 retreated as soon as Jiang Yang caught a glimpse of him.

Jiang Yang fired a quick shot but missed.

"Watch B-Site; they might not be targeting A," Jiang Yang warned. "The guy at A2 is playing too passively—it feels like he’s just holding back."

Pro matches aren’t like ranked games; players don’t make random decisions. This guy was clearly the lurker.

Hearing Jiang Yang’s assessment, DD said, "I’ll rotate from CT. Hold them off at B for now."

Unfortunately, DD was too eager. By the time he rotated, the Ts had already breached B Short, killing him with a coordinated crossfire.

【Jee + superGod used AK47 to kill DD.】

Jiang Yang’s call was correct, but the outcome was unfortunate.

"Newhappy knows there’s still a sniper on A-Site, so they’re committing to B."

"The Ts push aggressively into B Short, but Liu Ke holds strong! He sprays down one, and Jee can’t follow up!"

"MO immediately smokes to buy time, waiting for his teammates to assist!" Ma Xixi narrated.

"But Newhappy seems to have shifted plans—they’re rotating to A-Site instead!"

"Jiang Yang is still holding A2, and Xiaosa, sensing something’s wrong, is rotating back to CT. The tide is turning again!"

...

With no intel on the enemy’s exact position, Jiang Yang stayed on A2, watching silently like a guardian spirit.

Brother Xiaosa had reached CT and called out, "I hear footsteps near the boost platform—they’re going for A!"

DD chimed in, "Xiao Yang, stay on A2 and don’t rush. Let Xiaosa make the first move!"

But Jiang Yang didn’t completely listen. When he heard the flashbang pop, he peeked out with his sniper rifle, ready to react.

Jiang Yang’s pre-aim on Dust2 was incredibly polished.

The moment he peeked, the T on the boost platform appeared in his crosshair.

"Bang!"

【young used AWP + Jee’s flashbang to headshot superGod.】

Meanwhile, Xiaosa, holding from CT at the "ropz spot," killed another T attempting to check the angle.

However, after getting the kill, he swung wide and was immediately traded by a T holding the platform from below.

"One low on the boost!" Xiaosa called out.

Jiang Yang stayed calm, holding his sniper’s scope at the platform, waiting for the enemy to peek. But the T refused to duel, instead opting to plant the bomb on-site.

MO returned from B Short and sprayed at the planter but missed. The enemy repositioned, setting up for a post-plant.

"One in jungle and one behind long box!" DD updated Jiang Yang.

Taking advantage of his teammates’ pressure, Jiang Yang peeked out from A2 again. Initially, he aimed to kill the bomb planter but quickly shifted his focus when he spotted a T in jungle.

"Bang!"

【young + xiaosage used AWP to kill Jee.】

"Whoa!! What was that shot?!" Ma Xixi exclaimed.

From the spectator view, they could see Jiang Yang initially aiming for the planter. But the moment he caught a glimpse of the jungle player, he snapped his aim and landed the shot.

"2v1 now!!" Ma Xixi clenched his fists. "The last T is betting on A2 staying quiet while he moves to CT. It’s fine to let him plant—the 2v1 gives them the advantage!"

The final T planted the bomb and rotated to CT for a one-on-one duel.

Jiang Yang remained composed, waiting for MO to reach Arch before moving. MO flashed CT, allowing Jiang Yang to peek and eliminate the final T as he attempted to re-peek.

"Got him!!"

"Clutch, Xiao Yang!!"

The team chat exploded with cheers as they celebrated the hard-fought win.

Ma Xixi exhaled a deep breath in the livestream. "Jiang Yang… was absolutely critical there. His play on A2 was flawless!"

"The shot on jungle broke the stalemate. Before that, jungle was locking down their retake, but Jiang Yang blew it wide open!"

"My cousin’s in great form today—11 kills already?"

The livestream viewers noticed too. Despite only three rounds being played, Jiang Yang’s score had reached a terrifying 11/0, averaging nearly four kills per round.

【Cousin is carrying hard today!】

【Unexpected MVP!】

【Will he single-handedly crush this pro team today?】

【I said it—Steel Helmets are Asia’s third-best, only behind VG and Tyloo! They’re rising today!!】

The chat buzzed with excitement as the match continued.

Despite saving for rifles, Newhappy lost the round, leaving their economy in shambles. But instead of conceding, they opted for a risky force buy.

This time, Jiang Yang opened with a pick at Arch but was later traded after being too aggressive. Jee grabbed his AWP and used it to secure Newhappy’s first point.

As the match progressed, Newhappy’s players started finding their rhythm, leveraging their youth and superior mechanics to challenge the Steel Helmets.

But Jiang Yang’s consistent sniper dominance kept tipping the scales. Jee, the enemy team’s primary AWPer, struggled against him, losing multiple head-to-head duels.

By halftime, the scoreboard read 10-5 in favor of the Steel Helmets.