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

Young: "Thank you for your recognition, Ninth Master, but for now, I still plan to focus fully on preparing for the Major."

Seeing the strong rookie on the other side decline his offer, 259 felt a pang in his heart.

He had originally planned to make a move before Tyloo did, striking first to secure the advantage. To be honest, today’s loss hit him hard. After all, a professional team losing to a streamer team—what would happen next in the GO community would be completely outrageous. The online backlash would be at full force.

But at the same time, the emergence of Jiang Yang, this top-tier dark horse, awakened the "talent scout" side of 259. He really wanted to bring Jiang Yang into his team.

Now that he had been rejected, 259 was feeling all sorts of pain.

The Gear-Shifting Veteran, who hadn’t managed to drift up Akina Mountain, saw the agonized look on 259’s face and burst into laughter.

Mocking his friend with a dramatic tone, he quipped, “Once, a prodigious young talent stood before me, but I didn’t cherish him. Only after losing him did I regret it beyond measure!”

“As an in-game leader, nothing is more painful than this!”

“If you could go back to that match on Dust2, would you talk to him a little longer?”

Ah Zhong looked at him, puzzled.

259, now calmer, had managed to shake off his initial emotions.

He explained, "The truth is, my cousin isn’t really suited for our playstyle. We’re not the right ship to carry him."

As the captain of VG, 259 had been working hard to rebuild CNCS, trying to learn from the European playstyle.

In Europe, team play was prioritized over raw individual skill. Players functioned like puzzle pieces, each fitting into a structured system.

"But my cousin's individual skill is far beyond what we initially thought. He’s the type of player born to be a superstar. He needs resources—far more than we imagined."

As one of the best in-game leaders in Asia, 259 could feel Jiang Yang’s overwhelming presence through both match footage and their direct encounters.

All he needed was an AWP in his hands and a team playing around him, and he could take over the game entirely.

A player who could take resources and still perform was, of course, someone 259 wanted.

But if he actually brought Jiang Yang in, it would likely disrupt VG’s entire system.

On the surface, it seemed like all they had to do was insert Jiang Yang into the lineup. But CS:GO had never been that simple.

It was a five-man game, with five different personalities and five different understandings of the game.

Jiang Yang’s immense skill would inevitably lead to a four-protect-one team structure, which was exactly what 259 wanted to avoid.

What he truly wanted was to raise the team's baseline, not gamble everything on one star player.

Hearing 259’s explanation, Ah Zhong raised an eyebrow. "So you do have some rationality left. You were never planning on signing him anyway, so why the long face?"

"Rationality is one thing!" 259 sighed. "But his talent is just too damn tempting!"

For an in-game leader, discovering a player like this was like a swordsman finding the perfect blade—they just couldn't resist!

"Why did Cousin reject them outright?" Jiang Yang asked Ma Xixi.

After receiving the invitation from 259, his first instinct was to ask for his cousin’s opinion.

But after some thought, Ma Xixi didn’t tell him to accept. Instead, he advised Jiang Yang to politely decline VG’s offer.

"Think about it," Ma Xixi explained. "Right now, if you wanted to, joining Tyloo or VG would be easy."

"You’re good enough, and you’ve already beaten them. Today, VG made an offer, but I guarantee you, Tyloo will come knocking soon. And when they do, I’ll give them the same answer—No."

"Neither Tyloo nor VG?" Jiang Yang looked at his cousin, confused. "So I just stay with Steel Helmets?"

Ma Xixi rolled his eyes.

This kid was sharp in the game, but right now, his eyes were filled with pure, innocent stupidity.

"Right now, the two top domestic teams just got dismantled by you and the Steel Helmets. There’s no need to join them yet."

Ma Xixi continued, "As much as it sucks, Chinese CS is a bit disconnected from the international scene. If you really want to improve, you need to look beyond this region."

"You’re still young. If you perform well at the Major, I’d rather push you toward an international team. See where your true ceiling is."

At this point, even Ma Xixi wasn’t underestimating his cousin’s talent anymore.

After all, his performance at the Asian RMR had been undeniable.

Every single match was a standout carry performance. That wasn’t the level of an "Asian-tier" player. His true potential was far beyond this region.

Ma Xixi wanted him to test his limits. What if he could reach the threshold of a TOP 20 player globally?

If he could do that, Jiang Yang’s name would be cemented in CS:GO history.

And even if things didn’t work out internationally, he could always return home and dominate the domestic scene.

Jiang Yang was still young—Ma Xixi didn’t want him wasting his years stuck in the local circuit.

"Once this Major is over, even if your results aren’t amazing, I can still try to get in touch with Mouz. Their academy system is really solid."

"You’d learn a lot about what it means to be a true professional there."

"But in the end, it’s up to you."

As a veteran in the scene, Ma Xixi wanted to help his cousin find the best possible path.

But only if Jiang Yang was willing.

Hearing his cousin’s suggestion, Jiang Yang hesitated.

"That means I’d have to live overseas full-time?"

After all, nobody wants to leave home unless necessary.

And if he were serious about joining an international team, it wouldn’t just be a short trip. He’d be living abroad for years.

Seeing Jiang Yang hesitate, Ma Xixi laughed.

"I told you—this industry isn’t as easy as you thought."

"And even if you join Tyloo or VG, you’d still have to train in Serbia for months every year. It’s not that different."

CS:GO wasn’t an easy profession.

That’s why, back when Jiang Yang first mentioned going pro, Ma Xixi had tried really hard to talk him out of it.

The salaries weren’t high. The competition was ruthless. And players had to travel all over the world constantly.

Honestly, he felt Jiang Yang would have a better life just staying in Shanghai and being a streamer.

Still, he carefully laid out the current state of the domestic scene for Jiang Yang to consider.

Jiang Yang listened closely—after all, this decision would shape the next few years of his life.

"No rush. Take your time to think it through," Ma Xixi reassured him. "You still have plenty of time."

But Jiang Yang quickly answered, "I’ve thought it through. If there’s a chance, I’ll go to Europe. These are just small obstacles!"

Compared to the challenges of moving abroad, he feared one thing even more—becoming just another "barely-making-a-living" streamer.

"But I don’t necessarily have to go through Mouz Academy. I believe in my skills—I’ll attract plenty of offers!"

As he said this, his face was full of confidence.

Ma Xixi smiled, seeing his cousin’s determination.

"That’s the mindset you need."

"Come on, let’s go pick up your niece. Time to celebrate—we’ve got a real pro player in the family now."

"Weren’t you a pro too? You played as a sniper, right?"

"Me? Nah, I was more of an escape artist!"

With laughter filling the air, they headed out for a feast.

Meanwhile, the news of Steel Helmets qualifying for the Stockholm Major spread like wildfire across the entire GO community.