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

August 20, 2021, Friday.

Auspicious for: weddings, sacrifices, groundbreaking ceremonies, prayers, raffles...

Without realizing it, it had already been a month since Jiang Yang came to his cousin’s place for a summer job.

Jiang Yang took a bite of an oil stick, followed by a sip of Shanghai’s unique salty soy milk, slowly waking up to the beauty of the day.

Over the past half month, he had gradually adapted to his days working at his cousin’s place. But honestly, it felt more like a vacation than a job.

The work was easy and laid-back, and if he wanted to eat something, Ma Xixi would take him out to have it the next day. Seeing how hardworking Jiang Yang was, Ma Xixi even treated him to two days at a water park. Worried that Jiang Yang might run out of pocket money, Ma Xixi had already handed him 5,000 yuan to cover drinks or other small expenses before the summer even ended.

His cousin treated him really well—but was also incredibly lazy.

The incident where Ma Xixi miscalculated in a betting game gained some traction in the CS:GO community thanks to a clip uploaded by a Bilibili content creator. Many people showed up to “eat the drama,” some attracted by Jiang Yang’s good looks seen in the clip, and others drawn by the entertainment value of his streams.

This gave Jiang Yang some modest fame in the CS:GO scene, to the point that even players who didn’t specifically follow CSBOY had heard of Ma Xixi’s handsome cousin.

Otherwise, Ma Xixi felt he’d wake up screaming from nightmares.

The CSBOY livestream crew was far from easy to manage.

Aside from streaming, Jiang Yang kept up with his training. Following Ma Xixi’s advice, he devoted significant time after each stream to practice his shooting skills. He also adjusted his training regimen with tips from “Big Brother Long Neck,” splitting his practice into sections for positioning, pre-aiming, and deathmatch exercises.

His gunplay improved at a speed noticeable to the naked eye. Additionally, his idea to enable matchmaking on all maps drastically accelerated his game sense development.

“Let’s see what I’ve got!”

With a thought, Jiang Yang brought up the system panel.

[Old Veteran: Jiang Yang]

[Age: 30]

[Team Affiliation: None]

[Status: Preparing for a Comeback]

[Overall Level: Amateur LV.7]

• Gunplay: Amateur LV.8
• Awareness: Amateur LV.7
• Map Knowledge: Amateur LV.6
• Positioning: Amateur LV.7
• Reflexes: Pro-level LV.8
• Communication: Amateur LV.8
• Handgun Proficiency: Amateur LV.5
• Sniper Proficiency: Amateur LV.8
• Rifle Proficiency: Amateur LV.8
• Other Weapon Proficiency: Pro-level LV.1

[Comeback Points: 10086]

[Signature Skill: Hunter’s Eco Clutch (Beginner)]

[Personal Items: “Sleepy Black Tea,” “One Dragon Fruit”]

[Comeback Missions:]

1. Reach Rank #1 on any platform to announce your return.
2. (Daily) Run 5 kilometers to maintain your physical condition.

In just half a month, Jiang Yang had undergone a dramatic transformation.

To be honest, he was only now starting to understand the true utility of the system. Initially, he thought simply practicing would make him stronger and that both the system’s stats and his [Signature Skill] would rapidly improve because of it.

Later, he realized the system stats progressed so quickly mainly due to his natural talent. His love for the game and willingness to pour time into learning were key factors.

Most of the time, he’d only make a mistake once before correcting it. Regarding map and positioning strategies, as long as Ma Xixi or Captain MO explained something once, he could easily extrapolate it to various scenarios.

As for [Signature Skill], the system’s influence was undeniable.

[Hunter’s Eco Clutch (Beginner)]

[Progress: (996/1000)]

[Effect: During ANTI-ECO rounds, significantly enhances your movement and decision-making skills.]

This skill had been immensely helpful, whether for ranking up or creating entertaining moments during streams. He only needed 4 more points to level it up, and he was excited about what the upgraded version might bring.

However, the [Comeback Mission] posed more of a challenge.

He initially thought reaching Perfect World’s Rank #1 would be easy, but it turned out to be tougher than expected.

CS:GO was insanely competitive. After his placement matches, his better-than-average reflexes and solid gameplay helped him climb to Rank A quickly.

But at that level, the game’s difficulty ramped up sharply. Players in Rank A were generally seasoned veterans with quirky tactics, like odd one-way smokes and bizarre timings. Jiang Yang often found himself caught off guard, even dropping to Rank B at one point.

Still, he wasn’t discouraged. As a novice, he knew he wasn’t at that skill level yet, so he kept practicing.

Every day, he worked on his gunplay, game sense, and map knowledge. To further improve, he analyzed replays of matches where he was crushed, studying his opponents’ moves. While some matches featured suspicious wall-hacks, most games were fair, and Jiang Yang quickly absorbed new strategies.

Now he was back to being a solid Rank A player.

His climb wasn’t fast, partly because he was preparing for a professional career. Instead of sticking to the [Old Three Maps], he practiced on all maps, ensuring he could throw utility for teammates no matter the map.

At his current rank, however, opportunities for growth were dwindling. Players at this level often relied on raw gunplay rather than tactical innovation.

Jiang Yang debated whether to focus on a specific map to push his rank and claim the [Platform #1] reward before resuming his broader training.

“Let’s figure out which map would be best later,” he muttered. Streaming viewers might not enjoy watching obscure maps, so he had to consider their preferences.

Before deciding, he checked the [System Shop] for the day.

Each morning, Jiang Yang eagerly anticipated the shop refresh, but luck hadn’t been on his side lately. Most items were beginner-level proficiencies or random fruit.

Today’s lineup included:

• [Dust2 Positioning Guide (Beginner)]
• [A Lighter]
• [Danking’s Signed Design Blueprint]
• [NIKO’s Pre-Aim Technique]

“Dust2, lighter, Danking’s signature... NIKO?”

He froze, stunned to see [NIKO’s Pre-Aim Technique] quietly appear in the shop.

By now, Jiang Yang was no longer a rookie and had learned a lot about the professional scene over the past month. He knew all about NIKO—“World’s Best Rifleman,” “World’s Best Desert Eagle,” “World’s Best Pre-Aimer.”

Seeing this legendary skill casually listed in the shop was like spotting a mythical beast.

Checking the item details, Jiang Yang saw:

[Signature Skill: NIKO’s Pre-Aim Technique]

**[Description:] NIKO’s unfulfilled dream of winning a Major continues to haunt him, but his aging reflexes mean his peak performance is slipping. The only thing keeping him competitive is his unparalleled pre-aiming skill.

PS: When NIKO starts tracing the wall with his crosshair, the pre-aiming magic has begun!

[Price: 100,000]

One hundred thousand?!

“...”