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

"498.7 hours."

This number made quite a few players in the CSBOY livestream feel their hearts shatter.

Jiang Yang clearly had no idea how much damage this number inflicted on these old veterans.

MO added, "Xixi, I told you, CS isn’t your game. Just go play Snake or something. Look at your little brother—now that’s a real CS talent."

Ma Xixi was about to argue back when he noticed his phone had run out of battery. He immediately turned to Jiang Yang and said, "Join TS voice chat. My phone's dead."

"Oh, okay," Jiang Yang replied and hung up the call. He then downloaded TS Voice Chat on his computer.

He was completely unaware of the chat’s amazement. Instead, he was shocked at himself—he had unknowingly spent nearly 500 hours playing CS.

Sure enough, when you dedicate yourself fully to something, time flies.

After hanging up the call, a small system message appeared before his eyes again.

【Congratulations, Old Veteran, you have earned 15,600 Comeback Points...】

"Good stuff, that's a big haul!"

Clearly, completing tasks was the fastest way for him to get stronger. But the system's mission triggers were so random—other than the main storyline, he still hadn't figured out the exact mechanics.

For now, he had to keep relying on ranked training and daily practice missions to accumulate points.

Jiang Yang focused his mind on the system and checked the Comeback Points section.

【Comeback Points: -6657】

"Damn it, 6657!" Jiang Yang gritted his teeth. The loan from last time had been too severe, leaving him unable to use the system shop for a long while.

Now, he was just 6657 points away from clearing his debt.

At his current earning rate, he estimated that he’d pay it off in about five days!

Jiang Yang was filled with anticipation.

After collecting his mission reward, he saw that TS Voice Chat had finished downloading, so he immediately joined CSBOY’s channel.

"Yo yo yo~" Jiang Yang's carefree voice rang out in the chat.

"Xixi, is this your cousin?"

A voice with a distinct "cutesy" tone spoke up. Jiang Yang immediately recognized it—it had to be Ming Riqing, Ma Xixi’s former assistant.

But her tone wasn’t forced; she was naturally high-pitched.

"Hello, big sis! Hello!" Jiang Yang greeted obediently, then asked, "Bro, why'd you call me in here?"

"Nothing serious. I just need to ask you one more time—are you using any cheats?" Ma Xixi asked seriously.

He trusted Jiang Yang, but this was something that had to be asked.

Jiang Yang rolled his eyes and replied, "If I could buy a ticket right now, I’d just hop on a high-speed train straight to your place."

"Alright, that’s good." Ma Xixi felt much more at ease. He was about to say something else when MO suddenly started exclaiming in the chat, "Whoa! That pre-aim! That reflex!!"

Ma Xixi snapped, "Liu Ke, what the hell are you doing?"

Liu Ke was MO’s real name.

MO replied, "Watching your cousin’s POV. It’s scary. I feel like even a hundred of you wouldn’t be able to beat him now."

"This pre-aim, this reflex... Even among pro players, there aren’t many who can do this."

Ming Riqing was stunned. She played CS too, so she knew just how impressive it was to reach the top of the ranked ladder with only 500 hours.

But the gap between amateurs and pros was massive.

MO, as a former pro, was giving a very fair assessment.

He was also an extremely honest person—he never exaggerated for show. This trait often made Ma Xixi joke that MO had no potential to go viral.

But right now, MO’s sincerity only made his words more impactful. Many people in the chat perked up. They hadn’t expected such high praise.

Ma Xixi was also shocked. "Is it really that crazy?"

MO elaborated, "Let me put it this way—if someone had discovered him back in 2018, I’d have personally recommended him as Tyloo’s next big prospect."

"You can tell just from his DEMO footage—his raw talent is off the charts. Your cousin was practically born for CS."

Of course, MO also noticed that Jiang Yang’s pistol and spray control weren’t very refined yet.

But that wasn’t a big deal—pistol skills and recoil control could be trained over time.

What really set him apart was his pre-aim talent. That kind of skill couldn’t simply be "trained" into someone.

Talent was talent.

Ma Xixi was still trying to process it all. "Seriously? That extreme?"

MO nodded. "Yeah. His pre-aiming feels a lot like jamyoung’s, maybe even smoother."

He was referring to JamYoung, VG’s current flex player, who was famous in China for his pre-aiming skills.

With that comparison, Ma Xixi immediately understood just how high Jiang Yang’s potential was.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Yangyang, do you still want to go pro?"

Jiang Yang shrugged. "I guess it's about time."

His unexpected answer confused the three CSBOY members.

Either you want to go pro, or you don’t. What did he mean by "about time"?

Ma Xixi asked directly.

Jiang Yang explained, "I originally wanted to tell you after I hit Perfect World Rank #1, but at the time, my map pool was too shallow—I only really knew how to play Mirage, and that wasn’t good enough."

"Now, after spending a while in high-ranked 5E games, I’ve played all the other maps too. I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but at least I’m not a liability anymore."

"At this point, high-ranked 5E games don’t challenge me much anymore. If I want to improve, I have to go pro."

Hearing this, the CSBOY chat fell silent.

【'High-ranked 5E games don’t challenge me much anymore'】

【He calls a 1.57 rating across all maps ‘not a liability’】

【At 500 hours, I was still happily rushing with a Bizon. How is this guy already considering pro play? Is this a dream?】

【He’s so cocky. I love it.】

MO couldn’t help but marvel again.

Compared to them—so-called "prodigies" who had risen through sheer grind—Jiang Yang’s progression into the pro scene was ridiculously fast.

MO also noticed that Jiang Yang was incredibly smart—his career planning was crystal clear.

If they had met Jiang Yang when he only knew one map, even if they recommended him, he would’ve only qualified for a junior team. A pro player can’t just rely on one map.

But now, he had built a decent foundation across all maps. Even if he wasn’t a master, he was good enough to hold his own.

And most importantly, Jiang Yang had a sharp awareness of his growth.

Ranked games were ultimately for amateurs. Once you reach a certain level, playing them won’t improve you anymore—in fact, it might even reinforce bad habits.

At that point, the only way to improve was to step into higher-level matches.

Only under greater pressure could skills and game sense continue to develop.

"Alright then. If you’re serious, I’ll help you reach out to Tyloo and VG. You can go for tryouts," Ma Xixi said. "If you don’t want to stay in China, I can also help you get a shot in an international junior team."

Even though he didn’t want his cousin to enter the brutal CS pro scene, Jiang Yang’s determination left him no reason to object.

After the initial shock, he had gradually accepted it—his cousin had a real gift for CS.

Maybe, in the future, Jiang Yang would make a name for himself in this world.

He eagerly anticipated seeing Jiang Yang on the top-tier professional stage, yet he also worried that Jiang Yang might struggle and fade away in the competitive scene.

Jiang Yang was undeniably a prodigy, but then again, which professional player wasn’t?

But what if…?

"If you're worried about your family, I can talk to Auntie for you," Ma Xixi offered.

Jiang Yang was just about to agree when MO suddenly spoke up in the voice chat, "Hey~ I just got a great idea!"

Hearing this, they could almost picture MO’s eyes lighting up as he raised a finger.

A bad feeling crept over them, but they still waited for him to continue.

"Why don’t we have your cousin leverage his connections and join Steel Helmets for a while?" MO suggested.

Ma Xixi and Ming Riqing: "…"

They had thought MO had come up with some brilliant plan, but it turned out to be complete nonsense.

Steel Helmets was a team Ma Xixi had put together himself, composed mostly of former domestic pro players. It was a semi-professional team at best.

They had some firepower, but since they weren’t a fully professional squad, they couldn’t compete in major tournaments.

Clearly, it wasn’t the right fit for Jiang Yang’s long-term goals.

"What kind of dumb idea is that…" Ma Xixi cursed.

But MO continued, "I know you’re anxious, but hear me out first."

"Your cousin is still young. Normally, he’d spend a few years in a junior training team, but let’s be real—China’s junior leagues don’t mean much."

In China, only two teams truly had the strength to compete at the top level: Tyloo and VG.

Other so-called pro teams weren’t much better than high-ranked matchmaking stacks—some even lost to Steel Helmets from time to time, which said a lot.

So in China, junior teams didn’t hold much value. The real way to improve was by grinding it out on the competitive stage.

"Besides, IEM Fall RMR is coming up soon. It’s the perfect chance to take Xiao Jiang out to see the world," MO’s excitement grew as he spoke. "And look, Tyloo and VG will both be there. If he’s got the skills, why not test himself against them directly?"

"What better tryout is there than actually playing against them?"

"If he can hold his own under the pressure, once they wrap up their Stockholm Major run and look to make roster changes, Xiao Jiang could be in the perfect position to step in."

MO felt like a genius!

Hearing his analysis, the CSBOY livestream chat lit up.

【Wait, this actually makes sense.】

【Yeah, taking him abroad now will help him gain experience, and if he performs well, Tyloo and VG might start fighting over him.】

【MO really came up with a solid plan this time.】

【But what about ranking points? Wouldn’t it affect Steel Helmets?】

【Steel Helmets is ranked third domestically, far ahead of the fourth place. Plus, they still have several matches left to play.】

Ma Xixi raised another issue, "There’s just one problem—Steel Helmets already has five players. There’s no open spot."

MO chuckled, "AE’s been saying he wants to quit anyway. Let’s just ‘palace him out’!"

AE had been brought onto the team purely to fill a roster spot.

Despite being a former pro, he was, to put it bluntly, terrible.

If MO hadn’t wrecked his balance bike and broken his leg back in the day, AE might never have gotten a shot at playing professionally.

Even among their group of ex-pros, AE was considered one of the weaker players.

And because of his poor performances, he was constantly flamed in the Steel Helmets livestream chat. Naturally, he had been considering leaving.

Ma Xixi thought for a moment and admitted, "That… actually doesn’t sound too bad."

He had to admit that joining Steel Helmets first was a much better stepping stone than going straight into a tryout.

MO nodded, "Then it’s settled! From now on, you better call me Captain!"

With just a few exchanges, they had decided Jiang Yang would join Steel Helmets.

Jiang Yang knew these two were looking out for him.

But he wasn’t about to let them get the last word, so he immediately shot back, "Captain? I never agreed to this!"

"You literally just called me ‘Captain.’ That means you’ve already agreed," MO teased.

The entire livestream chat burst into laughter.

——