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

[Hunter’s Eco Clutch Technique]

Looking at the system’s task rewards, Jiang Yang's eyes lit up.

He didn’t know who this player Hunter was, but as a professional, his unique skill must have some merit. Otherwise, how could it be considered a specialty?

Moreover, Eco round techniques were especially useful to him right now. Just this afternoon, he had finished five placement matches, and the number of rounds he had lost to Eco comebacks was beyond counting.

In CS:GO, it's common for matches to reach a stalemate where a single round’s outcome can shift the tide of victory. If some of the Eco comebacks from earlier ladder matches hadn’t happened, things might have gone smoother. Who knows—he might’ve even won one of those games.

[As an Old Veteran, your frontal combat skills are no longer on par with today’s prodigies. You must carve out a new path and address your shortcomings in other areas. Eco rounds are your greatest asset.

P.S.: Preventing Eco comebacks is also a profound art.]

[Would you like to start learning 'Hunter's Eco Clutch Technique'?]

The small text reappeared before him, showing two options: "Yes" and "No." Jiang Yang focused his thoughts on "Yes" and confirmed.

A man who seemed to have succumbed to darkness spoke to him in a devilish whisper:

"You guys... Ecoed, huh?"

This oppressive image made Jiang Yang’s heart tighten.

Immediately after, clips of matches started to play in his mind.

The map was Dust2. Hunter was defending the B site with a Galil. Suddenly, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from B Tunnel—the opponents were clearly gearing up for a rush.

Jiang Yang could feel Hunter’s momentary panic. He instinctively sought cover to delay until his teammates could rotate to help. However, the enemy was faster; the first terrorist had already rushed out of B Tunnel.

Hunter was forced to engage with his Galil, taking down the first player. But the moment he secured the kill, he realized it—"You guys… Ecoed, didn’t you?"

Once he grasped that the enemies were on an Eco, Hunter’s confidence surged. Jiang Yang could understand his thinking—why fear opponents armed only with pistols when he had a rifle?

Instead of retreating, Hunter pushed forward into B Tunnel. With precise recoil control, his Galil mowed down the rushing enemies, wiping out the entire team in the tunnel.

Another clip followed.

This time the map was Nuke. Hunter, holding an MP9, was defending near Iron Gate. He had been playing passively, but the enemy seemed bored, firing a few random shots in their spawn.

Jiang Yang immediately sensed Hunter’s thought process:

"That’s... the sound of pistols!"

Seizing the opportunity, Hunter flung the door open, charged out with the MP9, and aggressively gunned down three players while strafing.

Hunter’s unconventional mindset made Jiang Yang chuckle despite himself.

"Timid with rifles but fearless on Eco rounds, huh?"

Still, it wasn’t a bad strategy. Although Jiang Yang preferred securing kills with rifles, learning a variety of approaches was beneficial.

Since he loved playing the sniper rifle, having a solid economy was crucial. Before saving up 4750 credits, using an MP9 to farm some cash could significantly speed up his progress.

In CS:GO, kill rewards vary by weapon, and submachine guns like the MP9 excel at earning money quickly.

Hunter then demonstrated several techniques for Eco rounds: how to position against different pistols, adapt your playstyle based on your weapon, and more. To dominate an Eco round, it wasn’t enough to get kills—you also had to survive. Simply trading kills would be too costly.

Hunter’s approach to Eco rounds was incredibly meticulous. Compared to him, Jiang Yang’s previous ladder games were embarrassingly basic—he had only focused on getting frags without considering the method.

That’s why he’d found himself repeatedly caught off guard:

"Wait, how did he one-shot me?"

"Why are three of them peeking me at once?"

This was the difference between professionals and ordinary players.

Jiang Yang nearly gasped at the realization.

When the lesson ended, his brain felt brimming with knowledge. Just learning one of Hunter’s Eco clutch techniques had been so enlightening—what about the signature moves of top-tier players like Niko, ZywOo, or S1mple?

Jiang Yang’s excitement for the future grew.

As he completed his lesson, the system’s small text appeared again.

[Unbelievable. Unbelievable that your skills have deteriorated this much after two years of retirement. You must reclaim your strength and announce your return to the professional scene.]

[Mission: Achieve the number one rank on any platform.]

[Reward: A random professional sniper's signature technique.]

Rank C+ may be weak, but come on, system, that’s a bit harsh.

"I was just two points away from B rank!" he muttered. "D*** Perfect World!"

This mission was overwhelming. He had just finished placements, and the system was already asking him to climb to the top.

But then again, the mission was meant for “30-year-old Jiang Yang.” For a retired pro, reaching the top rank shouldn’t be hard.

But he was only 16!

A total newbie to this game!

The pressure was enormous.

Still, a professional sniper’s signature move... that was tempting.

After today’s placement matches, Jiang Yang realized he truly enjoyed using the sniper rifle. Its high damage and one-shot kill potential gave him incredible room for error and opened up countless possibilities in a match.

It would take ages to master the sniper rifle on his own. Learning techniques from top players would speed up his growth immensely.

"I want to improve so badly."

But first, Jiang Yang decided to learn the counter-strafe mechanic.

Although learning could be painful, he would rather grind ladder matches and pick up tips from teammates and opponents.

Just then, his cousin-in-law’s voice came from the door:

"You two brothers, come eat!"

Only then did Jiang Yang realize how quickly the afternoon had passed.

He hopped up eagerly and saw a table full of delicious food. Noticing the fried chicken and cola-glazed wings, his eyes lit up even more.

Back in high school, these were rare treats.

Ma Xixi came out of his streaming room and was equally surprised by the spread.

"I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong recently," he joked.

His wife shot him a skeptical look as he quipped, "Why the feast? Is this a last meal or something?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "I’m taking our daughter to Guizhou tomorrow for a summer retreat, so I made you guys a nice dinner."

Turning to Jiang Yang, Ma Xixi said, "So it is a last meal, huh?"

He earned himself a kick for that comment.

"After this, you’re on your own for meals," his wife added. "This year, Shanghai’s heat is unbearable. Just walking outside drenches us in sweat."

She wasn’t wrong—the city felt like a furnace.

While the couple chatted, Jiang Yang wisely focused on devouring his meal, with him and his niece attacking the fried chicken and wings.

Watching them, Ma Xixi teased, "You’re still young. If you knew you’d be eating chicken every day in college, you wouldn’t be this excited."

In college, meals usually alternated between fried chicken and braised chicken. While tasty, even the best dishes get tiresome after four years.

Unfazed, Jiang Yang smirked.

He wasn’t about to tell his cousin that he was determined to become a professional player.

Born with a “gray holy body”? Forget that—I’ll transform into a “golden professional body”!

Between bites, Jiang Yang asked, "By the way, Cousin, how do you counter-strafe in CS:GO? Any good videos I should watch?"

"Counter-strafe? That’s just pressing the opposite movement key while you’re moving," Ma Xixi explained. After a moment, he added, "But I’m not great at it myself. You should check out a guy called Leonkai on Small Broken Site. He’s the one with the long neck. His tutorials are solid."

As a CS player, Ma Xixi genuinely wanted to see new players join the game, especially since this one was his cousin.

Jiang Yang nodded in agreement. He appreciated how Ma Xixi didn’t pretend to be an expert. When he didn’t know something, he admitted it outright.

After dinner, Jiang Yang planned to dive into Leonkai’s tutorials.

…