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

The intense shouts and rapid keystrokes echoed throughout the arena’s battle zone.

Fortunately, Steel Helmets had a solid start, keeping their morale relatively relaxed.

As the match entered the fourth round, both teams arrived at their first rifle round.

As the team's strategist, MO laid out the general plan for this round.

“For this round, let’s stick to default map control. Su Di, you solo outside B.”

“The rest follow Cousin and slowly push A. I’ll time my move from Lower Tunnels to support with a counter-clear.”

“Don’t overcommit—just push them back. Once we’ve applied pressure, we’ll rotate back to hit B.”

With the plan set, everyone stepped out, heading to their designated areas to control the map.

Overpass wasn’t an easy map to play, mainly because it relied heavily on a default playstyle, demanding a lot from players' individual habits.

At the start, Jiang Yang rushed Mid Doors with his AK, but the opponents’ Molotov forced out his smoke grenade.

He then ate a nade from Mid, though luckily it didn’t deal too much damage—still within acceptable limits.

“Steel Helmets are still patiently advancing their default control, not rushing anything.” Machine watched the minimap, noting how Liquid’s formation was shifting. Then his tone suddenly became urgent. “But Liquid has set up an Astralis-style defense!”

The "Astralis setup" referred to a classic positioning Astralis favored on this map.

One player held Mid from the Bathrooms, while another watched Short A from an off-angle, forming a nasty crossfire.

(Similar to this, though Fallen was holding with a rifle in that instance.)

“Fortunately, Steel Helmets aren’t planning to clear Short A, so they just narrowly missed running into this setup!”

“If you like standing there, then stay there—just hold it forever!” Machine didn’t even bother hiding his “neutral” commentary.

But he had a sharp understanding of the game and quickly picked up on an issue:

“But with this setup, if Short A doesn’t feel any pressure for too long, they might push forward for info!”

“Cousin is watching Lower Tunnels, but soon he’ll have to rotate and help smoke off Heaven!”

“Oh no, Chicken Bro’s timing is perfect!!”

“Damn! Cousin got caught from behind—instantly taken out! Meanwhile, the push from Long and Site went well, with the old captain securing a kill!”

“But Chicken Bro is still coming—spraying down two players in one go! Combined with the defense at B1, Steel Helmets are dropping like flies!”

“They’re pushing straight through—Steel Helmets don’t even get a chance to plant!”

Seeing Liquid take the first rifle round, Machine’s expression turned into a pained grimace.

But he also knew this wasn’t a major misplay from Steel Helmets—just unlucky timing.

“This is just a matter of tactical choices. If they had cleared Short A, Liquid wouldn’t have had such an easy time.”

Machine took a deep breath. “But on the flip side, if they did clear Short A, they wouldn’t have had enough utility for a B-site execute.”

“Just gotta say, Elige played that perfectly.”

Still, Machine felt it was a shame—if not for Chicken Bro’s flank, the site hit would’ve gone through cleanly, and they’d probably have won the round.

Now, he could only look forward to the next. Steel Helmets still had enough economy for another buy.

However, in the following round, after defaulting early, Steel Helmets opted for a fast A push.

But that previous triple kill had given Elige—the recoil-control drill sergeant—his rhythm. Holding from an off-angle, he locked down another triple kill.

With Fallen stepping up as well, Steel Helmets got wiped out completely.

Another lost round. And now, their economy was in shambles.

Sensing the urgency, Steel Helmets quickly called a timeout to regroup and discuss their next moves.

Coming out of the pause, MO called for a fast B push.

They managed to trade 2-for-2 entering the site, which seemed like a decent advantage.

But the ones lost were Jiang Yang and DD, meaning their firepower in the post-plant wasn’t strong enough. In the end, they still lost the round.

Liquid, riding the momentum, kept stacking rounds, pushing the score to 3:7.

Steel Helmets had no choice but to call a second timeout.

“Damn! Seven rounds in a row, my blood pressure’s rising.” Machine sighed. “These rounds… you can tell the Steel Helmets guys have lost their flow.”

“Their default setups are getting completely read by Liquid. If this keeps up, the pressure is going to be insane.”

“There were rounds they could’ve won—just barely missed them. So close.”

【This is CNCS for you.】

【I still don’t get why they picked this cursed Overpass.】

【Cousin is like he’s vanished into thin air these past rounds.】

【That’s Overpass for you—big-name players die to random AOE all the time.】

【They’re playing too much like a ranked game—it’s all being read.】

【WJQ, can you be a little more neutral?】

Seeing that last chat message, Machine burst into laughter. “I am a neutral caster! Neutral from the standpoint of supporting the Chinese team, what’s wrong with that?”

He didn’t bother explaining further. Even though he didn’t have any deep ties with Steel Helmets or CSBOY, when a Chinese team was competing, of course, he had to support them.

The tactical timeout ended quickly.

Round 11 was about to start.

Based on their discussion, MO opted for an old-school A-long rush.

Four players grouped up, using a deathball strategy with traded kills as their main play.

At the start, Jiang Yang and his teammates used utility to push back any T-side peeks from Mid. Then, a flashbang sent DD and Brother Xiaosa charging down Long A.

But almost immediately, they heard the sound of an AWP firing.

【Fallen killed DD with an AWP】

They had run straight into a sniper holding Long A—this strategy was now dead on arrival.

MO frowned. Losing a player and having their plan exposed, he had no choice but to call for a rotation.

Jiang Yang followed the team, silently making their way toward Construction.

Now down in numbers again, the pressure was mounting on Jiang Yang.

As soon as MO gave the call, Jiang Yang threw a smoke onto B2 balcony, then followed up with two flashbangs to support the entry.

“Steel Helmets have run out of ideas—they’re getting completely shut down by Liquid’s double AWP setup!”

“They’ve been forced into a B pivot, but Liquid has three players here. Can they find an opening?”

“They execute onto B! Brother Xiaosa leads the charge and immediately takes down Grim!”

“Stewie2K’s AWP picks off the captain at Long, but he’s trapped in place after that kill!”

Just as Machine got excited, NAF, from B1, sprayed through the site, instantly deleting Brother Xiaosa and Su Di!

【Why are they standing so close together?!】

【NAF with the smoke spam!】

【These deaths are so ridiculous…】

【Only Cousin is left now.】

…

Suddenly, Jiang Yang was in a 1v3 situation.

He pursed his lips. He knew NAF was on B1, and the last two were likely near A.

Not much time left—he quickly planted the bomb first.

Just as he considered his next move, a Molotov from B1 landed, blocking his path.

Jiang Yang’s heart sank. That move practically locked him in place.

Not winning a single rifle round so far was putting massive pressure on them.

Even though Overpass was CT-sided, five rounds were the minimum they needed.

If they only had three going into the second half, and then lost pistol round, they’d be steamrolled.

The shadow of his last failed clutch still loomed. He couldn’t say it wasn’t affecting his mindset.

Jiang Yang forced himself to stay calm, his mind racing as he repositioned.

And then…

He made his move.

At times like these, Jiang Yang stepping up with a clutch was absolutely crucial.

【Yang God, you finally showed up!!】

【This is CNS1mple, the pressure must’ve been insane, but he finally secured a round.】

【That 1v3 was insane!】

【Stay focused! Let’s get a few more rounds!】

The score now stood at 4:7.

That clutch gave the entire team a huge morale boost.

“If we take this next round, their economy will collapse. We can go on a big streak.” MO hyped up his teammates.

“Cousin has an AWP now, so let’s control the A side a bit. But first, let’s contest Construction together—send players to Lower Tunnels and Short.”

MO’s idea was to apply early pressure on B, then rotate back for an A-site execute.

As the round began, they followed the plan.

“Steel Helmets start by contesting Construction, but Liquid is holding it with a double setup. The old captain’s flashbang is perfect, but Stewie2K gets caught full-blinded by Brother Xiaosa! Fortunately, Su Di trades it back—forcing it into a 1-for-1.”

“NAF then pushes out from B, and Su Di can’t win the duel—he gets taken down immediately.”

A 2-for-1 trade early on—not looking great.

But MO quickly came up with a new plan. He figured that if NAF was pushing solo instead of waiting for a counter-clear, B was likely weak.

MO crept forward, attempting to exploit the gap.

The idea was sound, but the timing was off—NAF was already holding the angle, shutting him down instantly.

That left Jiang Yang and DD in a 2v4 with 50 seconds on the clock.

Even though one opponent was low HP, this was still a tough clutch.

“We should save.” Su Di suggested.

“No need,” Jiang Yang replied. “We’ve got just enough money next round—screw saving. DD, let’s take them down!”

DD gritted his teeth, eager for action. “Alright, let’s give it a shot.”

This cycle of saving and losing had frustrated DD. Now that they had a chance, they had to try.

The two moved forward carefully, covering each other for trades.

But Bathrooms was empty—no enemies in sight. They kept advancing and were almost at the site when—

A loud AWP shot rang out.

Luckily, the sniper missed, failing to take down DD.

“Trash-can AWP!” DD quickly checked close angles and made a read. “They’re probably running a 3B-1A setup, with the AWP solo-holding!”

After Jiang Yang’s clutch last round, Liquid was giving him a lot of respect.

This gave them a free plant, ensuring Jiang Yang would still have an AWP next round—at least one good takeaway from this.

But Liquid’s setup was making things tough for them.

DD decided to throw a smoke onto the site to reposition.

Jiang Yang, meanwhile, held Lower Tunnels with his AWP to secure their flank.

Yet Liquid was playing so disciplined that Jiang Yang was getting frustrated. They had used flashes to pressure them, but there was still no sign of a flank.

“This is tough—Liquid is retaking entirely from the front. And since Fallen knows no one pushed Long, they’re locked in at Short.”

“Liquid is in no hurry—they’ve smoked off Bathrooms and mollied Short. They want Fallen to hold Short with his AWP while NAF flashes for a teammate to take the angle—Cousin is completely blind!”

Jiang Yang’s position got taken over, putting them under immense pressure.

With an AWP holding his angle, neither he nor DD could make a move.

Jiang Yang peeked out with a jump-check—

“—BOOM!”

HP -56.

The Godfather (Fallen) landed a wallbang, chunking him to half HP.

But since he wasn’t killed outright, it was Jiang Yang’s turn to strike back.

Fallen didn’t repeat his angle, but a player from Truck was pushing up.

Jiang Yang flicked his mouse hard to the right.

“—BOOM!”

A clean shot—Grim was taken down instantly.

Now a 2v3, slightly relieving the pressure.

Jiang Yang didn’t rush the next move—he pulled out a molly and tossed it onto the planted bomb.

DD had planted for Bathrooms, so delaying the defuse could put them in a better position.

But as the flames burst, a smoke grenade was thrown to extinguish it—then the defuse sound followed.

DD was just about to discuss whether he should rush out to delay when—

The CTs went for the full defuse. They had a defuse kit, and someone was covering both Bathrooms and Short. Jiang Yang and DD had no choice but to spam through the smoke.

“CTs are sticking the defuse! They’ve got a kit, and someone’s holding Bathrooms and Short. Cousin and DD have no other choice but to spam through the smoke!”

“The defuser gets taken down by Cousin! And Chicken Bro, holding the angle, gets sprayed down by DD!! Who says smoke spamming is only a Danish specialty?!”

“Only the Godfather is left now!!” Machine shouted. “This 2v4 is winnable!!”

Fallen realized the situation was dire. He had only fired a few shots into the smoke before his teammates dropped dead.

With little time left, he grabbed a teammate’s M4 and tapped the bomb to bait them out.

Jiang Yang and DD had no choice—they had already secured two kills, but with zero vision, they had to push out.

DD rushed out—instantly gunned down.

Jiang Yang hadn’t even stepped out when he got sprayed down through the smoke as well.

As he was eliminated, he sighed. If he had dodged the bullets a little longer, they might’ve won the round.

A 2v4 clutch, yet the enemy gave them no openings—way too difficult.

“Damn!! They just got double sprayed down?!” Machine was in disbelief.

Just a little delay, and they would’ve won.

But suddenly, Machine noticed something odd. Fallen, despite securing two kills, hadn’t started defusing—he was still holding his angle.

“Wait!! Fallen hasn’t realized he killed Cousin too—he’s still holding the smoke!!” Machine was ecstatic. “Keep holding it! Just keep holding it!!”

Liquid’s comms exploded as everyone frantically reminded Fallen to defuse. But sometimes, when you’re too focused, external voices register a second too late.

Right now, all that was in Fallen’s head was: Kill the last enemy.

He hadn’t even noticed the kill feed.

By the time he realized it, he rushed to defuse, but as a pro, he knew it was too late.

With a sudden, unexpected BOOM!, the C4 detonated at A-site.

Steel Helmets’ voice chat erupted with disbelief:

“Holy sh*t, they didn’t defuse in time?!”

“Did they not have a kit?!”

“No way—I saw Fallen had a kit.”

DD was stunned.

They had no idea what had happened, but that didn’t stop them from celebrating this hard-fought round.

Fist bumps all around.

With this round secured, Liquid’s economy was shattered.

This was their chance to catch up.

With five rounds secured—the "passing grade"—each extra round they won would relieve some second-half pressure.

But before they could push forward, Liquid called for a tactical pause.

Inside Liquid’s booth.

Fallen’s blunder had stunned the team. Stewie2K was the first to lash out:

“Fallen, what the hell were you doing?!”

“We were all yelling at you to defuse—what were you aiming at?”

“That round was ours! This is unbelievable.”

Frustrated, Stewie2K slammed the table.

Fallen looked pained.

He had simply been too focused. He thought he had only gotten one kill—he never realized he had wallbanged the other.

His reasoning was that if he hadn’t killed the second player, he would’ve been exposed if he tapped the bomb too early.

But ironically, this stroke of luck had cost them a won round.

He wanted to explain, but no words came.

It felt like an invisible hand was choking him—the air turned cold.

CS:GO… really was a frustrating game.

Finally, it was NAF, ever the mediator, who broke the tension.

Still, the entire Liquid squad could feel the atmosphere turning heavy.

Their gameplay became increasingly messy in the next few rounds.

And Jiang Yang? He was now fully unleashed.

His AWP dominated the kill feed, suffocating Liquid.

Fallen, shaken, lost his rhythm. At one point, he even whiffed five shots in a row—turning himself into a meme.

By the end of the half, Liquid had failed to win a single additional round.

The score locked in at 8:7.

For such a CT-sided map, securing 8 rounds was a massive lead for Steel Helmets.

Across Chinese livestreams, viewers were ecstatic.