"498.7 hours."
That number shattered the spirits of countless players in CSBOY's livestream chat.
Jiang Yang clearly had no idea how much damage that number had done to all those old-timers.
MO added, "Xixi, I told you, you can't play CS. Go download Snake or something. Look at your younger cousin—now that's a real CS prodigy."
Ma Xixi was about to say something when he realized his phone had run out of battery. He immediately told Jiang Yang, "Come say it in TS Voice. My phone's dead."
"Oh, okay." Jiang Yang replied, hung up, then downloaded TS Voice on his computer.
He hadn't noticed the viewers' amazement. He was just surprised that he'd somehow spent 500 hours playing CS without even realizing it.
Sure enough, when you put all your focus into something, time flew by.
He hung up, and the system's small text appeared in front of him again.
[Quest: Show your cousin your skills. Reward: Comeback Points based on your performance...] [Congratulations, Old Timer, you have received 15,600 Comeback Points...]
"Holy crap, what a haul!"
Quests really were the fastest way for him to get stronger. But the system triggered quests so randomly that he still hadn't figured out how anything worked beyond the main quests.
So for now, he'd have to rely on the points he accumulated from ladder practice and daily exercise quests.
Jiang Yang focused on the system and saw the number displayed under Comeback Points.
[Comeback Points: -6657]
"Damn it, 6,657!" Jiang Yang gritted his teeth. He'd borrowed way too much last time, and as a result, he hadn't been able to use the System Mall for ages.
He was now just 6,657 Comeback Points away from paying it all back.
At his current rate of earning points, he'd probably be done in about five days!
Jiang Yang was full of anticipation.
After claiming his quest reward, he saw that TS Voice had finished downloading and joined CSBOY's livestream.
"Hello, hello~" Jiang Yang's goofy voice rang out in the voice channel.
"Xixi, is this your younger cousin?"
Jiang Yang heard a cutesy voice and figured it must be Mingri Qing, Ma Xixi's former assistant.
But Mingri Qing's cutesy voice wasn't put on. That was just how she naturally sounded.
"Hello, sis. Hello, sis." Jiang Yang greeted her obediently, then asked, "Bro, why'd you ask me to join?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to ask you again, seriously—are you using cheats?" Ma Xixi asked earnestly.
He trusted Jiang Yang, but there were some things he still had to ask.
Jiang Yang replied helplessly, "If I could buy a ticket right now, I'd take the high-speed train straight to your place."
"That's good." Ma Xixi felt much more at ease. He was about to say something else when MO started exclaiming over voice chat. "Whoa! That pre-aim! Those reactions!"
Ma Xixi snapped, "Liu Ke, what are you doing?"
Liu Ke was MO's real name.
MO answered, "Watching your cousin's POV. It's scary. I feel like a hundred of you couldn't beat him right now."
"His pre-aim and reactions are the real deal. Even among pros, there aren't many who can do that."
Mingri Qing was amazed. She played CS too, so she knew exactly how impressive it was to reach the top of the ladder with just 500 hours.
But the gap between amateur and pro was still huge. MO had once been a pro, so his judgment was pretty reliable.
He was also an honest guy. He didn't exaggerate to entertain the audience, and that was why Ma Xixi often said there wasn't a single thing about him that could make him famous.
But right now, MO's honesty had people looking at Jiang Yang in a new light. They hadn't expected such high praise.
Ma Xixi was surprised too. "Is he really that ridiculous?"
MO added, "Let me put it this way: if I'd found him back in 2018, I'd have groomed him as Tyloo's successor."
"You can tell from the demo that his talent is just pouring out of him. Your cousin's got the god of CS feeding him with a silver spoon."
He could also tell that Jiang Yang wasn't very good with pistols or controlling his spray yet.
But that wasn't a big deal. He could work on his pistol play and spray control over time.
Talent for pre-aiming like his couldn't be developed through practice alone.
The talent was already there.
Ma Xixi was stunned. "He's really that good?"
MO gave him an example. "Put it this way: his pre-aim reminds me of Xiao Ju's, maybe even more natural."
The Xiao Ju he was talking about was jamyoung, VG's current rifler, who was famous on the domestic scene for his pre-aim.
With that example, Ma Xixi immediately understood what kind of level his cousin was at.
After thinking it over, he asked, "Yang, do you still want to go pro?"
Jiang Yang shrugged. "I guess it's about time."
That unexpected answer left all three members of CSBOY puzzled.
If he wanted to go pro, he wanted to. If he didn't, he didn't. What did "I guess it's about time" mean?
Ma Xixi just asked him directly.
Jiang Yang replied, "I was already going to tell you after I hit number one in Perfect World, but my map pool was too shallow back then. I only knew one map, Mirage, so I wasn't ready."
"I've spent a long time playing at a high level on 5E since then, and I've played all the other maps too. I wouldn't say I'm a specialist, but at least I won't be a liability."
"Now, high-level games on 5E don't put much pressure on me anymore. If I want to improve, I have to go pro."
The viewers in CSBOY's livestream fell silent.
["High-level games on 5E don't put much pressure on him anymore"]
[He says his 1.57 rating across every map means he won't be a liability]
[When I had 500 hours, I was still charging around with a Bizon for fun. How's he already talking about going pro? Guess that's something you can only dream of.]
[He's so cocky. I love him.]
MO couldn't help marveling again.
Compared to those "prodigies" like them, who'd come up through the amateur scene, Jiang Yang was making his way toward a professional career at an absurd speed.
He also realized how smart Jiang Yang was. His career plans were crystal clear.
If they'd met Jiang Yang now and he'd only been good at one map, then even if they recommended him, all he could do was spend some time in the academy team. He wasn't skilled enough on the other maps, and pros couldn't get by playing just one.
But now, he'd also gotten some practice on the other maps. Even if he was only at the level of a high-ranked amateur player, that was enough.
Ma Xixi's cousin also had a clear-eyed understanding of his situation.
The ladder was ultimately a place for amateur players. Once you reached a certain level, continuing to play there wouldn't make you better. You might even pick up bad habits.
In that case, you had to seek out matches at a higher level.
Only under greater pressure could your technique and understanding of the game keep improving.
"Then if you're ready, I'll contact Tyloo, VG, and a few other teams so you can try out," Ma Xixi said. He could tell his cousin was determined to give it a shot. "If you don't want to stay in China, I can also try to get you into an overseas academy team."
Even though he didn't want his cousin to enter the CS pro scene, Jiang Yang was a man of action. Ma Xixi no longer had a reason to stop him—and didn't want to, either.
After the initial shock, he'd gradually accepted that his cousin had a lot of talent for CS.
Maybe he'd make a name for himself on the CS scene one day.
He looked forward to seeing Jiang Yang on the top professional stages, but worried that his cousin might end up wasting his talent there.
Jiang Yang might be a prodigy, but every player on the professional scene was a prodigy, weren't they?
Still, what if?
"If you're worried about your family, I can talk to your aunt for you," Ma Xixi added.
Jiang Yang was about to agree.
Just then, MO suddenly said over voice chat, "Hey! I just had a great idea!"
At those words, they could practically picture MO's eyes lighting up as he raised one finger.
They all had a bad feeling, but still waited to hear him out.
"Why not have the kid rise through connections and join Helmet for a while?"
Ma Xixi and Mingri Qing: "..."
They'd thought MO had some brilliant insight. Turns out it was complete nonsense.
Helmet was a team Ma Xixi had put together himself. Its players were all former domestic pros, so it could just about be called a semiprofessional team.
They had some firepower, but they weren't a professional team, so they couldn't play in any truly major tournaments.
It clearly wasn't what Jiang Yang needed in the long run.
"What kind of stupid idea is that..." Ma Xixi cursed.
MO added, "I know you're in a hurry, but hold on a second."
"Your cousin's still young. In theory, he could spend a few years in an academy team, but our country's academy system doesn't serve much of a purpose."
There were only two teams in China with real strength: Tyloo and VG.
The other pro teams weren't much better than stacks of high-ranked ladder players. Sometimes they couldn't even beat Helmet. That told you all you needed to know.
So there wasn't much point in academy training in China. You had to get out there and battle on the actual competitive scene.
"Besides, IEM Fall RMR is starting soon. We can take Xiao Jiang along and let him see what the scene is like." MO got more and more excited as he spoke. "And look, he'll be up against Tyloo and VG. We can see what he's got by taking them on."
"What tryout could be better than facing them head-on?"
"If he can handle the pressure, and they want to make roster changes after the Stockholm Major, Xiao Jiang can take one of their spots."
MO thought he was a genius!
After hearing his analysis, the viewers in the livestream were instantly impressed.
[Actually, that could work.]
[Yeah, it's a great idea. Take him out there and he'll get tons of experience. If he plays well, Tyloo and VG will probably fight over him.]
[MO actually came up with a good idea for once.]
[What about the points? Aren't you worried?]
[Helmet's third in China, and they have a lot more points than the fourth-place team. Plus, they still have several matches to play.]
Ma Xixi brought up another problem. "There's still one issue. Helmet already has five players. There's no room."
MO grinned. "AE's been saying he doesn't want to play anymore. We can just promote him out of the palace!"
AE had originally joined them just to fill out the roster.
Though AE was a former pro, and still had the title to show for it, he was genuinely awful.
If MO hadn't crashed his modified balancing bike and broken his leg back then, AE might never have gotten a chance to go pro.
Even among the group of former pros, AE was one of the worst.
And because he didn't perform well, the viewers watching Helmet's livestream were always flaming him. Naturally, he wanted out.
Ma Xixi thought it over. "That actually doesn't sound too bad."
He had to admit, joining Helmet first was a much better option than going straight to a tryout.
MO nodded. "Then it's settled. From now on, remember to call me Captain!"
With just a few words, they'd decided Jiang Yang would join Helmet. Jiang Yang knew the two guys were looking out for him.
But he wasn't about to let them win the banter. He immediately shouted, "What captain? I haven't even agreed yet!"
"You called me captain yourself. Doesn't that mean you've already agreed?"
The livestream erupted in laughter.
Before you continue