259: "A Top Player Once Stood Before Me, and I Didn't Cherish Him"

Chapter 48: 259: "There was once a top player who stood before me, but I didn't cherish him..."

Jiang Yang: "Thank you for your regard, Uncle Jiu, but for now, I still plan to go all out preparing for the Major."

Seeing the reply from the super rookie on the other side, 259 felt a pang in his heart.

He had originally planned to strike first before Tyloo could make a move.

Honestly, this defeat today had greatly discouraged him.

After all, a professional team losing to a streamer team would lead to a ridiculous atmosphere in the CS:GO community, and netizens' attacks would be at full blast.

But similarly, with the appearance of Jiang Yang, a top talent scout, 259's 'talent spotter' attribute also awakened, and he now really wanted to recruit Jiang Yang.

Being rejected now, 259 felt incredibly uncomfortable.

The old driver who hadn't managed to reach Akina Mountain saw 259's pained expression and was amused.

He sarcastically teased his friend, "There was once a top prodigy who stood before me, but I didn't cherish him. It wasn't until I lost him that I regretted it deeply!"

"As a captain, the most painful thing is this!"

"If heaven gave you a chance to go back to that Dust II match, would you have chatted with him a couple more times?"

259 thought for a good while and gave an answer that surprised A Zhong: "Actually, I still wouldn't."

A Zhong looked at him doubtfully.

259 also pulled himself out of his eagerness to recruit talent and had calmed down.

He explained, "Actually, Cousin isn't suited for our playstyle. We aren't the ship that can carry him."

As the captain of VG, 259 had always wanted to revive CNCS and had been arduously studying the European playstyle.

The European playstyle didn't demand much from individual players.

It pursued a more holistic approach, where players fit together like puzzle pieces to form a team.

"Cousin's individual ability is far more outstanding than we imagined. He's the kind of person who is naturally suited to be a star player. He needs resources, and even more than we initially thought."

As the most outstanding captain in China, and even Asia, 259 had felt Jiang Yang's powerful pressure from replays and encounters.

As long as he was given a sniper rifle and some team coordination, he could truly accomplish many things.

A player like this, who could consume resources and get things done, was naturally someone 259 wanted.

But if they actually brought Jiang Yang in, it might disrupt VG's system instead.

It might seem like they just needed to fit Jiang Yang into the system, but CS:GO has never been that simple.

It's a game played by 5 people, influenced by the synergy of their personalities and game understanding.

Jiang Yang's strength was so powerful and prominent that it would definitely lead the entire team towards a 4-protect-1 scenario.

That was absolutely not what 259 wanted to see.

He wanted to improve the team's floor, not just its ceiling.

Hearing 259's explanation, A Zhong raised an eyebrow: "It seems you still have some rationality. You weren't planning to bring him in anyway, so why the long face?"

"Rationality is rationality!" 259 said helplessly, "But his talent is truly immense!"

For a captain, it was like a swordsman encountering a good blade; he couldn't help himself!

Magic City, Ma Xixi's home.

"Why did Cousin reject him so directly?" Jiang Yang asked Ma Xixi.

After receiving 259's invitation, he had immediately asked Ma Xixi for his opinion.

After some thought, Ma Xixi didn't let Jiang Yang accept directly and instead politely declined VG's invitation.

"Think about it," Ma Xixi explained to his cousin. "Right now, as long as you want to, going to Tyloo or VG is quite simple."

"You're outstanding enough, and you've already beaten them. Today VG invited you, and tomorrow I'm sure Tyloo will come asking. I'll give them the same answer and refuse them for now."

"You're not going to Tyloo or VG?" Jiang Yang looked at his cousin doubtfully. "Then I'll keep staying with Steel Helmets?"

Ma Xixi rolled his eyes speechlessly. His cousin was quite smart in the game, but his eyes now held a clear foolishness.

"The two domestic teams have been crushed by you and Steel Helmets, so there's no immediate need to join them."

Ma Xixi said, "Although it's regrettable, CS in China is somewhat disconnected from the international scene. If you want to improve, you have to head towards the international stage."

"While you're still young, if you perform well at this Major, I'm thinking of letting you try joining an international team, to test your limits first."

He no longer underestimated his cousin's talent.

After all, his performance at the Asian RMR was proof.

Every match was incredibly carry-like, which showed that he wasn't a player on the Asian level; his ceiling wasn't here.

Ma Xixi planned to let him aim higher. What if he could reach the threshold of a Top 20 player?

Then, Jiang Yang would be a player etched in CS:GO history.

And with this early achievement, even if he tried internationally and found his limits weren't high enough, he could still return to China and play hometown CS.

After all, Jiang Yang is still young, and he doesn't want him to waste his years in China so early.

"Once this tournament is over, even if your results aren't great, I can try to contact Mouz. Their youth training is quite good," Ma Xixi said. "You can learn a lot of truly professional content there."

"It all depends on whether you're willing now."

As an old hand in the industry, Ma Xixi naturally wanted to plan the best route for his cousin.

But the premise was that Jiang Yang had to be willing.

Hearing his cousin ask, Jiang Yang was actually a little hesitant.

"Won't I have to live abroad every day?"

After all, who would want to go abroad when they have nothing to do?

And if he really planned to join an international team, it wouldn't be a few days of traveling abroad, but years.

Hearing Jiang Yang's answer, Ma Xixi chuckled: "I told you back then, this line of work isn't that easy to get into."

"Besides, even if you join Tyloo and VG, you'll have to go to Serbia for several months of training camps every year. It's pretty much the same."

Playing CS:GO professionally isn't easy. That's why when Jiang Yang showed interest in joining the industry, Ma Xixi tried very hard to persuade him to give up the idea.

The salary isn't high, the competitive pressure is immense, and you have to travel all over the world.

Instead of making a name for himself on the professional stage, he thought it would be more suitable for him to stay in Magic City as a small streamer.

Ma Xixi then carefully analyzed the current difficulties of the two domestic teams for Jiang Yang.

Jiang Yang was also seriously considering these issues, as it truly concerned his life for the next few years.

"It's okay, take your time to think. There's still plenty of time," Ma Xixi didn't expect Jiang Yang to give an answer right away.

But Jiang Yang quickly replied: "I've made up my mind. If there's a chance, I'll go to Europe. These are just minor difficulties!"

Compared to the problems he might encounter going abroad, he disliked the outcome of becoming a "streamer who just milks the fans" even more.

"But I don't necessarily have to go to Mouz's youth training. I believe in my performance, and I'm sure many teams will want me!"

As he said this, Jiang Yang's face was full of confidence.

Ma Xixi smiled as he watched: "That's the kind of confidence you need."

"Let's go pick up your niece. We'll celebrate you, the hero, today. Our family has produced a true professional player."

"Cousin, weren't you a professional player before? Playing the sniper position?"

"Me? I was a 'run-and-gun' sniper back then!"

Amidst laughter, they started heading out to find some delicious food.

And the news of Steel Helmets advancing to the Stockholm Major quickly spread throughout the entire GO circle.

Guessing game, which team do you think the protagonist will join?