Yesterday, Jiang Yang filled in for Ma Xixiâs stream for a bit. While it was entertaining, his skill level was clearly that of a beginner.
As a young person, his proficiency with sniping was understandableâafter all, heâs only 16 years old. In FPS games like this, quick reflexes are a young playerâs greatest natural advantage. But Jiang Yangâs performance yesterday was just average. Apart from his fast reflexes, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.
Now, after watching him finish this game, the livestream viewers were shocked. In just one day, Jiang Yang not only completed his placement matches but also climbed to the B rank. Sure, itâs possible to reach B rank with some luck.
But the problem was, this wasnât just luck.
Despite struggling with movement, not understanding headshot angles, and having poor map awareness, his performance during ANTI-ECO rounds was exceptional. This showed he had genuine talent for the game.
For most players, getting 8 kills in ANTI-ECO during a single game is already impressive. In this match on the Nuke map, Jiang Yang managed to rack up 16 kills during ANTI-ECO. Out of his total of 35 kills, nearly half came from fighting against ECO rounds while playing as a Counter-Terrorist.
"Did he really get more than 10 ANTI-ECO kills?"
"So Ma Xixi wasnât exaggeratingâthereâs really some CS DNA in their family?"
"How is he so good? Can Jiang Yang share a guide? I want to learn!"
"This doesnât make senseâhow can a newbie take nearly half the kills in ANTI-ECO?"
"Iâm not convinced. This is supposed to be
"Unbelievable. Every time heâs a Counter-Terrorist, heâs landing kills. And itâs not just bullying ECOs;
he can frag in rifle rounds too⦠How is this fair?"
"No way. Ma Xixi must be playing for him in the background!"
"Whatever, itâs just ANTI-ECO kills. Iâm not jealous. Not at all."
Seeing these complaints in the chat, Ma Xixi chuckled.
Even though he was just as amazed by Jiang Yangâs performance, opportunities to tease the chat were rare.
âYou guys claim to know CS so well, yet all your predictions were wrong!â
[Ding!]
[96 Comeback Points earnedâ¦]
Jiang Yang finally noticed the post-game system notification. Heâd been too focused on playing with his classmates to pay attention before.
When he concentrated, everything else faded into the background for him. Streaming was secondary;
his main priority was climbing ranks.
As the game ended, he opened Huyaâs backend to settle the bets. While looking for the settlement options, he addressed the viewers.
âYou think Iâm just going crazy in ANTI-ECO, stealing kills? But the money I earned from those kills went toward buying guns for my teammates. Thatâs called making a great contribution to the team, okay?â
âBesides, even if I died, theyâd only pick up an MP9 at best. No loss for me!â
Jiang Yang joked with the viewers while clicking the settlement button.
Ma Xixi, observing from the side, noticed Jiang Yang freeze mid-action.
âWhatâs wrong?â he asked.
Jiang Yang turned around nervously. âBro, I think I messed up the bet settlement.â
Ma Xixi felt like he couldnât breathe for a moment.
â¦
After a chaotic scramble, Ma Xixi finally sighed in relief.
âGood thing todayâs chat wasnât too confident in you. If they believed you could get over 10 ANTI-ECO kills, youâd have to skip university and work here to pay off your debts.â
Jiang Yangâs actions startled Ma Xixi wide awake.
Their CSBOY channel had a history of betting disasters. Once, during a tournament, MO settled the wrong bet, leading to a loss of six billion beansâworth 60,000 yuan. That earned MO the nickname âSix-Billion Consort.â
Thankfully, Jiang Yangâs betting conditions today were so extreme that most viewers lost their bets. The issue was fixed in the backend, costing only about 100 yuan.
The chat was full of laughter.
"First âSix-Billion Consort,â now the little cousin messes up beans too. This family is hilarious."
"Ma Xixi wasnât kidding;
itâs definitely a family tradition!"
"Canât wait to see this clip on Bilibili tomorrow."
"Cousin donated all the ANTI-ECO money to the team."
"Looks like after his summer job, heâll owe Ma Xixi a few thousand instead."
âAll right, keep streaming,â Ma Xixi said, clutching his chest. âBut no more betting.â
Jiang Yang, relieved, refocused on the stream.
He queued up for ranked matches again, playing two more games with a 1-1 record. The streamâs entertainment value remained strong. Eventually, MO returned home, taking over the streamâs main perspective.
Ma Xixiâs group, âSteel Helmets,â was a semi-pro team composed of retired players. They regularly streamed training matches and occasionally participated in qualifiers for small tournaments. During off-seasons, they played more training matches for the viewers.
Jiang Yang, back in his assistant role, mostly helped thank viewers for their gifts after games. With little to do during the matches, he browsed his phone, learning about the current professional scene and watching tutorials on Bilibili.
Despite his impressive ANTI-ECO showing, Jiang Yangâs fundamentals still needed work. Heâd played nearly 10 ranked games, practiced aiming for an hour, and exercised outdoors. Exhaustion was creeping in.
Understanding the importance of pacing himself, he decided to review match replays and study macro strategies.
Reflecting on the day, Jiang Yang felt deeply fulfilled. Working hard for something he loved and constantly analyzing and improvingâthat feeling was priceless.
But he knew his in-game strategies were still limited. Climbing to âPerfect World Rank #1â wouldnât happen overnight. His hopes rested on the system shop refreshing tomorrow with something useful.
Meanwhile, a Steel Helmets member had been watching the CSBOY stream all day. Jiang Yangâs second appearance had left a lasting impressionânot just for his striking looks, but also his innate talent as a streamer.
Deciding to capitalize on the content, the member requested editing rights for the clips. After carefully piecing together Jiang Yangâs highlights, he uploaded the video to Bilibili under the username âMTC-kun.â