"Nice one, Xiao Yang!"
As soon as the pistol round ended, Brother Xiaosa praised him over voice chat.
"Xiao Yang?" Jiang Yang asked, puzzled.
Brother Xiaosa explained, "Your ID sounds like 'Yang,' doesnât it?"
DD chimed in, "Bro, your dual pistols were on fire! I was just watching the kill feed light up. You took them all down!"
It really was surprising. Jiang Yang's pistol skills were usually below average compared to theirs, but in this round, he scored an impressive quad kill. It was a brilliant performance.
"Eh, just standard procedure," Jiang Yang joked, lightening the mood. "Have you guys ever heard of the national standard Marco Polo?"
...
Ma Xixi, who was commentating on the match nearby, heard Jiang Yangâs excited exclamation: "National standard Marco Polo, baby!"
ãHoly sh**, a farming simulator?ã
ãIs this kid playing attack-speed builds now?ã
ãI think I get it nowâdual pistols in his hands are like hair dryers! Cousin is showing off again!ã
ãWhat? Are pistol rounds ECO now?ã
ãThe terrifying ECO King has arrived.ã
Watching the stream, viewers joined in on the banter while cheering for the Steel Helmets, whoâd started strong. They hoped the team would continue their good momentum.
After the pistol round ended, on MO's suggestion, Jiang Yang swapped weapons with Brother Xiaosa.
Brother Xiaosa handed him an A1, while Jiang Yang gave him a "hair dryer" (SMG). This was to save up for a sniper rifle in the next rifle round. Over the past few training matches, the Steel Helmets members had come to appreciate Jiang Yangâs sniper skills and were confident in his ability with an AWP.
As the countdown ended, Jiang Yang moved to the VIP spot to hold an angle.
Thanks to their decisive pistol round win, the attacking side had no economy for this round, meaning theyâd likely play a pure ECO.
"Newhappy is brokeâonly Jee bought an unarmored Desert Eagle. The rest are grouping at the T-spawn entrance, looks like theyâre planning to rush mid for trades."
"Mid is being double-held. Theyâre ready to crossfire anyone who pushes. Jiang Yang is holding VIP, Brother Xiaosa is watching Lower Tunnels, and the mid crossfire is in play!"
From VIP, Jiang Yang noticed someone charging out. Acting on instinct, he immediately swung his crosshair toward the target.
"Bang bang bang!"
ãyoung used M4A1 to headshot Daniel.ã
The moment Jiang Yang got the kill, he realized the enemyâs plan: a pure ECO aiming to trade for better weapons. He quickly adjusted his position to avoid getting overwhelmed and called out in voice chat.
"Whoa!! He snagged one, then another! Brother Xiaosa followed up with a trade, and DDâs flashbang blinded mid completely!"
Jiang Yang swapped to his pistol to finish off the last opponent at mid, securing another quad kill and maintaining his hot streak.
"Thatâs itâsolid ECO round, no upsets!" Ma Xixi clenched his fist in excitement.
The closed qualifier was a BO1 single-elimination format, meaning every round on Dust2 was critical.
With an 8/0 perfect start, Jiang Yang was clearly in great form, setting the tone for the match.
...
"Pause already?" Jiang Yang asked, surprised.
It was only the third round.
MO explained, "They probably think weâre off to too strong a start and want to cool our momentum."
Though an understandable tactic, it was undeniably annoying. Jiang Yang absentmindedly rubbed his mouse on the pad.
MO evaluated their weapon setup and suggested, "Xiao Yang, toss your M4 to Xiaosa and get yourself a sniper rifle."
"Sticking with an SMG during a rifle round puts you at a huge disadvantage."
Despite being retired pros, the habits and rationality of a professional player still lingered in the Steel Helmets squad. Jiang Yang followed instructions and then suggested, "Iâll head straight to A2."
His position was closest to A2, allowing him to exploit the angle with a timing play.
When the countdown ended, Jiang Yang made his way to A-Site, using a quick rotation jump technique to get on A2 and scoped in to hold the angle.
"The Ts are moving quickly, rushing mid for control. Meanwhile, the CT sniper has set up on A2."
"But the Ts are cautious around A2, avoiding early engagement. Judging by their positioning, Newhappy seems to be planning a B-Site split through B Short."
"Mid pressure continues. Su Di from B Short narrowly dodges the flashbang as he peeks outâcan he get the kill?"
"But he misses! He gets taken down instead!"
Seeing Su Di fall, Brother Xiaosa quickly smoked the archway to delay the push.
Jiang Yang stayed calm, continuing to hold the A2 angle with his sniper rifle while DD covered him from A-Short to prevent a flank.
Jiang Yang advanced cautiously into A2 to clear it, hoping to free up A-Site for defense. However, the opposing player holding A2 retreated as soon as Jiang Yang caught a glimpse of him.
Jiang Yang fired a quick shot but missed.
"Watch B-Site;
they might not be targeting A," Jiang Yang warned. "The guy at A2 is playing too passivelyâit feels like heâs just holding back."
Pro matches arenât like ranked games;
players donât make random decisions. This guy was clearly the lurker.
Hearing Jiang Yangâs assessment, DD said, "Iâll rotate from CT. Hold them off at B for now."
Unfortunately, DD was too eager. By the time he rotated, the Ts had already breached B Short, killing him with a coordinated crossfire.
ãJee + superGod used AK47 to kill DD.ã
Jiang Yangâs call was correct, but the outcome was unfortunate.
"Newhappy knows thereâs still a sniper on A-Site, so theyâre committing to B."
"The Ts push aggressively into B Short, but Liu Ke holds strong! He sprays down one, and Jee canât follow up!"
"MO immediately smokes to buy time, waiting for his teammates to assist!" Ma Xixi narrated.
"But Newhappy seems to have shifted plansâtheyâre rotating to A-Site instead!"
"Jiang Yang is still holding A2, and Xiaosa, sensing somethingâs wrong, is rotating back to CT. The tide is turning again!"
...
With no intel on the enemyâs exact position, Jiang Yang stayed on A2, watching silently like a guardian spirit.
Brother Xiaosa had reached CT and called out, "I hear footsteps near the boost platformâtheyâre going for A!"
DD chimed in, "Xiao Yang, stay on A2 and donât rush. Let Xiaosa make the first move!"
But Jiang Yang didnât completely listen. When he heard the flashbang pop, he peeked out with his sniper rifle, ready to react.
Jiang Yangâs pre-aim on Dust2 was incredibly polished.
The moment he peeked, the T on the boost platform appeared in his crosshair.
"Bang!"
ãyoung used AWP + Jeeâs flashbang to headshot superGod.ã
Meanwhile, Xiaosa, holding from CT at the "ropz spot," killed another T attempting to check the angle.
However, after getting the kill, he swung wide and was immediately traded by a T holding the platform from below.
"One low on the boost!" Xiaosa called out.
Jiang Yang stayed calm, holding his sniperâs scope at the platform, waiting for the enemy to peek. But the T refused to duel, instead opting to plant the bomb on-site.
MO returned from B Short and sprayed at the planter but missed. The enemy repositioned, setting up for a post-plant.
"One in jungle and one behind long box!" DD updated Jiang Yang.
Taking advantage of his teammatesâ pressure, Jiang Yang peeked out from A2 again. Initially, he aimed to kill the bomb planter but quickly shifted his focus when he spotted a T in jungle.
"Bang!"
ãyoung + xiaosage used AWP to kill Jee.ã
"Whoa!! What was that shot?!" Ma Xixi exclaimed.
From the spectator view, they could see Jiang Yang initially aiming for the planter. But the moment he caught a glimpse of the jungle player, he snapped his aim and landed the shot.
"2v1 now!!" Ma Xixi clenched his fists. "The last T is betting on A2 staying quiet while he moves to CT. Itâs fine to let him plantâthe 2v1 gives them the advantage!"
The final T planted the bomb and rotated to CT for a one-on-one duel.
Jiang Yang remained composed, waiting for MO to reach Arch before moving. MO flashed CT, allowing Jiang Yang to peek and eliminate the final T as he attempted to re-peek.
"Got him!!"
"Clutch, Xiao Yang!!"
The team chat exploded with cheers as they celebrated the hard-fought win.
Ma Xixi exhaled a deep breath in the livestream. "Jiang Yang⦠was absolutely critical there. His play on A2 was flawless!"
"The shot on jungle broke the stalemate. Before that, jungle was locking down their retake, but Jiang Yang blew it wide open!"
"My cousinâs in great form todayâ11 kills already?"
The livestream viewers noticed too. Despite only three rounds being played, Jiang Yangâs score had reached a terrifying 11/0, averaging nearly four kills per round.
ãCousin is carrying hard today!ã
ãUnexpected MVP!ã
ãWill he single-handedly crush this pro team today?ã
ãI said itâSteel Helmets are Asiaâs third-best, only behind VG and Tyloo! Theyâre rising today!!ã
The chat buzzed with excitement as the match continued.
Despite saving for rifles, Newhappy lost the round, leaving their economy in shambles. But instead of conceding, they opted for a risky force buy.
This time, Jiang Yang opened with a pick at Arch but was later traded after being too aggressive. Jee grabbed his AWP and used it to secure Newhappyâs first point.
As the match progressed, Newhappyâs players started finding their rhythm, leveraging their youth and superior mechanics to challenge the Steel Helmets.
But Jiang Yangâs consistent sniper dominance kept tipping the scales. Jee, the enemy teamâs primary AWPer, struggled against him, losing multiple head-to-head duels.
By halftime, the scoreboard read 10-5 in favor of the Steel Helmets.