CS: The Last Dance, a Dance That Leads to Professional Success

Chapter 109 The Strictest Father in the Second Team!
"That's really very much like Ma Sheng!"

"Back to the Green Dragon internal meeting: Magixx, you can go out for a moment."

"Hilarious! Trying to catch an inside man, huh?"

"Seriously, Dark's playing really well today!"

"You said your hands were shaking in the arena before the match, and you still managed to get wiped out by the opposing team while your hands were shaking?"

"I think Dark is a complete bastard too!"

"Wow! With G2's momentum this year, is Old Ni really going to win the Major?"

"."

The chat in the 6657 live stream room was flooded with comments.
Players have already been frantically checking the post-match data on the HLTV website, and the latest data from Figure 2 was quickly updated:
"Figure 2: Desert Maze!"

"ID: G2-Dark"

"K/D: 38/9"

ADR: 158.6

Rating: 2.52

The person playing with the machine gasped in shock, their voice filled with astonishment:

"Holy crap! Dark's stats on these two maps today are off the charts! He delivered an absolutely MVP-caliber performance!"

"Some people say that the second picture is 'obliterated,' but no, buddy, the second picture is where Dark got a quadra kill in the mid lane and completely shattered the opponent's mentality. Nini, Haihai, and Cousin all started fighting. These stats are really terrifying!"

"But Dark's best performance today was definitely on map one, where he set a new career high in kills on the Green Dragon map, Ruins!"

"This isn't just about being in good form; it's pure strength! Pure accuracy! A complete crushing of individual ability! Truly worthy of being called the Black Demon King from the East, the strictest father among the second-tier teams!"

Playing with machines gave him a formulaic high evaluation.

"Some viewers in the live chat are saying that Green Dragons isn't a second-tier team?"

Seeing the doubts, the player laughed and retorted, "Dude! What else could Green Dragons be but a second-tier team? If it weren't for this year's Major, who would have even heard of this team!"

"There are even comments saying that Green Dragon beat Team A in the Challenger Group, dude! Seriously!" Wanji said, laughing and crying at the same time. "Without Old Tang, Team A is just a pure sewer team now, okay? What does beating Team A prove? It only proves that you're a little bit better than the sewers!"

At this point, Wanji suddenly sighed inexplicably, "So what do you call this? This is the terrifying boost that key players can bring to the overall strength of a team! Old Tang is to Team A what Dark is to G2 right now, they're both just too damn crucial! Look how happy everyone at G2 is now! We've never had such a crushing game before?"

The live stream chat was filled with agreement and jokes:

Filial piety! Filial piety is beyond words!

"That's a bit much! You've really messed up my buddies' minds! Are you out of your mind? I really want to give you a Klee!"

"Hilarious, the cupboard still can't forget its father."

"A cupboard that always shows filial piety!"

"."

However, while playing with machines may be considered "filial piety," he was right about one thing!

The atmosphere at the G2 match booth was as heated as if they had just won the championship.

The moment of winning Figure 2
Old Ni took off his headphones, looking somewhat dazed, and stood there stunned for a few seconds.

He glanced somewhat unconsciously at the roaring crowd and flashing lights around the stadium, as if confirming the reality of it all.

Immediately, when all the other teammates took off their headphones, the cousin celebrated loudly, and the kid clenched his fist and shouted "Nice!", the voices of these two familiar old teammates entered his ears, pulling him back to reality from his daze.

He turned his head and his gaze fell on Meng Lang, who had just taken off his headphones.

"Meng, we've made it to the semifinals."

Old Ni's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible emotion.

“Yeah, right.” Meng Lang was surprisingly calm, and even asked in surprise, “We won the first round, so we’re definitely in the top four.”

Hearing the other person's matter-of-fact tone, Old Ni opened his mouth as if to tell them that all of this was not easy.

The heroes of the world are like the crucian carp crossing the river.

Every year, countless teams with unlimited potential fall short of the Legends stage, and countless talented professional players may never even reach the Major Championship Stage in their entire careers, let alone get through the brutal first round of elimination matches to reach the semifinals.

All of this is not so easy, nor is it so "normal".

But when he glanced at the clear-eyed, spirited young man beside him, the old nun swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

He suddenly realized that young people should have this fearless, bold, and confident spirit.

This reminded him of himself back then.

Eighteen-year-old Nikola Kovic was once considered by many to be the strongest player of the future, and many felt that winning a Major championship was only a matter of time for him.

At that time, he, and many people around him, never thought that being a top four finalist in the championship group was anything special, as if all honors were within easy reach.

But... the boy from the East before me is not the same person I was back then.

His path,

His future,

It may be even wider.

So, without saying much, the old nun simply raised his hand and vigorously rubbed Meng Lang's shoulder, a sincere and somewhat gratified smile appearing on his face:

"You rascal... this time, we really have to thank you!"

"Yes!"

Little Li came over and happily put his arm around Meng Lang's shoulder. "To be honest, I thought our victory today would be very difficult, and I was even prepared for a three-map battle. But Meng made this game simple, which also made our tactical execution simple and direct."

"Actually, it's also because everyone played well."

That's true. In the second map, after he got a quadra kill in the first half and activated the team, the Bosnian Twins and the Yellow Flash were all activated.

At this moment, thanks to his godlike performance today, the cheers from the audience grew even louder.

This enthusiasm compelled Meng Lang to raise his hand and wave towards the stands, interacting with the fans supporting him.

Instantly, the scene transformed into a sea of ​​excitement once again, with countless people holding up their phones and responding to him with flashing lights.

Meng Lang closed his eyes slightly, raised his hands, and felt the overwhelming atmosphere, as if he wanted to absorb the joy of victory and the energy of the entire arena into his body.

"Meng, how are you feeling?"

A child nearby peeked over and asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Meng Lang opened his eyes, smiling as he looked at the sea of ​​lights that had illuminated the city for him, and replied, "It feels great. Looking down from here, I feel like I'm something special."

"You are already amazing."

When the old nun heard Meng Lang's words,

They burst into laughter.

He addressed his celebrating teammates who had gathered around him:
"When Meng Gang joined G2, the community and many people felt it was a mistake, giving the same few reasons: lack of major tournament experience, lack of offline experience..."

"But I want to say, to hell with all that experience! Meng just needs to play to his best, maintain his focus and confidence, and we can crush all the opponents we face next!"

"Now, let's savor this moment of victory!"

Immediately, the G2 members, having all removed their headphones, excitedly formed a circle, shoulder to shoulder, and shouted in unison in the center of the stage:

"Come here and get ready for some fun! G2!"

Coach XTQZZZ, watching the excited team members from behind, smiled with satisfaction and offered a timely reminder:

"Alright, let's go shake hands across the way. Don't keep our old buddies waiting too long."

On the opposite side of the stage, in the Green Dragons' competition area.

At this moment, the cheers and applause that surged from all directions to the victor sounded incredibly enjoyable to G2, but sounded incredibly jarring and desolate to the Green Dragons.

Teacher Da Chao stared blankly at the sea of ​​lights around him, which belonged to others, his eyes somewhat vacant.

For a fleeting moment, as he directed his team to execute brilliant tactics, he fantasized that this dazzling sea of ​​lights would shine for him and his team. But that was ultimately not reality.

Did you feel frustrated by today's loss?

To be honest, Chopper felt really frustrated when they lost the first map, Ruins, because it was the map they were most confident in, but they were crushed in the most brutal way.

But when he finally secured a point in Map Two, the Maze City, after employing his masterful "deception within deception" tactics, he was immediately and utterly destroyed by the opponent's unreasonable mid-lane push and individual skill...

Chopper's inner thoughts
At that moment, I felt somewhat relieved.

He once firmly believed that pure firepower was not everything; tactics, teamwork, and on-the-spot wisdom were the true essence of CS matches.

The two young players promoted from the youth academy, S1ren and Patsi, are the best examples – their aiming and reaction abilities are among the best in the team, but their statistics in each game are not necessarily much better than those of veterans like Magixx and degster.

This is precisely the embodiment of team CS.

But today, Dark from CN showed him the true meaning of "firepower is king" through two bloody massacres!
What does "one force can overcome ten techniques" mean?

From 44 kills in the Ruins of Map 1 to 38 kills in the Labyrinth of Map 2, the formidable Rating and ADR, hovering high at the top of the statistics, silently proclaim a cruel truth to Chopper: in the face of absolute individual skill, sometimes even the most ingenious tactics seem pale and powerless.

There is no problem that extreme firepower cannot solve.

If there is,
Then let's raise your firepower even higher!
At this moment, the G2 team walked over amidst cheers and, as is customary, bumped fists with the defeated Green Dragons players.

When Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp bumped fists, DiCaprio gave Depp a thumbs-up.

After all, Green Dragons were not a top-tier team before, and could even be said to have been unknown in the CS scene. However, their ability to reach the quarterfinals of the Major Championship Group is a success in itself, achieved step by step from the Challengers Group.

As the commander, Chopper did indeed issue many brilliant commands, which is worthy of respect.

Chopper slightly twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a somewhat forced and bitter smile.

Immediately, his gaze involuntarily fell on Meng Lang, who was walking up behind him. Watching the young man turn and leave after exchanging fist bumps with them, hands in his pockets, Chopper glanced back at Leonardo DiCaprio beside him, who was beaming with joy and high spirits because of his victory.

Is firepower king?
He remembered that green kid from the Green Dragons youth training program.

For a moment,

Tian Daochao seemed to have gained some insight.
After the handshake ceremony, Meng Lang returned to the center of the stage with his team, and the audience erupted in deafening cheers once again.

Meng Lang noticed that there were many die-hard fans wearing G2 jerseys, shouting his name wildly from the front row of the stands!

These G2 fans, who may have had doubts or even booed him when he first joined G2 and replaced Jackz at the Antwerp Major, have now inevitably fallen into the "it's actually good" trap.

After all, anyone with eyes can see how decisive Meng Lang was in G2's smooth sailing performance at the Antwerp Major, advancing to the semifinals with overwhelming force.

Of course, besides the cheers from G2 fans, Meng Lang also saw many fans wearing other team jerseys, such as FAZE and NaVi. They were also frantically waving their phone lights when Meng Lang waved towards that area!
He shouted "Dark is awesome!" in Chinese.

Needless to say.

The fans of these other teams are clearly Chinese compatriots studying or working in the area.

Their home team may be another club, but at this moment, on the stage of the quarterfinals of the CSGO Major, the highest level, seeing Meng Lang's highly recognizable Eastern face deliver such a dominant performance.

As a Chinese person, the excitement and pride I felt were hard to suppress.

Meng Lang also interacted more with these international student fans who had come from afar, waving vigorously at them and eliciting an even more enthusiastic response from that area, before returning to his seat to start packing up his peripherals.

At this moment, host Banks walked over with a photographer, ready to conduct post-match interviews.

Meng Lang has already given several interviews, and Lao Ni just attended one with him yesterday. Today's interview is with conductor Xiao Li Zi.

"Welcome to our interview." Banks handed over the microphone. "First of all, congratulations on your victory today. How are you feeling right now? What are your thoughts on taking down Spirit 2-0 today?"

Leonardo DiCaprio's deep blue eyes, paired with a sparkling blue earring, and his handsome face drew cheers from many fans in the audience even before he opened his mouth.

He smiled and waited for the cheers to subside before calmly saying:

"Uh, I'm very happy right now. The match went so smoothly today, well... no offense, I think part of the reason is that we were assigned to a relatively weaker team in this round of the quarterfinals, where the coach was absent."

"And when such an opportunity arose, we successfully seized it."

Leonardo DiCaprio's style is different from the unconventional, "starting a fight at the drop of a hat" style of Lao Ni and Meng Lang during their interviews.

As the team leader, his answers were always quite appropriate and rigorous.

He continued, adding:

"Of course, everyone on our team performed exceptionally well in today's match. NiKo and huNter- are two very effective entry fraggers who always managed to create opportunities for us; m0NESY also won many crucial clutches and was very reliable!"

“You seem to have missed someone,” Banks reminded him with a smile, which elicited knowing laughter and even louder cheers from the audience.

"Of course not." Little Li laughed, looking in Meng Lang's direction as he packed up his peripherals. "I was just thinking about what words to use to accurately describe Dark's performance today. Without a doubt, Dark delivered the best individual performance in a major tournament for the entire team today, and even since the start of this Major!"

Leonardo DiCaprio didn't hold back his praise, adding with a smile, "In fact, in my entire career, I've never seen a rookie perform better than Dark today on his debut at a top-tier tournament like the Major! Whether it was the firepower during his breakthroughs or the cleanup in the endgame, he did his best today! He can do everything!"

"Indeed, Dark delivered a dominant performance in today's game against Spirit," host Banks affirmed Leonardo DiCaprio's assessment, then suddenly shifted the focus, posing a slightly pointed question.

He smiled and asked:

“In a previous interview, Dark said that his dream was not just to win a Major, but to be the number one player of the year.”

"Okay, that sounds a bit too far-fetched and grandiose. So, as Dark's teammate who spends every day with him, do you think Dark, as a rifleman, has a chance to achieve this great dream? When would he likely achieve it?"

As soon as the question was asked, the atmosphere at the scene immediately heated up again, and boos could even be heard from many other home team fans!
After all, the competition for the top spot is incredibly fierce.

It's important to know that having two Majors each year means that at least ten Major champions will be produced annually.

But the HLTV TOP1 player of the year,

But there is only one.

TOP1.

This can be said to be the highest individual honor of the year that countless professional CS players dream of, the most dazzling jewel in the crown.

Some professional players, even if they are lucky enough to win several Major championships throughout their entire careers, may never even make it into the top three, let alone the top 1.

Faced with this somewhat tricky question, the usually calm and meticulous Leonardo DiCaprio didn't make any rash remarks. Instead, he thought about it carefully before answering:
"First of all, Dark is in a class of his own when it comes to rifles, and I don't think he's much less competitive than a sniper."

After a pause, Little Li brought up the "21 theory" that is widely circulated in the CS professional circle: "In the CS industry, players usually reach their peak at the age of 21, so I think if Dark can maintain this state and find an excellent team later, I think this may happen at that time."

"As far as I know, Dark will be turning eighteen next month."

Banks confirmed, "So you mean it will be about three years before Dark has a chance to become number one, right?"

"Well, that's understandable."

Leonardo DiCaprio nodded, then shrugged, smiled, and added, "Of course, nothing is absolute. It's possible it could be achieved a year earlier. Who knows?"

"I absolutely do not believe that Dark lost his chance to compete for the annual TOP1 just because he is a rifleman."

Upon hearing Leonardo DiCaprio's supportive yet relatively objective response, the chat in the 6657 live stream room immediately erupted in a flurry of comments:
"Holy crap! Li Shen is really supporting Hei Shen!"

"Which commander wouldn't fully support such a top-tier general?"

"G2 has a new kid, and his AWP is flying through the air! Everyone thinks it's only a matter of time before he becomes number one!"

"Haha! So 'time' becomes the biggest problem, right?"

"."

While playing the game and watching the live chat, I couldn't help but laugh and comment:
"To be honest, I think Li Shen's statement is quite realistic and objective. Most professional CS players do reach their peak around the age of 21. If Dark can maintain this terrifying individual performance for two or three years, he might actually be able to challenge TOP1."

"At least it's much more realistic than some of the comments now that are just saying he'll get a loan to be number 1 this year. That kind of nonsense is just ridiculous!"

Speaking of which,
The person playing with the machine specifically emphasized one point:
"And everyone should note that there is another very pertinent point in Li Shen's answer, which is that he mentioned a prerequisite - 'having an excellent team'."

"This absolutely needs to be circled! It's crucial!"

“We know that Dark is currently only employed by G2. After this Major, regardless of the outcome, he will definitely be looking for a job in the second half of the year.”

"What if I join a team of geniuses?"

"You guys don't really think anyone can carry four opponents, win the championship, and compete for the annual top spot, do you?"

"."

(End of this chapter)