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

Chapter 113 That Year I Put My Hands in My Pockets

The next day,

5 month 21 day.

The Antwerp Major semifinals day has finally arrived.

The highly anticipated match between G2 and FAZE is scheduled for the first round and will officially kick off at 4 PM local time.

At 6:30 in the morning,

Meng Lang got up on time.

His long-term self-discipline has ingrained his biological clock into his very being, so even on the day of a major competition, he doesn't need an alarm clock.

After washing up, he went to the hotel's buffet restaurant for breakfast.

The breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Antwerp was fairly varied, but after finishing his meal, Meng Lang couldn't help but mentally complain:
This fried bacon is so oily you could see your reflection in it; it looks like it was just pulled out of the oil pan. "Fresh" orange juice always has a faint, concentrated taste, which is far less satisfying than eating a real orange.

However, the freshly baked croissants were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a wonderful aroma, which was one of the few highlights.

Meng Lang downed two cups in one go, then gulped down a cup of black coffee, which recharged his body.

After finishing breakfast, he went straight to the team's training room.

The training room was empty at the moment.

He turned on his computer and, as usual, entered the game to practice navigating the map and using items.

He meticulously checked every throwing point, from the banana path in Purgatory to the smoke at the archway, from the outer smoke line in Nuka-Crisis to the K1 flashbang... striving for perfection.

Wanting to practice his shooting skills but without a sparring partner, he opened the shooting practice map in the workshop and started practicing positioning and tracking the robot targets that were moving rapidly and randomly on the screen. The crisp headshots echoed one after another, and he quickly got into the zone.

Why is Meng Lang so diligent?
What comes out on paper is ultimately shallow.

The simulation training primarily enhances awareness; other aspects, while providing feedback, are very subtle.

It's far less effective than him practicing it himself every day.

Leonardo DiCaprio got up exceptionally early today as well.

When playing a match, the other G2 players may only need to focus on their own positions, control the map and default settings, ensure that the tactics are executed properly, and then rely on their individual abilities to solve problems.

But as a commander, he has too many things to consider.

In a match, often before the endgame of the previous point is over, he must start thinking about the economy of the next point, the possible changes of the opponent, and his own response strategy.

In order to make the right decisions in the ever-changing arena, he must put in extra effort.

He must review the tactics and research on FAZE that the coaching staff discussed in the tactical meeting room yesterday several times in advance today, clarifying every idea so that he can be more composed and handle the situation with ease when commanding on the field.

During this period, the community and fans have been joking that Little Li's "academic" command has become less "academic" and that he often "goes to Dark for help" when in doubt during matches!
Just give Meng Lang an AK and let him go kill people, that's all.

Indeed, no matter how complex the tactical maneuvering, nothing is more effective than eliminating one enemy player from the start.

Leonardo DiCaprio himself has never been known for his marksmanship since his debut, which has even led to the famous "Lee One Law"!
—Whenever G2 has the highest number of kills among its players, they are likely to lose; but when he has the lowest number of kills, G2 often wins.

The community has seemingly come to regard his "soft-heartedness" as the norm.

Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't deny this.

He now relies on Meng Lang.

But he also wanted to be a reliable support for his teammates in his own way!

Talented people can work hard.
Does that mean someone like him, whose talent isn't top-tier, doesn't deserve to work hard?

No one's efforts are inherently more noble than others.

Now that we've come this far together to the semifinals, let's go all the way to the end.

Tell the world the story that belongs to G2 and to each and every one of them!

They absolutely cannot let the semi-finals be the obstacle that blocks their path to the top!
That way...

It would be really frustrating!
Holding a cup of coffee to perk himself up, Leonardo DiCaprio's mind wandered aimlessly.

I took the elevator to the floor where the training room was located, and as soon as I pushed open the door, I saw that familiar figure sitting in front of the computer, focused on his work.

He couldn't help but chuckle slightly as he pondered.

Look, there are talented people here.

If talented people work this hard, then he, as the commander who is considered a "weak link," naturally has even less reason to slack off.

Let's get to work!

Little Li shrugged and thought to himself.

Before long, the other members of G2—Old Ni, Cousin, and Kid—also got up and came to the training room. They quickly immersed themselves in a heated exercise of offensive tactics and defensive coordination.

After lunch, the entire G2 team traveled by car to the Sportpaleis Arena in Antwerp.

As soon as you enter, a deafening roar hits you!

Compared to yesterday.

The stands were packed to capacity today, and the atmosphere was electric!
Inside the huge circular stadium, flashing light sticks and cell phone lights, like stars, converged into a sea of excitement.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and the fans' fervent anticipation. Every time the team logo changed on the big screen, it triggered a thunderous cheer or booing.

Judging from the volume of cheers and the amount of support items, FAZE fans clearly dominated the audience today.

Their cheers became even more unified!

Larger scale!

This is understandable. As a veteran super team, FAZE boasts a galaxy of stars, including karrigan, rain, Twistzz, ropz, and broky. Each name represents a huge following and influence, which is the deep foundation of the super team.

When it was Meng Lang's turn to appear, he still adopted his signature pose—hands in his pockets, calmly following the team onto the stage.

This posture, I did it yesterday.

It might even make some people who don't know him think this Eastern kid is a bit "pretentious"!
A bit arrogant!
But after witnessing firsthand how he used two bloody massacres to send Spirit home by a large margin, leading G2 into the semifinals with such a strong and domineering attitude, and once again facing the powerful FAZE head-on!
Looking at that boy's figure again today.

A surge of heroic spirit welled up within this 17-year-old boy!

Live stream room 6657!
At this moment, the comments section was already flooded with messages:
"Holy crap! Dark is so cool! His aura is amazing!"

"Why does this guy get more aggressive the bigger the stage he's on?!"

"Tsk tsk, this is a true big-game player!"

"That year, I had my hands in my pockets and didn't know who my opponent was!"

"."

"God of Gaming! God of Gaming! Who do you think will win today, FAZE or G2?"

"A high-ranking monk predicts that the person who lost in Boston 18 will win today!"

"."

Just then, Wanji entered the live stream, put on his headphones, and said with a smile, "Who will win? I really can't say for sure. I can only say that both teams have a reason to win today, and they're both holding back their energy!" "As for FaZe, since Boston in 18, they've experienced so many ups and downs, and it wasn't easy to finally assemble such a luxurious super team roster. For them, this Major is all about winning the championship; there's no turning back!"

"G2 has also undergone a major overhaul this year, with their goal also set on the championship. Moreover, Dark is currently in red-hot form, and the entire team seemed to be activated in the second half of yesterday's game against the Green Dragons, their touch was scorching! As long as Old Ni doesn't... well, you know what I mean, in the crucial moments today, their chances of winning are still very high."

One viewer asked in the live chat: "What if Old Ni doesn't go soft, but Dark suddenly does?"

When the player saw this comment, he immediately laughed: "Seriously, buddy? What kind of question is that... If Dark falters today, what's the point of G2? They could just start preparing for the next Major! He's G2's engine and firepower right now!"

"."

On the competition stage,
The two competitors were already in position after taking the stage.

On FAZE's side, a group of people gathered together, with the leader, Big Brother, naturally at the center!
He waved his arms, his voice faintly coming through the noise-canceling headphones as he finished the final twist of the rope, “Alright guys! Listen up! Play like we do in practice! G2 is strong, I know, they’re on fire right now! But don’t forget, we’re the best team in the world! We’ve gathered here from all over the world, not to fall in the semifinals!”

"Look over there! Yes! Everyone, look at the center of the stage!"

Suddenly, my older cousin pointed to the gleaming Major championship trophy under the spotlight in the center of the stage, his tone becoming incredibly passionate and impassioned.
"We're just two steps away from that trophy that symbolizes the highest honor! Winning G2 today will give us a place on the finals stage! And the chance to touch it!"

"Alright! Enough with the unnecessary chatter! Let's play with confidence and take the first step towards winning the championship!!"

At the same time, on G2's side...

Old Ni was in charge of the pre-race rope-twisting. He scanned his teammates who had gathered around him, his eyes firm, his voice steady and powerful:
"FAZE is very strong, they are a galactic battleship, shining with stars. But so what? We, G2, have never been afraid of any challenge!"

"Today, we stand here not for anyone else, but for ourselves and for our teammates who fight alongside us! We'll unleash our energy, our fury, and everything we have in this match! Let everyone see just how terrifying the power we, G2, can unleash when we're united!"

"Believe in yourself, believe in your teammates!"

Let's work together to win this victory!

"Lets! FKING! GO! G2!"

The G2 players all cheered!

Morale is soaring!

Sitting back down, Meng Lang touched the silver bandage wrapped around his right hand.

Current repair progress: 96.1%.

Almost there, almost there.

Let's wear it for now.

at the same time,

The coaches of both teams also finished by playing rock-paper-scissors.

This time, Lady Luck was on G2's side. They won the rock-paper-scissors game and gained the first pick/ban advantage in the BO3 series.

In live stream room 6657, the moment you start playing with the machine, you're instantly in commentary mode:
"Alright! The crucial ban/pick phase has begun! Let's see how the two sides strategize. G2's first ban is as expected, removing 'Park of Death,' a map they consistently avoid, the absolute bottom of the bottom."

"What about FaZe? Oh! FaZe isn't stubborn either, very rational, he removed the Ancient Ruins first." The machine player analyzed:
"That's a smart move. In the first round of the championship group, Dark achieved a terrifying record-breaking performance on the Green Dragon's self-selected map, Ruins. Although Big Brother likes to make bold statements before the match, he would never make a stupid mistake in the draft phase by going head-to-head with a strong map where the opponent is clearly in top form."

Next came the image selection process.

"What about G2's first map? Should they just pick Inferno? No problem! With Dark's proficiency on this map increasing rapidly, Inferno is definitely a strong map for G2 now, and Dark is the old Banana Road overlord. However, FaZe also has a deep history on Inferno; they've had it since Boston in 18."

"So Nuka-Crisis and Mirage are still outside... I feel like FAZE might pick Nuka-Crisis for their next map! Oh! Sure enough! FAZE picked Nuka-Crisis right away!"

At the moment this picture was taken, the older brother on the opposite side of the stage crossed his arms and glanced sharply toward the G2's seating area, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Meanwhile, G2's coach, Old Ni, also gave his opponent a signature eyebrow raise, showing no sign of weakness.

"This image of the nuclear crisis is something else!"

The man playing the machine smacked his lips and said, "G2 has been on a winning streak throughout this Major, almost defeating everyone they've faced. The only map they've ever lost to is Carnage! That's right, they lost to Nyx."

"Because the structure of this map is not suitable for mindless rushing and reckless attacks. It requires extremely strong tactical discipline and map understanding. Moreover, Dark also achieved his lowest personal stats in this Major on this map. So Big Brother must have done his homework and clearly knows this, and wants to make a difference here!"

"Some viewers in the live chat asked why G2 didn't ban Nuka-Crisis?"

"Dude, BO3 is all about map pool depth! Where are you going to get so many bans to ban all the maps you're not good at? You don't want to play Nuke, huh? Fine, FAZE can totally play Amusement Park against you. Anyway, FAZE can play Amusement Park, and G2 will be in an even worse position then."

Based on the analysis of the game, after picking Nuka-Crisis, FAZE's remaining three maps are Tower, Sands II, and Mirage.

"So, for the next move, I feel like FAZE is going to ban Sasuke 2... What?"

While they were playing with the machine, the next second, their eyes suddenly widened!

"Wait a minute! What? FAZE isn't banning Dust 2? They banned Mirage! G2 will definitely ban Tower next, so FAZE's move is basically leaving Dust 2 as the decisive map against G2!"

"Tsk tsk! Dark Sand 2!"

"Is FAZE really that tough? They're going to go head-to-head with you!"

Immediately afterwards, G2 banned Falldown, as expected.

With this, all three maps for the best-of-three semifinals have been determined:
Figure 1: Purgatory Town

Figure 2: Nuclear Crisis

Figure 3: Scorching Sand City II
The first two picks were actually within G2's expectations, only the third pick was where FAZE deliberately gave up Sand II, which was a bit unexpected for G2.

But upon closer reflection,
In fact, it is not difficult to understand.

The classic map, Sand 2, is a pure test of a player's strength as a gunner. The tactics are relatively simple and direct, but it tests the player's individual ability and performance under pressure.

The reason why Little Bee lost to G2's Sand II was largely because, apart from ZywOo, Little Bee lacked a sufficiently stable and top-tier pure gunner. In the late game, they were even jokingly referred to as "four maggots" surrounding a "big sweet potato".

But the Galactic Battleship FAZE is different!

In this team, Twistzz, Broky, and ropz are all top-ranked players on the current HLTV leaderboard, pure gun-wielding powerhouses with extremely strong individual skills.

Even the veteran Rain God, a once-renowned top rifleman, is still as sharp as ever.

At this Antwerp Major, Rain God's performance can be described as a "return to peak", with multiple "torrential downpours" in key rounds, as if he had summoned his younger self.

As for the remaining eldest cousin...

Let's not even talk about the older brother's. CS 1.6 Goat, okay, he's the kind of "freak" who might suddenly shit on your head if you don't treat him like a human being.

Such a star-studded team with formidable marksmanship!

Why should we be afraid of playing Sand II against G2?
Clearly, FAZE Rusaji is determined to use his most prized strength to compete with you on the purest stage!
In fact, this was exactly what Big Brother and FAZE coach RobbaN truly thought and felt confident about during the draft phase.

No strong team would be afraid to play against others in Sand City 2.

If you're afraid,
That just means you're not strong enough!
As soon as this heated BP result was announced, the audience erupted in cheers and applause!
After all, for many spectators who aren't seasoned gamers but just there for the fun,

The simple and straightforward muscle-and-gun images of Sand 2, where you get straight to the point, are the most direct, exciting, and pure sensory enjoyment!

Pure combat!
Pure, unadulterated enjoyment!

With the ban/pick phase over, both teams did a final check of their equipment before logging into the match server.

On the big screen, the clear team logo and map information came into everyone's view:

G2 vs FAZE Clan
Image 1: Purgatory Town!
CT side: karrigan, rain, Twistzz, ropz, broky
T side: NiKo, huNter-, m0NESY, Aleksib, Dark
(End of this chapter)