CS2: My reaction speed is the limit of human capability.

Chapter 102 Breaking the situation

On the main stage, ten computers were arranged back to back, and the Tianlu and Liquid team members were doing the final equipment adjustments.

After setting up the equipment, Tang habitually started playing bots to practice his skills.

This match is crucial. If they defeat Liquid, they will secure their place in the group stage with two wins.

This is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the entire team and for CNCS as a whole.

Press the button, stop suddenly, fire...

He had repeated this process countless times, but each time it felt like performing a ritual—a ritual to get himself into the best possible state.

"How's the keyboard feel?" Ling Feng, who was sitting next to me, turned his head and asked.

"It's alright." Tang also flexed his fingers. "It's just a bit cold; my hands aren't fully warmed up yet."

"That's normal, the weather in Poland is like this." Ling Feng smiled. "It'll get hot once the fighting starts."

As Ling Feng spoke, he also opened the shooting practice map. His movements were steady and unhurried, each shot appearing as if it had been meticulously calculated.

As Tianlu's breakthrough player, Ling Feng's style is completely different from Tang Ye's. Tang Ye relies on reaction speed to overwhelm, while Ling Feng wins by aiming and controlling his position.

The two styles complement each other perfectly.

On the other side, Hamburger and Zhong Weijie were talking in hushed tones, each holding a tactics manual covered with various drafting strategies and countermeasures.

Although Liquid has been in poor form recently, TyLoo is not taking their opponents lightly and is still preparing steadily for the match.

The business plan (BP) phase has officially begun.

In the 6657 live stream room, the man playing with the machine sat up straight, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Here we go, guys! The draft phase is starting!" His voice was tinged with excitement. "I don't need to explain the importance of this match, right? If TyLoo wins, they'll secure their spot in the group stage!"

【Tianlu Chong!】

[Today! Today!]

[Die, liquid!]

Looking at the chat, Wanji chuckled, "Brothers, don't get excited, let's see how they handle TyLoo's strong maps. Liquid will ban first, let's see how they deal with it."

On the huge main screen, the ban/pick screens for both sides appeared in front of all viewers watching the live stream.

Liquid had the first ban, and ultimately they chose to ban Inferno first.

TyLoo opted to ban Nuke.

"As expected." The voice of someone playing with a bot rang out in the live stream. "The first map Liquid banned was TyLoo's Town. This map is TyLoo's absolute strongest map, and it's also the map where they won all their matches in ZEM. It's understandable that Liquid wouldn't dare to let them play this map."

Playing with the machine paused, a hint of amusement in his voice: "But guys, TyLoo has a 100% win rate on all maps in ZEM! You banned Town Hall, but we still have Mirage and Dust 2. We haven't lost any of those three maps yet!"

The final map pool was decided: Liquid chose Desert City, while TyLoo chose Ancient Ruins. The final map was Overpass.

"Liquid picked Mirage...?" The voice of the gamer was tinged with surprise. He leaned back in his gaming chair, his eyes widening for a moment. "Mirage is also TyLoo's strong map! TyLoo's win rate on this map is over 70%, and Tang Ye's AWP is especially effective on Mirage! Liquid dared to pick this map? Are they that reckless?"

He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "To be honest, I don't think Liquid is being reckless; I suspect Siuhy has some trick up his sleeve again. You might not know Siuhy, but he dared to choose the Maze map, so he must have come prepared. Maybe they've thoroughly studied TyLoo's defensive habits on the Maze map, or maybe they've prepared some special tactics for this map."

"But will this really work? You have to understand that your opponents aren't ordinary people; they're the real G0D."

Ah! No matter how good your tactics are, you can't beat Kai!

The moment the BP results froze on the big screen, TyLoo's battle area remained largely undisturbed.

Hamburger took off his headphones, turned to the side, and exchanged a glance with Zhong Weijie. Neither of them spoke, but their eyes conveyed a wealth of information.

"As expected." Hamburger broke the silence first, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Liquid's choice of Mirage was expected by TyLoo, given the relatively formulaic map control and their previously established default strategies. Conversely, this gave the opposing team an opportunity to counter their positioning and defensive habits.

"Siuhy has a lot of clever ideas," Zhong Weijie said slowly. "He dared to choose Mirage City, so he's definitely not reckless. He probably figured out our defensive habits, positioning preferences, and when to use items."

Hamburger nodded, tapping his fingers lightly on his tactical notebook: "It's true that Maze is our strong map, but precisely because it's a strong map, they have the most sample data. They've probably already figured out our defensive strategies completely."

Hamburger paused at this point, glancing at his teammates beside him.

"So they will definitely use a targeted strategy in this match."

"Who are you targeting?" Mo Siyu took off her headphones and leaned closer to ask.

Hamburger didn't answer directly, but instead turned his gaze to Tang Ye, who was practicing his shooting.

Tang seemed to sense that gaze; his fingers paused slightly, but he didn't turn around. On the screen, the bots fell one after another, their rhythm perfectly steady.

"They're targeting me, of course." Tang Ye's voice was calm, as if he were stating something perfectly ordinary. "The sniper rifles pose the biggest threat in the Lost City. Who else would they target if not me?"

Ling Feng chuckled beside him, "You're quite open-minded."

"What can you do if you can't think straight?" Tang finally turned around, a faint smile on his face. "They have tactics, we have marksmanship. Let's see who gives in first."

Seeing Tang Ye's nonchalant demeanor, Hamburg felt a weight lifted from his heart.

After all, winning the match means advancing to the group stage, so the opposing team must have made thorough preparations, and may even have devised a lot of strategies to counter them.

However, Tang Ye did not show much pressure under these circumstances; on the contrary, he performed better and better when fighting the BOT.

Tang Ye was in great shape as always. He seemed to have a naturally strong heart, becoming calmer in critical moments and more excited in adversity.

"Alright." Hamburger clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Since Liquid has chosen the Lost City, then we'll fight them there."

The competition has officially begun.

At the CT spawn point in the Desert City, the five members of Tianlu quickly dispersed.

Hamburger's instructions were concise and clear: "First point, standard defense. Tang Ye, you go to VIP. Ling Feng and Mo Siyu, go to B."

"In the zone, Xiao Ju and I will guard point A. Pay attention to the information, don't rush forward."

"receive."

Tang, USP in hand, charged toward the VIP area, spun around, and leaped into the narrow corner, the muzzle of the gun steadily aimed at the archway. He knew this position all too well; he could aim it with his eyes closed.

However, this point was played very slowly. There was no information from either side or the middle lane, and even the VIP smoke in the middle lane was a slow smoke.

After the other side finished their cigarette-smoking game, Tang chose to retreat, keeping an eye on the VIP area and the archway. Meanwhile, Xiao Ju had quietly arrived at the front of the second floor of A and was firmly positioned.

Siuhy observed the enemy's position for about ten seconds before issuing the order: "Launch a mid-lane control attack and then attack A."

EliGE and NertZ, you two go through the archway, I'll flash. Ultimate, you stay behind and provide cover fire. Krimbo, you stay at A2.

The commotion at the building construction site drew the attention of Area A.

The liquid's attack began.

Krimbo peeked out from the A2 building, but was easily caught by Xiaoju's straight frame, which undoubtedly attracted Tenloo's attention.

Meanwhile, EliGE and NertZ moved from the mid lane towards the archway. siuhy threw a flashbang from the mid lane, which exploded between the archways.

A flash of white light.

Tang turned his back to dodge, and the screen briefly went white. When he turned back, EliGE and NertZ had already rushed to the vicinity of the archway.

"Two arches!" Tang also reported the location in the voice chat.

His USP was steadily positioned towards the archway, the crosshair aimed at EliGE's likely location. EliGE moved quickly, coming to a sudden stop the instant he emerged from the archway, his gun pointed directly at Tang Ye. But Tang Ye reacted even faster. Within 0.1 seconds of EliGE's head appearing, Tang Ye's crosshair had already locked onto his head.

"Bang!"

gOd used a USP to headshot and kill EIiGE.

"Beautiful!" The voices of those playing with the machines erupted. "Tang also took down EIiGE with a single shot from VIP! Liquid's offensive core is down!"

But the liquid's follow-up shot came quickly. NertZ followed closely behind EliGE and turned his gun the instant Tang Ye fired, the Glock accurately hitting Tang Ye in the head.

NertZ killed gOd with a Glock headshot.

Tang Ye's screen went black.

He immediately reported: "There's another archway."

Hamburger immediately responded: "Xiao Ju, you control A2, I'll coordinate with you from the recessed position to provide follow-up fire!"

Lingfeng and Siyu can go back to Area A now!

Xiao Ju peeked out from the A2 building and saw NertZ advancing towards the A bomb site from the archway. He fired two shots, hitting NertZ in the body but not in the head. NertZ retreated back into the archway the instant he was shot.

"The archway is stained with blood," Xiao Ju reported.

Meanwhile, Liquid's other two members, Ultimate and Siuhy, began to move.

With Siuhy's help, Ultimate jumped onto VIP to cover the rear. Although Ling Feng and Mo Siyu did not return from VIP to defend, but instead went to the police base, Ultimate could hear their footsteps clearly.

After throwing away the smoke grenade at the CT spawn, NertZ swaggered towards the bomb site, which immediately attracted Hamburger's attention. Meanwhile, siuhy, who was near the jump platform, quietly moved forward to search the area and eventually found Hamburger hiding and killed him.

Xiao Ju on the second floor immediately pulled out to finish off the enemy, but Siuhy didn't give him a chance at all. After killing Hamburger, he returned to the vicinity of the jump platform, and the situation suddenly became 3 vs 3.

After planting the bomb, Liquid began guarding it. At this point, the information on the field was completely clear to Liquid: one A-floor and two CT spawns.

Ultimate stealthily flanked from behind, while NertZ, with Siuhy's help, used a Blink Dash to blind Ling Feng and Mo Siyu just as the smoke was about to dissipate. However, the fight ended in a one-for-one exchange between Mo Siyu and NertZ. Just as Ling Feng was about to coordinate with Xiao Ju to watch the archway, Ultimate, who had flanked from behind, suddenly appeared, killing Ling Feng and taking down Xiao Ju in the process.

Liquid won the pistol round!

The sound effects of losing the pistol round echoed in TyLoo's headphones, and the score became 0:1.

Tang also took off his headphones and rubbed his ears, which were a little sore from being squeezed.

His expression remained calm, but his brows furrowed slightly. This loss wasn't unjust; Liquid's tactical execution was indeed excellent. Moreover, the flashbang Liquid used on the arch seemed to have been specifically designed for him, as if they had studied his positioning habits.

Second point, Tianlu ECO. Hamburg's strategy is clear: gamble on points and stall for time.

Tang Ye carried the Desert Eagle to the jump platform. It was the only Desert Eagle in the team, which was also a recognition of Tang Ye's strength by everyone.

TyLoo's strategy for this match was that if Liquid attacked site A, then other players would create firing lines, allowing Tang near the jump platform to find opportunities to take down two opponents. If the enemy attacked site B, then TyLoo would decisively JT and attempt to flank and cut off enemy fire.

The liquid attack came very quickly.

Siuhy seemed to have anticipated TyLoo's eco round, immediately ordering the entire team to rush A site. EliGE and NertZ

He rushed out from A1, and Krimbo jumped down from A2, attacking from both sides.

The smoke grenades from the platform and below came quickly, completely obscuring Tang Ye's vision.

Xiao Ju, who was on the second floor of A, was burned out first and then finished off by EIiGE. Mo Siyu and Hamburger, who were pulled out afterward, were also killed.

Tang also wanted to use the smoke grenade to help his teammates and see if he could kill one or two more, but the smoke grenade that Liquid threw under the platform was blown up by them, crippling Tang and revealing his position at the same time, and he was immediately swept away and taken down by EIiGE.

Liquid easily took the second point, making the score 0-2.

"Wow! Their offensive pace is too fast!" Wanji analyzed in the live stream, "Tianlu's positioning and decision-making on this map have obviously been studied! Area A was taken down in one wave."

What's the current situation with Tianlu?

Is the liquid really that strong?

[Is this going to be the classic Asian drama? Losing, going to the loser's bracket, and then getting kicked to death?]

Wanji paused, quickly glanced at the chat, and continued, "Guys, have you noticed how targeted Liquid's utility has been in these attacks? In the first pistol round, they deliberately let Krimbo die at A2 to draw TyLoo's attention, then pushed their main force through the archway and mid. That's a well-designed tactic!"

[You've studied liquids this deeply?]

Tianlu's tactics have been figured out.

[Wan Shen's analysis is correct; the liquid is definitely targeting Tang Ye.]

【What should we do then? Is Tianlu doomed?】

He sighed, "This is the consequence of being thoroughly analyzed. They know your every position and every habit. You're in the open, they're in the shadows—how can you fight like that?"

However, Tianlu quickly provided an answer.

In the next round, both sides went all out with their guns and ammunition, and Tang also had a sniper rifle available in this round.

Liquid once again controlled the mid lane, preparing to use items to punish Tang Ye near the VIP area at the archway.

However, Tianlu changed their approach in this round.

Although CT lost control of the middle lane, they can regain some map control through a regrouping and clearing operation, which can at least ensure the safety of one point.

For this point, Tianlu chose to have Tang Ye and Ling Feng, their two strongest players, team up to clear out the second floor of A.

Ling Feng walked in front, while Tang Ye followed behind to protect him.

Krimbo, who was in charge of the second floor of Building A, immediately got hit by a blast from a distance. Ling Feng pulled him out, but Krimbo cleverly hid behind a pillar and started circling around Ling Feng.

Since Tang Ye hadn't shown any signs of movement, Krimbo had no idea that Tang Ye's sniper rifle would appear in this location.

"Bang!"

g0d used an AWP to headshot and kill Krimbo.

"Tianlu managed to eliminate one enemy through their positioning on the second floor of A1, but at this point, the archway and A1 units began to coordinate their attacks!"

"Hamburg took down one first, but was then finished off by follow-up shots. Here they come, let's see what Tang Ye and Ling Feng on the second floor have to say!"

"Liquid fired a flashbang, but both of them backfired quickly! Chicken Bro pulled out... oh! But he didn't manage to take down Ling Feng! Can't an AK beat an M4? But Ultraman followed up with a shot, but Tang also finished him off, but A1..."

The absolute dark side of NertZ at this moment!

"1

"NertZ made his move! Huh?? What kind of flick shot is that?! NertZ fired a whole magazine but didn't kill him, instead Tang Ye killed him with a 90-degree flick shot! NertZ, are you even human?"