CS: I became Top 1 by grinding my skill level

"But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard."

"Said, no more..."

Early in the morning, a persistent sound came—the cell phone on the table buzzed and vibrated incessantly, pulling Han Tian, ​​who was fast asleep, out of his dream.

"Uh... this doesn't sound like an alarm clock, does it?"

Han Tian squinted and struggled to reach for his phone on the table.

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, then tapped on his phone, where a caller ID showed an incoming call.

Caller: Chengzi, manager of Orange Team.

"Ugh, I knew it. She's never going to get my phone number. Can't she let me get a good night's sleep?"

Han Tian reluctantly sat up, opened one eye halfway, and pressed the answer button.

"Hey, what time is it? Isn't the finals tomorrow?"

"Hehe, you're the absolute star player on our team, so as the manager, I'll definitely have to provide you with some special services."

On the phone, Du Chengzi's voice came through like a string of little bells, her words ringing out in a continuous stream.

"Ah...it feels so good? Where does it feel so good?"

Han Tian was still a little sleepy and his mind was hazy. In addition, Du Chengzi was speaking too fast, so he couldn't hear clearly for a while.

"This is VIP wake-up service! Also! Players are not allowed to flirt with the manager!!"

On the other end of the phone, the girl's voice suddenly rose, sounding rather gritted through her teeth.

"Hmph! Fine, here's what we'll do: you'll come to training at seven o'clock sharp every day from now on, and I'll give you something good!"

"What good stuff?" Han Tian was a little confused. Could you send him a major? Cato would be alright too.

"Hehe, you'll see when you get here."

Before Han Tian could reply, Du Chengzi hung up the phone immediately.

"well--"

"Working is tough."

Han Tian sighed and got out of bed. After washing up in the bathroom, he heard no sound from the kitchen and realized that his mother had gone out early, leaving him a twenty-yuan bill on the table. It seemed that she was leaving him to take care of his own breakfast and lunch.

Han Tian glanced at the time on his phone and thought to himself, "No wonder. It's Saturday, and my mom isn't working. She must have gotten up early to buy groceries, shopped at the supermarket for a bit, and maybe chatted with some acquaintances. She probably won't be back until noon."

"drop--"

Han Tian took a bus from the bus stop near his home all the way to the vicinity of the orange base. Instead of heading towards the base, he turned a corner and went to a street nearby. On this street, there was an affordable and delicious beef ramen restaurant. The rich beef bone broth, the chewy ramen noodles, and four or five thick slices of beef were all topped up. Most importantly, it only cost ten yuan to fill his stomach.

Previously, when Du Sinian was busy at noon, Han Tian and Zhang Zhen were often brought to this noodle shop by Aikel for lunch.

Han Tian walked into the store. He didn't order ramen because he was afraid that eating too much in the morning would cause him indigestion. Instead, he ordered two beef buns and a bowl of steaming beef soup, intending to have a nice breakfast before going to the base.

"Pfft~"

With each bite of the meat bun, the juices of the firm beef filling burst in your mouth, and a rich aroma of butter fills your nostrils.

"How is it? Pretty flavorful, right?"

"Mmm, thin crust, generous filling, and juicy filling inside..."

"No...who are you?"

Han Tian initially thought it was the shop owner trying to chat with him, but when he looked up, he saw a 1.95-meter-tall, muscular humanoid Titan standing in front of the table, smiling at him.

"Isn't this the burly man I often run into on the bus?" Han Tian had encountered him many times when getting off at the nearby bus stop. Due to his astonishing physique, he naturally had a deep impression of him. He never expected that he would actually take the initiative to talk to him here.

"Ha ha ha ha....."

Feeling a little awkward, Zhou Wanli scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, unsure how to explain his purpose to Han Tian.

Since coming to this street, I've found that all the shops here have a really strong flavor, and it would be a shame not to try them all, given my big appetite.

So he spent all the money he had to pay for his trip back to his hometown in Yanbei, and his hotel stay was about to expire, leaving him with very little money.

He was worried about the cost of his trip home when he saw a job posting. He planned to work at a ramen shop washing dishes to earn money for his journey. Yesterday, he happened to watch the match between Chengzi and Longxiao and recognized Han Tian, ​​who was eating at the shop.

Immediately, a bold idea popped into his mind.

"Does your Orange Team need any substitutes?"

"You... play Counter-Strike too?"

Han Tian was somewhat taken aback, after all, Zhou Wanli looked like a human iron tower, and he subconsciously thought he was some bodybuilder.

.......

"Sir, have a safe journey!"

"Thanks."

A small silver travel suitcase was dragged off the taxi.

"Clang!"

A white man with a rather robust build, wearing a fitted white t-shirt, was standing next to a large, long building.

Belgrade Airport is the largest airport in Serbia, handling millions of passengers annually.

He dragged his suitcase with one arm and carried a black coat under his other arm as he walked toward the airport exit.

"Sir, please show me your passport and name."

"Name: Nikolakovic, um... this is your passport."

"Okay, sir, have a pleasant journey!"

The ticket inspector waved him through, and Niko finally entered the waiting hall, completing the baggage check-in and other boarding procedures.

He sat in the waiting room with his eyes half-closed, waiting for his flight from Belgrade to Quancheng Airport in China, which would arrive in an hour and a half.

But as soon as he stops, his mind involuntarily recalls the defeat in the last competition.

At the cs_summit a few days ago, Niko's team, Faze, was surprisingly eliminated in the group stage. Since the beginning of the year, apart from Katowice's championship win, they have suffered a losing streak for more than half a year. In all these matches, their best result is only the quarterfinals.

Last year was even more dismal, with only a small-group championship and a runner-up finish at IEM Sydney, failing to win any of the events he participated in.

Keep in mind that this is Faze Clan, built with millions of dollars and once hailed as the "Galactic Battleship." Even with slight personnel changes, it still carries enormous expectations from the outside world.

If there are no results for nearly two years, there will undoubtedly be a flood of public opinion from the community and fans.

After the team's original leader, Karrigan, was demoted in 18, Niko, who took over as the team's leader during this period, was at the center of a media storm.

Every day, as soon as Niko turns on his phone, countless people on HLTV, Twitter, Facebook, and even Steam send him sarcastic and abusive messages, as if all the blame for the failure rests on him alone.

"[The reason for Boston's loss is simple: Niko failed to hold off the three boxes at crucial moments.]"

"[I don't understand why Niko kicked Karrigan out and became the in-game leader himself. Does he think he's so smart?]"

"What's the point of a top-two player worth millions? If they can't help their team win a championship, they're just a pile of crap."

"[Retire, Niko, or get out of Faze! Nobody has any expectations of you now!]"

"[Oh, he kicked Karrigan out, and now he's kicked Olfmeister out too, great.]"

He explained to the community many times that he did not have the right to decide his teammates' fate, but no one was willing to believe Niko. That's how it is in professional esports; once a team you like loses, people are always more willing to believe what they themselves have guessed.

Niko is a player who cares a lot about external opinions. He has been living like this for more than two years. Gradually, he has become more and more silent on the field. Coupled with the continuous losses, the atmosphere in the team has become more and more depressed.

Niko felt as if his entire life had turned gray, suffering from insomnia, anxiety, and depression. His current career at Faze has undoubtedly severely impacted his daily life.

Until recently, he received an invitation from his older brother Hunter, who plays for G2 Esports: "Little brother, come play with me at G2."

Niko, whose personal life had been deeply affected by the controversy, responded to his brother's invitation after careful consideration and communicated his transfer request with the Faze management. After much deliberation, the Faze management, which was already facing some financial problems, finally agreed to Niko's request.

Therefore, although the news of this transfer has not been made public, Niko will transfer from FaZe to G2 for a transfer fee of more than two million US dollars next season.

Now, after finishing his last season with FaZe, he will transfer to G2 at the end of the year to play Brothers CS with his brother Hunter.

With the off-season approaching, Niko planned to travel and relax, get himself back in top form, and give his final performance for the team he loves most in his life—Faze Clan.

However, after receiving an invitation from the electric snake brand, Niko thought it would be good to do some business activities in China without interfering with his travels, since he had heard that there were many tourist attractions in China.

Unlike his European fans who only criticize his poor performance, his Chinese fans are surprisingly enthusiastic about him. They often leave messages on his account, inviting him to come to China and try a local delicacy.

"Shrimp paste... I don't know what that is, but obviously, Chinese cuisine is very famous, and I've always wanted to try it."

Niko rubbed his light beard with his fingers, a hint of longing in his expression.