“Not bad, everyone. Take a break.”
Coach XTQZZZ and the sighing Xiao Lizi exchanged a glance. While he comforted the team aloud, he was also silently making comparisons in his heart.
After watching two rounds of BO3 scrims,
he discovered that as a rifler, Meng Lang was not like a veteran star such as Niko, who relied on rich experience and game sense to predict ahead of time and choose positions to win duels. Instead, Meng Lang possessed an extremely terrifying ability for “instant reaction.”
Especially when he had an AK in hand,
even when his positioning was at a disadvantage and his pre-aim was not perfect, he could still rely on his extreme “instant reaction” and “secondary adjustment” to destroy everything!
He could even handle spray transfers across multiple targets!
This was a combat style completely different from riflers of this era.
XTQZZZ temporarily attributed it to:
a big heart, and the enviable reaction talent of a young player!
As for Jackz’s performance, as a veteran, he could neither do what Niko did—use experience and game sense to secure advantageous gunfighting positions—nor was his instant reaction any good.
Every time he encountered an unexpected situation,
Jackz’s performance could be summed up in eight words.
The more he panicked, the messier he got; the messier he got, the faster he died.
Thinking of this, Coach XTQZZZ exchanged glances with G2’s Xiao Lizi, Old Ni, and Cousin. Even without saying much, they all understood whom everyone was leaning toward.
Indeed!
Just like who could refuse the 2024 Donk?
Who wouldn’t like a teammate like Meng Lang?
That night, G2 manager NiaK summoned the players and coach to the conference room.
At the conference table, manager Niak announced in front of everyone the roster for this Antwerp Major.
There was no suspense for the first few names—Niko, the Kid, Cousin, and the others. In the end, only one rifler slot remained.
Niak’s gaze swept over Meng Lang and Jackz, who was sitting beside him with his head lowered and his palms clenched tight, then landed on Meng Lang.
“For this Antwerp Major, you will go with the team.”
“Okay.”
He nodded.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing the result, Meng Lang felt very calm inside.
Perhaps because the bandage rewarded by the system had healed his injury, and because “Spider Sense” made up for his game sense, Meng Lang was confident that even if G2 did not keep him, he could still find a job at another club.
But when Niko heard it, he blinked at Meng Lang.
He was rather happy.
In fact, everyone from G2 sitting in the conference room was happy with this result.
Unfortunately, human joys and sorrows do not connect.
Jackz’s heart sank to the bottom!
He sat there in a daze.
In truth, he had been mentally prepared. It was just that when he heard it with his own ears, he still felt unwilling.
But what could unwillingness do?
Born in 1992, he was already thirty years old this year.
On the professional CS stage, where reaction speed and aim were demanded to an extreme degree, aging inevitably brought fluctuations in form and a decline in adaptability.
It was not that there were no thirty-year-old aimers.
Unfortunately, not everyone was that kind of aimer.
During the first two days of scrims, Meng Lang played ranked like mad every day at the G2 base.
In unseen corners, Jackz was actually training like crazy too, trying to find his aim and his form.
He desperately wanted to prove himself!
Unfortunately, when he truly faced Astralis,
the more he wanted to prove himself, the more anxious he became.
The more anxious he became, the easier it was for him to give himself away for free.
All that could be said was—
things went contrary to his wishes.
After the meeting ended, everyone left, while G2’s manager and coach kept Jackz behind for a heart-to-heart.
“Dark is only on a temporary loan and hasn’t officially signed.”
“Scrims are scrims. The specifics still depend on his performance on the official stage.”
“For this Major, you should rest well and recover first. There will still be opportunities in the second half of the year.”
However, upon hearing the manager and coach’s words, the silent Jackz did not feel hope reignite in his heart—speaking of which, it was almost laughable. As a competitor, he actually believed more than G2’s manager and coach did that Meng Lang’s performance at this Major would definitely not be poor.
But the better the other party performed,
the less chance he had of playing.
This was a very cruel reality.
At that thought, he could only force the corners of his mouth to move and nod with difficulty.
After the heart-to-heart ended, G2’s manager and coach looked at Jackz’s back as he stood up and left in silence. They knew he had not taken their words in.
Thinking about it, that was only normal.
For professional players, if you are not advancing, you are falling behind.
Only by playing more scrims and building more synergy can you maintain your form.
Once you stop, you may very well never have a job again.
Who would be willing to stake all their chances of playing on someone else’s performance?
“Jackz probably no longer has any intention of staying with the team.”
Coach XTQZZZ sighed as he spoke, his tone carrying more than a little regret.
He knew very well that G2’s recent difficulties and results issues were not all Jackz’s responsibility alone.
However, in esports,
being bad is the original sin!
If the team has no results,
someone has to be replaced.
Manager Niak did not feel too much about this.
Because G2 had made quite a few roster changes in recent years. As management, in his eyes, changing players was a normal operation for a club that wanted results.
Otherwise, they could only rot together.
After thinking for a moment, manager Niak added, “Forget it. Then notify him that he’s allowed to consider offers from other teams.”
For older players’ careers,
no one could afford delays.
Since they were making a change,
they might as well part on good terms.
In G2’s training room.
“Buddy! This should be your first time playing a Major, right?”
As soon as Niko came back, he asked with great enthusiasm, “How does it feel?”
He clearly remembered how he had felt the first time he participated in a Major—full of anticipation yet nervous, excited yet uneasy, longing to make a name for himself while fearing he would turn into a big-stage choker.
Hearing Niko’s question, everyone could not help looking over as well.
Meng Lang pondered carefully for two seconds. “Feels okay, I guess. Antwerp is in Belgium, right? Is there anything good to eat there?”
“???”
I’m talking to you about the first Major of your life!
And you’re talking to me about food!
Bro, if you chat like this, how am I supposed to respond?!
But before Niko could react, Meng Lang suddenly remembered something. He hurriedly took out his phone, raised his arm around Old Ni’s shoulder, and took a photo of the two of them together.
Although Old Ni was still a little confused, the instant the camera was aimed at him, his professional ability kicked in and he immediately revealed a handsome and charming smile.
Cousin rolled his eyes at the sight.
Meng Lang quickly edited updates for his Weibo and INS.
“Brothers! I can play the Antwerp Major!”
(Photo)
The moment this Weibo post went out!
Before long,
the comment section below exploded!
Netizen “Does Brother Shrimp Still Agree This Time”: No way, bro! You’re going to G2 to play the Major? Is that real or fake?
The replies below were also full of all kinds of doubt.
“Impossible, right?”
“Did G2’s brains short-circuit? They’re swapping in a rifler whose hand injury hasn’t healed?”
“Exactly. EG didn’t even want him, and G2 is picking up trash?”
“Tsk tsk! Took a photo with Brother Shrimp and came out to flex?”
“Brother Shrimp, Brother Shrimp! If you’ve been kidnapped, blink twice!”
“.”
However, next, as G2’s official domestic and overseas announcements were formally released, all those doubts, mockery, and jokes instantly turned into countless shocks.
G2 official Twitter/Weibo:
【Announcement on roster adjustment for G2 Esports Club CS division... Effective immediately, former trial player Dark (Meng Lang) officially joins the CS division as a rifler and will compete in the Antwerp Major Challengers Stage...
At the same time, Jackz has been allowed to explore other teams.
Then,
LETS GOOOOOO G2!】
As soon as the announcement was released,
the news was like a massive boulder falling into water. Even G2 fans found it hard to believe, and in an instant, it stirred up a storm of public opinion throughout the esports circles at home and abroad!