Chapter 388: Graceful as a startled swan, agile as a swimming dragon!

"Congratulations to Vitality!" Xiao Bo let out a long sigh of relief in the broadcast room. "With a 1v3 clutch, Xu Beifang has secured the match point with nerves of steel. Vitality has completed a stunning comeback on this map!"

"Such meticulous clutch play. It looked like a 1v3 confrontation, but he completely read VP's movements in this clutch, breaking it down into three 1v1s."

This round had been far too dramatic; he had thought there would still be suspense, perhaps even that the match might go into overtime.

But Vitality's individual brilliance was even more outstanding.

Even if the overall performance on this map today hadn't been great, whenever Xu Beifang was truly given a chance, he could still make the plays.

"Vitality has successfully taken Dust II and now holds the BO3 match point. VP is in a very difficult spot now; it all depends on whether they have made special preparations for Map 2." But that didn't matter now, as the viewers in the broadcast room were spamming the chat like crazy.

The director's camera cut from the game to the venue, focusing on Vitality's player booth.

The moment the match ended, the angry bear belonging to VP dimmed, and Vitality's team logo appeared above the big screen.

The lights in the entire arena turned bright white at this moment, clearly signaling that Vitality, dressed in their white jerseys, had emerged victorious.

The moment Xu Beifang won the clutch, he stood up and let out a ferocious roar.

As an In-Game Leader, his weakest point was his aim.

The flashbang Xu Beifang threw in that clutch had completely toyed with AdreN, crushing him purely on awareness.

Everyone turned serious; during the confrontation on Map 1, VP had already demonstrated their solid offensive and defensive rhythm.

Things that Xu Beifang had vaguely sensed during the match, swani could easily analyze from the god's-eye view.

"The effect was definitely good," shox said. "Da Jin Ya must have died feeling incredibly stifled, without even a chance to fight back. He would have been better off just peeking out and letting you kill him."

"But what's the use of avoiding fights in full-buy rounds?" apEX mimicked the gesture of holding a pistol again. "If they have the ability to avoid us the whole time, then when they ECO and try to bully Beifang, Beifang will just take them out one by one!"

Xu Beifang shook his head: "The first time I played a Major, I was the biggest dark horse, but I only made it to the quarter-finals, and after entering the Champions Stage, I got crushed. It wasn't that exaggerated."

Plus the overall improvement in the level of play in CSGO over the past year.

"They actually won that!!" shox was a bit dumbfounded. The round had been so dramatic that his CPU was overloaded; he hadn't processed it yet.

But just when they thought they could push through and end it, Jame stood up again and used his AWP to kill everyone in Mid.

Xiao Li, sitting to the side, couldn't understand their French communication, but seeing apEX's vivid gestures, he understood what he was talking about. He smiled and said: "VP must want to cry. Who knew Nice could perform like that!"

Compared to the VP of the past, this VP was at least a cut above in overall strength.

The harmonious atmosphere in the training room made XTQZZZ quite happy, but he still reminded them: "Alright, the summary for Map 1 ends here. Don't get careless; after all, we almost lost Map 1."

First, it was thanks to JackZ's performance at the start that they secured the entry kill.

So he truly admired Xu Beifang's exaggerated aiming ability from the bottom of his heart.

Coupled with Jame's outstanding leadership ability, the pressure they brought to the game overall was very strong.

"I just thought about the possibility of the opponent trading kills, so I tried it out. It seems the effect was good."

Xu Beifang explained: "He had fired a shot at B1 earlier, so I knew there was someone there. Then, it took me a little time to duel Jame, giving the opponent a chance to push to the Mid doors."

Xu Beifang felt the strength coming from his teammates and hugged them with a smile.

"They were still too hesitant in their play," apEX explained his view. "VP's strength lies in their discipline, but their weakness also lies in their discipline."

A sniper near T0 level and a stable T1 level rifler.

As the biggest dark horse of this Berlin Major, the strength they displayed was truly stunning.

The broadcast room, watching the highlight kills from Map 1, also fell into a discussion.

Especially those two guys, Jame and Qikert.

He had wanted to find his teammates to celebrate after his roar.

It looked like they were playing with a single core, but Xu Beifang was forced into a 4-protect-1 situation at that time.

What stunned him most was Xu Beifang's second kill in the clutch; he couldn't understand Xu Beifang's logic at all.

As an analyst, swani focused more on the overall performance.

As soon as they returned to the lounge, the coaching staff gathered around.

Later, during the second push in Mid, they lost one player to an MP9 run-and-gun, but Zywoo stepped up and evened the numbers.

But before he could move, JackZ pulled him into the crowd.

"VP was very well prepared today. In the first half, when we had full buys, they only came to A Long to probe once. VP was deliberately avoiding Beifang."

Jame looked like he was playing 4-protect-1, but because he was the IGL, all his actions served the overall game.

"No need to watch Beifang's clutches; even with your eyes closed, it's a victory!" JackZ had a smile on his face, even looking a bit surprised.

Finally, Xu Beifang was left to handle the 1v3 clutch.

Everyone chatted while walking toward the lounge.

If the Xu Beifang of the past had led pasha and the others against Jame, they would have died a miserable death.

"Speaking of which, if you had taken Inferno directly from VP, they would have followed your old path," Xiao Li teased.

The Vitality team discussed their next strategy in the lounge.

Inside the Mercedes-Benz Arena, the lights flickered, and the crowd below let out excited shouts. Accompanied by waving glow sticks and the music from around the stage, the sound wave echoed in the stadium like the ocean.

"Was that flashbang of yours luck or intentional?" shox asked curiously. "The opponents must have been stunned."

The post-match stats for the game soon appeared on the screen.

Although Xu Beifang had the most highlight plays on Map 1 and saved the situation for Vitality many times, more viewers noticed Zywoo's stats.

Although Zywoo didn't have any high-tension highlight kills in this match, he was stable enough, and his stats were very eye-catching.

In 28 rounds, he got 28 kills.

He averaged one kill per round.

His average damage per round was as high as 97.0.

His rating was 1.43.

In comparison, his stats weren't as exaggerated as the ones Xu Beifang had put up before.

But this was easy to understand; against a team like VP that liked slow map control, it was hard to get particularly exaggerated stats.

And given that the opponents were avoiding fights on the offensive side, being able to put up these stats was already quite impressive.

【How did this Potato kill his way to first place again without a sound?】

【This is Potato, stable to an outrageous degree.】

【I saw Nice pull off a few highlight plays and thought the MVP would be Beifang.】

【Xu doesn't start, but once he starts, he kills a few.】

【Jame is a real beast, playing like a vampire, yet he still can't carry.】

【This guy Zywoo looks like the strongest secondary, but no sniper on the market can suppress him. It's really strange.】

Inside the VP lounge.

"After switching to defense, there were a few rounds where we played too irrationally. We shouldn't have given the opponent so much room to operate," VP's current coach, dastan, said seriously.

"Although we pursue the most rational way to play the game, there were clearly a few rounds where we could have tried to make a play, but you guys chose to save weapons instead. That's completely unacceptable."

Qikert felt annoyed listening to this. You were the one who said to be steady and save weapons, and you were the one who said to take the initiative to find opportunities.

So how exactly do you want us to play?

He grumbled inwardly, but his reason remained, and he didn't let these thoughts turn into an argument in the lounge.

Jame looked back and understood Qikert's thoughts at a glance; he was never one to hide his feelings.

"Dust II is already lost. We'll talk about the review when we get back. The more important question now is how to win Inferno and take the match to Map 3."

"We did have some flaws playing on the CT side, and the details weren't handled particularly well."

Jame never covered up his own shortcomings; he believed that only by facing them and solving them could he become stronger.

However, solving shortcomings was a post-match matter. Now, in the match, all he could do was play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.

"We had flaws on the CT side, so on Inferno, I will take the initiative to choose the offensive side," Jame explained. "With relatively outstanding offense, plus my research on Vitality, we should be able to get a good score."

"So don't worry, just work hard to win it back in the match."

The VP members had been a bit restless, but turning to look at Jame's calm face, their hearts slowly settled down.

Jame was right; there was nothing else they could do now but win it back in the match.

After the halftime break, both teams returned to the stage and entered the server for Map 2.

"Hiss~" Xu Beifang took a breath. "What kind of tricks is VP playing now?"

In the lounge, they had already discussed a rough offensive plan for the early game on Inferno, but VP chose to start as Terrorists.

The variables appeared again, making their expressions heavy.

Because of VP's move, their discussion in the lounge was essentially wasted, and they would have to react on the fly.

The pistol round began, and apEX started arranging tactics: "Let's go with a 2A3B setup for the pistol round. Beifang, hide with us in B Site, and wait for Jame to attack slowly."

"For A Site, Zywoo, you can play a bit more actively to give them the illusion that we have 3 at A."

After saying that, he equipped a full set of utility, preparing to use it for a second-time retake on B Site.

The countdown ended, and everyone set off for their respective defensive areas.

Zywoo, following apEX's idea, played quite boldly. Shortly after the start, he used his USP at A1 to hold the T-spawn and sewer, almost killing Jame with one shot.

It was a pity that after VP entered Inferno, their overall offensive rhythm became very, very slow.

Because they intended to come in with a mode similar to a blind gamble, it was very difficult to retake and get information, so they could only deal with it calmly.

But in the second wave, VP chose a fast explosive push at A1 and A2.

They flew out from the second floor relying on flashbangs. shox forced a kill while half-blinded but was traded.

Zywoo wanted to fight back, but was caught in a crossfire by Terrorists from the Boiler Room and A2.

"In this case, the pistol round has come to a 4v3. All 3 CTs are rotating from B Site, and they don't have a defuse kit, which is a bit tough," Xiao Bo analyzed. "Actually, we can see apEX has a full set of utility, but he's just missing a pair of scissors. This clutch is hard to play, so they just choose to save weapons."

"A wise decision. This is the Jame we're talking about. He knows your aim is good, so he won't duel you at all; he just plays tactics and seeks stability."

Jame understood his team's strengths and weaknesses very well. Attacking the enemy's weaknesses with his own strengths was the key to victory.

He would use every advantage he could, including his teammates, to win this round for him.

The heavy defense gamble failed, causing Vitality to lose the pistol round.

But apEX didn't lose heart; his brain turned quickly: "The good news is that we saved two half-armors and a set of utility. We can force-buy in the second round."

He looked at the economy on the scoreboard and said: "Potato, buy an SSG 08 and go play in Mid. Try to get a shot off, don't die at the start. I still want to attract them to attack B."

"Then Beifang, you get a FAMAS. JackZ, can you buy nothing this round? Or just buy a Zeus to play at the Stone Slab."

JackZ turned his head strangely: "You still want to mess around at a time like this?"

"Mainly because I want you to save some economy," apEX said. "If we can't take this round, I want Beifang to play a Hero Galil in the next round."

JackZ nodded. "Understood."

apEX explained some tactical details, and after the countdown ended, everyone set off.

Zywoo's positioning wasn't particularly good, but he followed apEX's arrangement and went straight to Mid.

To be honest, he was playing an unarmored SSG 08 this round, which was quite dangerous.

Because his positioning wasn't good, and the opponent had bought an SSG 08, they could kill him with one shot.

But they had watched the recordings of VP several times and knew that Jame didn't like to buy an SSG 08 on this map, so he played a bit more boldly.

He pulled to Mid and just as he got vision, he saw an arm swing past.

"Someone entered Banana, watch out," Zywoo reminded, then circled around A1 and returned to the Connector.

His teammates were gambling on a heavy defense this round. If the Terrorists wanted to attack A, his SSG 08 wouldn't be of much use at the bomb site, but he could pull and drag if he was in the Connector.

"Many in Banana! Watch your backs!" JackZ loudly reminded his teammates, then stuck to the Stone Slab and prepared to Zeus someone.

"JackZ is preparing to Zeus at the Stone Slab, but there are four Terrorists in Banana. A pop-flash at the Stone Slab makes AdreN pull out directly. JackZ, blinded, misses the Zeus and is cleared by a Mac-10. Three others see the dilemma fire and are also forced to retreat."

"apEX throws a HE grenade, causing quite a bit of damage. Sigh!" Xiao Bo's eyes suddenly lit up. "Zywoo uses the SSG 08 to headshot SANJI under VIP!"

After getting the kill, Zywoo repeeks to look at Mid. "Watch B Site, there's no one trading in Mid!"

In the 4v4 clutch, the main force of the Terrorists was already locked in Banana.

apEX had a flash of inspiration and shouted urgently: "Beifang, hide at Dead Point! shox, let's take the initiative to find an opportunity!"

As old partners, shox immediately understood apEX's idea. Just then, the opponent burned a fire at the second box, and he immediately extinguished it with a smoke.

apEX at CT Spawn threw a flashbang under the platform, then pulled out his Mac-10 and rushed out.

Two people on the opposite side were covering their eyes, but another person at the corner was holding CT Spawn. He didn't kill anyone with a spray and was traded.

【Qikert+Jame used Mac-10 to headshot apEX】

"It's over! apEX at CT Spawn couldn't hold back and pushed through the smoke to find an opportunity, but he just gave it away!" Xiao Bo's face was full of worry. "Now VP is going straight to B! Qikert didn't even forget to check the double-boost spot while pushing. shox was hiding by the smoke trying to play a one-way smoke, but Jame saw it clearly and headshot him with an AK47!"

"The numbers instantly became 2v4!"

The frontal confrontation was too fast, and Xu Beifang finally understood why apEX had given him a Hero Galil this round.

apEX had intended from the very beginning to use their lives to create an opportunity for him.

The conventional B Site defense on Inferno is a 2B start; 3B is considered a heavy defense, and 4B is more of a gamble.

But just now, shox and apEX, and even JackZ who had sacrificed himself in Banana early on, had lowered the Terrorists' vigilance toward the bomb site.

shox and apEX had done enough groundwork on the front, and couldn't provide any more help, so they could only watch Xu Beifang's play nervously.

He absolutely couldn't afford any mistakes after his teammates had sacrificed their lives to create this opportunity.

He had to seize it; if he played this well, there was a real chance of a comeback!

Although Zywoo had reached CT Spawn, his unarmored SSG 08 couldn't help him for the time being, so he could only play it as a 1v4 situation.

Listening to the footsteps coming from the left side of the bomb site, Xu Beifang stuck to the three boxes and played around them.

Because there was a second-box smoke thrown by shox in front of him, he didn't have to worry about the situation in front.

"Xu is still circling, still hiding. VP didn't expect Xu to circle to the side of the three boxes. He caught an amazing timing!!"

"Circling back to the three boxes, there are two people standing at Dead Point. The Galil fires directly, headshotting Qikert above Dead Point, then turns to take down AdreN below Dead Point!!"

Exclamations exploded at the scene. Xu Beifang didn't care about that; he had to get more kills before the opponent reacted.

He had already seen one more person under the platform, so after pre-aiming, he pulled out directly.

The pre-aim was fine, and the counter-strafing was fine.

But at this level of competition, the opponent eventually reacted.

The moment the gunfire rang out, AdreN immediately held the three boxes, and his helmet was hit with a bang-bang sound.

"Da-da-da!"

【AdreN used AK47 to kill Nice】

"Under the platform, very low health!! Hit the coffin box, so the damage was reduced!" Xu Beifang reported urgently.

AdreN was very detailed this time, only showing half his head under the platform, so he inevitably hit the cover.

apEX added: "It's okay, Potato, the remaining two are both low health!"

He remembered clearly that he had engaged Jame earlier, and Jame had been hit by three shots from his Mac-10.

And the one who killed Xu Beifang now was AdreN, who had also been left at low health by Xu Beifang.

This meant the remaining two were both low health.

Although Zywoo only had an unarmored SSG 08, now his unarmored SSG 08 could kill with one shot!

Almost the moment Xu Beifang was killed, Zywoo peeked out to take a look and exchanged a shot with the Terrorist in Banana.

It was a pity that the shot didn't hit, but his own position was forced to be exposed.

Zywoo fired a few shots through the smoke, then took the initiative to make footsteps returning to the Church, then scoped in and pushed over, releasing the silent walk at close range.

Jame never expected Zywoo to suddenly swing out and was killed by the SSG 08 in one shot.

"1v1!!" Xu Beifang shouted excitedly in the voice chat.

Applause and cheers rang out in the arena, and everyone's attention was drawn to the action on the big screen.

"It's 1v1, what will Zywoo do now!!" Xu Nanfang was very excited watching the screen. His emotions were a bit complicated; he looked forward to Zywoo making a play, but was also worried about AdreN turning the situation around.

In the 1v1 clutch, AdreN had a full-armor AK, but he didn't have much health left; if Zywoo hit him once, he was dead.

And Zywoo had an unarmored SSG 08; as long as he was hit by one bullet from AdreN, his view would shake, and there would be no hope for further plays.

A tense atmosphere spread through the arena, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the screen, afraid of missing any details.

AdreN also felt his heartbeat quickening, and the noisy sound outside his headphones only added to his nervousness.

Zywoo was confirmed to be at CT Spawn with an SSG 08.

But now the bomb was dropped on the platform, and he didn't have much health, so he didn't dare to pick it up easily.

He could only hold his angle in place and wait for an opportunity.

But while holding the angle, he felt that Zywoo might circle through the Church to CT Spawn, so he turned to hold that angle as well.

One could feel his nervousness from the god's-eye view.

"The bomb hasn't been planted yet, a 1v1 clutch!" Xiao Bo was still commentating nervously, then suddenly glanced at the bullet screen on the right.

【Jame: AdreN, stop fighting, save an AK for me!】

This comment was too funny, and Xiao Bo couldn't hold it in.

"There's no way he's saving weapons now, it's 1v1!!" Xiao Bo held back for a few seconds before suppressing the corner of his mouth. "Both sides are still hesitating. AdreN finally picked up the bomb, but he shouldn't dare to plant it on B Site. He should be planning to rotate to A."

"Look, he's already sneaking toward A Site!"

Zywoo kept peeking from the bomb site and the Church. When he peeked again and saw the C4 was gone from the bomb site, he knew something was wrong.

There were 32 seconds left; the opponent had enough time to rotate.

The situation fell into passivity again, making the hearts of Vitality and the others sink.

If AdreN picked up the bomb and planted it on A Site, the initiative would be entirely in AdreN's hands.

But Zywoo's thinking was very clear. After the bomb disappeared, he immediately turned to look at the Church and held a wide angle.

With the crosshair in his heart, his powerful screen-center sense allowed him to easily place the crosshair at the entrance of the Church.

"AdreN is still hesitating. Although he got the bomb, he doesn't seem to intend to rotate to A, just making fake moves in place!"

"Zywoo knows the bomb was taken, so he turns to hold the Church crossing. A rational decision."

"But AdreN's pre-aim through the wall, pulling out to the right... but Zywoo!!!"

Seeing the opponent pull out, he immediately pulled the trigger.

With powerful screen-center sense and good reaction speed, AdreN hadn't even stopped steadily before the bullet pierced his chest.

——Bang!

【ZywOo+Nice used SSG 08 to blind-kill AdreN】

"This is France's strongest supernova!! Zywoo!!!" Xiao Bo shouted excitedly in the broadcast room.

CSGO is like this; every brilliant breakthrough, every clutch full of intrigue, is intoxicating.

"Beautiful!!" Xu Beifang bumped fists with his teammates and praised, "That SSG 08 was crucial!"

Their main force had gotten two kills and two low-healths on B Site, and Zywoo had cleaned up; it was indeed quite crucial.

apEX smiled proudly: "See, my rotation wasn't wrong, right? They probably thought I was having a breakdown at CT Spawn and went out to find an opportunity."

Xu Beifang teased: "Wasn't it?"

apEX's revenge was to apply a 'hand-hot' buff to Xu Beifang when bumping fists, making Xu Beifang let out a Tom-like scream.

apEX of course wasn't having a breakdown; Jame realized this after the round ended.

At that time, knowing there were people at CT Spawn and the bomb site, his first thought was to rotate to A.

At that time, there were 4 CTs, and at least two on B, which meant there were at most two on A, or perhaps only that SSG 08.

The SSG 08 had some lethality, but if the utility was placed correctly, it wouldn't be of much use, and they could easily enter A with an explosive push.

But it was because apEX at CT Spawn suddenly jumped out to retake, and they killed apEX, that they got the information that there was only one person on B, so they just sped up.

Because apEX occasionally had the problem of having a breakdown and giving away kills in matches, he didn't find it strange at the time.

Now thinking about it, whether it was apEX actively jumping out to retake or the second-box smoke, they were all setups made by the opponent.

Inherent impressions are harmful; apEX doesn't just fly to the second floor... Jame sighed inwardly.

The groundwork laid earlier allowed Nice's Galil behind the three boxes to go on a killing spree.

He had just asked his teammates; they had indeed checked the spot, but they didn't see anyone behind the three boxes at all.

They just didn't check the second-box smoke carefully.

Although their discipline was strong, it was impossible to check every place in detail sometimes.

apEX's hook was too real!

apEX didn't know Jame's thoughts; he was enjoying the joy brought by the comeback.

Bold tactical groundwork allowed them to complete a comeback in the second round.

VP didn't get the pistol round bonus they should have enjoyed, and because they didn't plant the bomb, their economy was shattered.

They were forced to force-buy, but finding opportunities on the offensive side wasn't that easy.

After the force-buy failed, they could only ECO to adjust their economy, and Vitality took another point.

The score soon reached 3:1.

The match entered the first full-buy round. VP's rhythm had always been a bit strange. After considering it, apEX didn't intend to play any information-gathering or mutual-probing games with the opponent.

"We're still starting 3B this round, but I'll use utility to send Beifang and JackZ out in Banana. Let's take control of Banana first, then see how to play later."

Then he turned to Zywoo: "Potato, you two can make some noise at A2 or A1."

apEX's playing style was still aggressive; he wanted to put pressure on VP to the end.

You like to play default? Then I'll push you to the back in the early game, making your default map control time longer, so your offense won't be that easy.

The countdown ended, and Xu Beifang walked toward B Site with JackZ, communicating the details of this round's play.

JackZ suggested: "How about we just step on the fire and go out, and catch the person entering Banana first?"

Xu Beifang thought about it: "It's not impossible. If you step on the fire and go out, your T-spawn smoke should just explode, and you can get information for a moment and try to clash with them."

Compared to VP, they might be a bit inferior in discipline and personnel rotation.

But in terms of aiming ability and frontal trading, Vitality was stronger than VP.

So they weren't afraid of dueling, or rather, apEX was creating dueling environments for them in many tactics.

Arriving at Banana, JackZ did a simple flash and walked forward directly on the fire.

After Xu Beifang threw the T-spawn smoke, he immediately followed with his gun.

"Vitality starts 3B this round, two people at close range in Banana, flashbang thrown, pushing down!"

JackZ rushed out and saw an AWP holding the T-spawn, but apEX's flashbang was quite good, and the opponent fired a shot while covering their eyes, but didn't hit him.

He immediately aimed and sprayed at Jame, but Jame's positioning was very good, and he only hit two shots before Jame retreated.

However, a second before the T-spawn smoke exploded, he saw two people standing on the left side of the T-spawn and immediately pulled his crosshair over to spray.

What pained him happened: his spray was completely spread out, leaving both of them low health, and with a "bang," he finally fell to the ground.

【Qikert+Buster used AK47 to headshot JackZ】

"Left side of T-spawn, sticking to the wall, two!" JackZ reported to his teammates loudly.

Xu Beifang's individual breakthrough ability was very strong, but his information-gathering wasn't weak either.

After hearing JackZ's report, he pulled a wide angle to the right to create an angle for himself.

"Da-da-da!"

【Nice+JackZ used AK47 to shoot through the smoke and kill Buster】

Qikert got a kill and saw the smoke grenade explode, originally not intending to care about Banana, but suddenly saw Buster die, and felt unconvinced.

He threw a barrel fire, then threw a sky flash, and pushed through the smoke into Banana.

If Xu Beifang had retreated after getting the kill, he could have easily taken control of the close range in Banana, and they would have profited from the trade.

But he didn't expect that after Xu Beifang got the kill, he didn't retreat, but continued to push forward.

He didn't even leave the smoke grenade before he was killed by Xu Beifang with his gun pointed at his head.

Xu Beifang didn't stop after killing Qikert, and sprayed through the T-spawn smoke, trying to kill the Terrorist who might be trading behind the smoke.

But no kill information appeared, and he only heard the sound of an AWP.

【Jame used AWP to shoot through the smoke and kill Nice】

"Hiss~" Xiao Bo gasped. "The trading efficiency of both sides is really a bit exaggerated. Qikert wanted to use utility to rush in and was killed by Xu, but Jame instantly traded Xu through the smoke."

"The numbers are back to 3v3, but fortunately, control of Banana has been taken, and Beifang still gained an advantage."

After killing Xu Beifang, Jame didn't dare to probe into Banana casually, so he took the bomb and started heading toward A Site.

"Zywoo also rotated to B Site in the second wave, but this gamble was wrong. VP is coming to probe A, and now only shox is left at the bomb site."

"shox sees utility raining down on A Site and quickly calls his teammates back, because the opponent threw quite a bit of utility, looking like at least two people threw it."

Zywoo's actions were fast; before the opponent attacked, he rotated to the Library, confirmed no one was in the Connector, and waited for the smoke at the back of the Connector to explode before rotating to the bomb site.

"Teammates have already rushed back, but the problem is the Terrorists threw utility but didn't speed up, and the information disappeared." Xiao Bo smiled. "Now it's apEX's turn to think, where exactly is VP going to attack?"

apEX and Zywoo were hesitant at CT Spawn. shox reminded them that the opponent had gone quiet. They were worried that the opponent wanted to rotate to B, and also afraid that the opponent was preparing to speed up B in the second wave.

Just then, Xu Beifang heard information from shox's perspective: "Someone is still at A1!! Throwing a flash, seems like they intend to speed up!"

Hearing this, Zywoo in the Library quickly came to the periphery of the bomb site and sealed a smoke grenade at A2.

The moment the smoke exploded, AK47 bullets kept coming, as the opponent tried to spray the CTs crossing.

Coupled with the confirmation that someone threw utility at A1, it was temporarily certain that the main force of the opponent was at A.

"Go!" Jame gave the command calmly. "Rotate back silently."

He had probed for a long time with two rounds of utility just to see if there was a second member at A Site.

A2 was sealed with a smoke grenade, letting him know clearly that the rotation was in place.

That meant there was only one person at B Site now, or it was even empty!

In Jame's view, utility sometimes wasn't just for close range, but could also be a means to obtain information.

"VP is really steady. The second set of utility has been thrown, and they still don't attack A." Xiao Bo was a bit stunned. He found it hard to imagine how Jame did it, as calm as ice.

"But Vitality's reaction is also fast. Zywoo sealed the A2 smoke, then used the AWP to graze A1. A1 didn't see anyone, so now it's clear, the opponent rotated to B!"

apEX at CT Spawn heard the information from his teammates, but he didn't make any response.

Because he couldn't stop VP's attack now; the opponent's CT Spawn smoke was thrown, and his gun position was directly lost.

"Beifang, help me listen for information." apEX asked Xu Beifang for help. He glanced at the mini-map; his teammates were still at the Long Corridor.

The three of them didn't have much utility in their hands. If they let VP stand on the bomb site like this, there would be no chance for a retake.

He had to find an opportunity to try, at least to disrupt the opponent's rhythm.

Xu Beifang nodded, then reported the information in detail: "One passed, two... only two passed. According to VP's playing style, it's very likely someone is holding the smoke now."

apEX nodded; he knew this too, as he watched recordings very diligently.

"apEX wants to come out of the smoke, but he was blinded. Is he planning to wait for the opponent to plant the bomb before pulling out to fight?"

"But apEX!! He pulls out directly and headshots AdreN in B Tunnel!"

Exclamations erupted at the scene, but apEX was full of seriousness, immediately manipulating the mouse for a 90-degree turn.

There were two Terrorists standing in front of the coffin and Dead Point. apEX quickly tapped at the Terrorist at Dead Point, but missed the first shot, so he immediately crouched to avoid damage.

Creating a local 1v1 condition for himself.

SANJI turned around and immediately came to trade, but perhaps because he used the Glock too much, his AK47 play wasn't ideal, and he couldn't hit the head, instead being controlled by apEX, who sprayed him down with a headshot.

"SANJI didn't beat apEX, and Jame's AWP couldn't kill apEX crouching under the platform. apEX stood up and sprayed again, my god!!!"

"Who exactly are you??"

The audience at the scene exclaimed. They had thought that apEX pulling out suddenly might get one kill, or none at all.

But they didn't expect apEX to pull out from CT Spawn and just start spinning!

If it were Xu Beifang or Zywoo, they could understand such a performance, but this was apEX, which was quite stunning.

You have to know that IGLs' aim is generally not particularly outstanding, but apEX used this play to let people know what a 'gun-fighting IGL' is!

【Dreaming back to 2015, he is still that breakthrough madman from back then.】

【apEX!!】

【Strange, apEX is like a war god!】

【Big Mountain Yi!!】

【Case solved, it's apEX exerting force, adjusting the timeline back a few years.】

When the round ended, apEX himself was calm, just clenching his right fist.

But Xu Beifang next to him went crazy, and the hoarse "NICE——" filled the entire player booth.

Zywoo and the others next to him didn't even need to be mentioned; they all became members of the atmosphere group.

【Laughing to death, Beifang wasn't this excited when he got a 5-kill ECO on the previous map.】

【Can he not be excited? It's not easy for apEX to perform.】

【The one shouting loudly should be the apEX you guys are talking about.】

【Vitality members are all little Geodudes.】

【Should say everyone is a Nice player; those who play well become Nice, those who don't shout Nice.】

"apEX, teach me how to use the AK!!" Xu Beifang was full of smiles. This local 1v3 by apEX was indeed beautiful, and he had to give a thumbs up.

apEX raised an eyebrow: "Low profile, don't make it seem like this 1v3 is hard."

But before he finished speaking, he couldn't help but laugh himself.

VP's tactics were very headache-inducing, but their form was slowly coming out, especially on this map where they had higher proficiency, and they could easily counter various routines.

Just then, the match screen entered a pause.

Looking at the score lost again, Jame had a headache.

There was nothing wrong with the tactics, but they collapsed on the details time and time again.

It was like this round; the plan was fine, and they finally caught the moment of numerical disadvantage.

But apEX came out and caught AdreN on a timing, then turned and killed them all. What kind of thing is this?

He wanted to rely on his leadership talent, rely on the tactics he deployed to get points, but it was only the early game on Inferno, and they were already unable to score.

Compared to fast-paced offense, they were completely unable to gain an advantage over Vitality. Jame considered trying slow map control and utility management in the next few rounds.

But the premise was that they had to save enough economy.

They were being suppressed like this, and couldn't even manage their economy; they didn't have any 'Jametime' to play.

It was a pity that the painful thing happened; in the next three rounds, even with economy, they still couldn't break through Vitality's defense.

They were able to enter the bomb site, and even had the chance to plant the bomb, but there was always a problem in the post-plant phase.

Vitality always had someone who could stand up.

The score reached 7:1 without anyone noticing.

VP had already called for a second tactical pause.

Qikert couldn't help but complain: "What's going on with Vitality? How can everyone perform!"

Nice, apEX, and Zywoo were extremely difficult to deal with, always able to pull off a big play unexpectedly; their hand-feel was truly out.

And they had been in good form, but with consecutive lost points, their hand-feel was already ice cold.

Although relying on Jame's system-style play, they could guarantee a floor, but the problem was that relying on the floor now was completely not enough!

"Let's play a bit of fast-paced rhythm. We can't get any information playing default map control; the opponent is an expert at this style." Jame let out a long breath. "Let's just fly to the second floor in a full-buy round. I'll synchronize with you guys in Mid later."

"But you still have to do the default on the side path. I intend for you guys to sneak over and fly."

Although he really didn't want to play such aggressive tactics, now that they couldn't get a second point, Vitality had punched them a few times, and his teammates were already a bit dazed.

Compared to continuing to follow his map control idea, getting another point now to help them achieve a zero breakthrough was more critical.

"The metaphysical score of 7:1, this round is also quite critical. If VP still can't get a point, then the score gap will be pulled very, very wide!"

"Vitality is still in the conventional 3A2B position, but Beifang came to A this round?"

Xiao Bo looked at the screen in the broadcast and felt a bit strange.

Although Xu Beifang could roam the map, in today's confrontation, he had mostly gone to B.

This sudden move to A, is there any reason?

The defensive rhythm was good before, so logically they shouldn't change their positioning.

But this round, Xu Beifang's positioning was closest to Mid, and VP didn't dare to enter Banana in the early game, so he wanted to test the waters on the side path.

So at the start, he took the initiative to have JackZ help him throw a deep Mid smoke, then called Zywoo to help.

After Zywoo reached the Connector, he first aimed at the top of the A1 flower bed and threw a smoke grenade. This smoke grenade would eventually land on the A1 flower bed.

Conventional side-path retakes are easily affected by the opponent's VIP fire.

But this smoke grenade could pass through the wall and extinguish the opponent's VIP fire.

After throwing the smoke grenade, Zywoo aimed and threw a flash. His main task in the early game was to assist Xu Beifang in getting kills on the side path.

The deep Mid smoke suddenly unfolded, and Jame, who had jumped into the sewer at the start, instantly frowned. He reminded loudly: "Watch Mid, this might be a one-way smoke."

Not sure of the opponent's one-way position, he crouched directly to avoid being killed by the one-way.

The main force of the Terrorists on the side path also became vigilant after hearing Jame's report.

But just then, they heard a "hiss" sound, and the VIP fire was extinguished.

Immediately after, SANJI, standing on the T-bridge, shouted loudly: "The opponent is going to retake!!"

But the next second, flashbangs exploded continuously, stripping him of all vision.

Xu Beifang rushed into VIP and saw the opponents on the T-bridge and below the side path covering their eyes and starting to cry.

His crosshair instantly pulled to the Terrorist on the T-bridge, and a spray was fired directly.

"Da-da-da!"

【Nice+ZywOo flashbang used AK47 to kill SANJI】

The second flashbang arrived, and Xu Beifang stepped out again, seeing a Terrorist covering his eyes in the middle of the road, and sprayed another burst, easily taking the kill.

"A side-path retake at the start, Xu directly got a double kill, numerical advantage in hand. He didn't get carried away and continue looking for people, but retreated to the back. 1 minute 40 seconds into the round, VP is facing a 3v5 clutch."

Losing two people early on the side path made Jame frown. From his perspective, this round was already hard to unfold.

He crawled out of the sewer and walked to the T-spawn, trying to get the bomb, but only heard the sound of an AWP at A1.

【ZywOo used AWP to kill Jame】

Jame understood after seeing this kill; Vitality was double-boosting behind the smoke.

Alright, the 3v5 had become 2v5.

The metaphysical score didn't work, and Jame could only helplessly give the order: "Go to T-spawn and save the AWP, this round can't be played."

Vitality took another point.

Arriving at the 10th round.

A wave of consecutive points put Vitality in a very good mood. apEX asked: "Brothers, any ideas?"

An IGL doesn't just daydream, but relies on feedback from teammates, summarizing various ideas to give a good direction.

Xu Beifang had also built up confidence in his play over these rounds, and after considering it, he suggested: "I want to continue playing on the side path this round."

shox raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you just spray on the side path last round?"

He shook his head: "Not a VIP retake on the side path, I'm preparing to go through the spiral stairs to find them and fight, to grab an opportunity."

"Then do you need someone to follow?"

Xu Beifang answered shox: "I'll play by myself. If I accidentally give it away, then replenish the utility quickly."

The countdown ended, and he walked from the Library toward A2.

Coming to the side path this time, he didn't have a sniper rifle, so naturally, he didn't intend to sneak.

So the assistance of utility was particularly important.

Xu Beifang aimed and threw a relatively special fire; this fire would eventually explode on the other side of the spiral stairs fake door.

His playing style was actually a replica of the A2 fire on Mirage.

To put it bluntly, it was using an early-game anti-rush fire to make the opponent relax their vigilance and neglect attention to this spot.

On other maps, it could also be used.

For example, on Dust II, you could throw a fire at the white car on B Site at the start, which is the 'coldzera' spot, and then just push forward from B Tunnel with big footsteps.

Many different operations are just unfolded based on one concept.

After the incendiary grenade was thrown, Xu Beifang pushed forward toward the spiral stairs with big footsteps.

VP's deployment this round was 3A2B, with one person holding a gun on the T-bridge, and the other two pushing forward cautiously from below.

Confirming no VIP retake, they breathed a sigh of relief. AdreN also heard the sound of the incendiary grenade at the spiral stairs, so he gave up the default on the spiral stairs.

"I'll boost you silently to VIP, then I'll synchronize at the spiral stairs."

"Hmm, after I finish searching the Boiler Room, we'll double-peek A2 later," SANJI responded.

But the moment he stepped on AdreN's head to jump, he saw with despair that a CT figure had appeared at the spiral staircase entrance where no one should have been!

"Spiral stairs pushed!!" SANJI shouted hoarsely.

But the bullets reached the teammates' ears faster than his voice.

"Da-da-da!"

【Nice used AK47 to kill SANJI】

【Nice used AK47 to headshot AdreN】

"Good gun!!" apEX praised. "You're just a plain-looking entry-kill expert! But two kills are enough; it's not polite to kill more."

Getting two kills, the advantage was already in hand. If he sent it back by being too aggressive later, that would be a bit messy.

Xu Beifang of course understood this truth. He came out to grab opportunities and gain advantages, not to farm kills.

Now that the advantage has been secured, we just need to retreat to the back sites and play steadily.

He hopped and skipped his way near the balcony, starting to peek repeatedly while holding a smoke grenade; as soon as he saw someone, he would immediately throw the smoke to stall for time.

Xiao Bo commentated: "Look at little Xu, he caught a timing with a set play at the start and picked up two kills. This utility is really something; it completely masked his footsteps. Da Jin Ya and SANJI didn't hear him at all and were both mowed down by a single spray."

"VP is in a lot of pain now. They couldn't score on the front side to begin with, and now the round has turned into a 3v5. Are they planning to save their guns again with 1:30 left on the clock?"

Xiao Bo's teasing made people chuckle, while the VP players under the camera lens looked extremely serious.

They had finally considered a new tactical approach and were ready to execute it, but they lost two players before their default setup had even unfolded.

The most logical move now was indeed to save the three long guns.

Jame, however, didn't give that order, saying instead: "Let's try to play it out. Saving guns like this every time isn't a solution."

But to their frustration, after gaining the advantage, Vitality retreated completely to the back sites, continuously refreshing smokes and fires to delay their map control.

Lao Qi jumped onto VIP and accidentally made some noise; A2 had even already thrown a smoke grenade to cover the spiral stairs.

They weren't giving them any chances at all!

After throwing the smoke, Xu Beifang peeked A2 specifically to confirm the opponent wasn't pushing through the smoke, and he had another idea.

"I'm going to sneak into VIP and the boiler room; you guys be ready to trade."

Getting a man-advantage early allowed them to expand their map control more easily in the mid-round.

By the second timing, apEX was already playing Banana alone, and A Site was already in a 4A setup.

There were 40 seconds left; if VP still wanted to play this round, they should be initiating their attack within the next 10 seconds.

By taking the initiative to push forward now, he had a chance to catch them off guard and disrupt the opponent's rhythm.

Furthermore, the smoke he threw at the spiral stairs earlier wasn't just for stalling; it was still a piece of information warfare.

The opponents thought he used it to stall for time, preventing them from controlling the map.

In reality, this smoke was to assist his forward push.

At this juncture, the opponents shouldn't expect him to push forward either.

Who would expect him to push through the very smoke he threw himself!

As the team's core, sometimes the playstyle needs to be bolder to reach a higher ceiling.

Besides, even if he pushed out and died, he would still gather information.

With that information, his three teammates could fight a prepared battle.

"VP still wants to play; they have their utility ready. Lao Qi is still waiting for an opportunity in the boiler room, and two players in mid are setting up their utility."

"But Vitality has 4 people on A Site! Nice is even actively sneaking into his own smoke. Lao Qi didn't notice at all—there's a huge back turned right in front of him!"

"But little Xu isn't rushing. He counter-snuck into mid. He knows VP is going to hit A, and he wants to find the positions of the other two. Jame and Lao Ba are in mid setting up utility and waiting for the timing, but they've exposed everything to Beifang!!"

Xu Beifang aimed quietly; to him, the opponents' positioning was easier to hit than the bots in Aimbotz.

Two taps.

"Bang! Bang!"

【Nice used AK-47 to headshot Jame】

【Nice used AK-47 to headshot Buster】

"Two bullets, two easy kills. The last one, Lao Qi, is confirmed to be in the boiler room. That's a four-kill for Beifang—is there a five-kill?" Xiao Bo's tone was full of anticipation, and the live audience was screaming wildly.

"Someone came out of VIP! How did you let them through?" Lao Ba shouted in voice chat, feeling completely baffled.

They were still communicating the details of their upcoming tactical execution when they were suddenly backstabbed; they were all stunned.

Lao Qi was also dumbfounded; he didn't understand what was happening either.

So he rushed out from the boiler room, wanting to take Xu Beifang down first.

But Xu Beifang had already received the information; after taking down Jame and the other, he turned directly to hold the boiler room.

The two traded sprays head-on, but Xu Beifang was in good form and had prepared in advance, ultimately winning the duel.

The arena was cheering, but Xu Beifang, the man behind the highlight, only smiled faintly.

The director replayed Xu Beifang's highlight kills from the round. Xiao Bo marveled at Xu Beifang's two forward pushes: "He truly is as graceful as a startled swan and as agile as a swimming dragon. He captured all of VP's intentions. He kept pushing forward at A2, yet VP couldn't stop him at all."

VP called their third timeout, but a timeout can only warm up one's feel for the game slightly.

Their problem now was simple: they knew how Vitality wanted to play, but they just couldn't win the head-on duels.

They knew Xu Beifang would actively look for opening kills early on, but they just couldn't stop him!

If they couldn't gain an advantage in the early game, they couldn't score.

The difficulty in gaining control of Banana and A2 further compressed their execution time, making it hard for them to even enter the bomb site to plant later on.

But this timeout, as always, didn't have much effect.

In the following rounds, VP tried very hard to initiate attacks and even managed to kill Xu Beifang at the start of two rounds, but the problem was that even after killing Xu Beifang, their attacks remained extremely difficult.

Vitality's defense was like an iron bucket. Only in the final round of the first half did Lao Qi and SANJI stand up to win a 2v4, helping VP take back one point.

But it didn't matter anymore.

VP chose to start on the offensive side, but they only managed to secure two points.

When the first half ended, apEX's face was filled with a smile.

If he weren't afraid of jinxing it, he would want to shout, "I don't even know how we could lose with 13 points!"

They only needed to win 3 rounds in the second half to end the match successfully. He felt that even if they flew into the second floor every round, they could still win.

Xiao Bo in the stream was also very excited: "Just 3 rounds away, and little Xu can stand on the stage of a Major final!"

The desire for the number one spot is almost innate for the Huaxia people.

Especially in a highly competitive game like CSGO, they all hope that CNCS can return to its peak. Xiao Bo had won many honors during the CS1.6 era, so naturally, he hoped CSGO could be the same.

But now, just a little bit more, and Xu Beifang could stand there to compete for the highest honor belonging to a CSGO professional player!

He couldn't stay calm.

"13 points, Vitality has a huge advantage!"

Xiao Bo said earnestly: "Just one step away, and they can create their own history!"

The noise at the venue was constant; no one expected Map 2 to be a stomp.

VP clearly wasn't playing badly, but Vitality was in such hot form, constantly finding opportunities from VP's tactics and taking the rhythm back.

After a short halftime break, when the second half began, the fans' cheers already filled the venue.

"Vitality!! Vitality!!"

"Vitality!! Vitality!!"

In this atmosphere, even Vitality, who had a large lead, felt nervous.

And the VP fans watched the match nervously from the stands, holding onto a sliver of impossible hope in their hearts.

The sides swapped for the second half, and Vitality moved to the offensive side.

In the pistol round, they chose a very bold five-man half-armor setup, speeding into the link immediately and utilizing their excellent trade-kill efficiency.

This exchange was extremely brutal, but shox stood tall in the end, helping Vitality win the point.

14:2

In the second round, VP, having lost the pistol round, was forced to eco. After consideration, they chose to set up in A2, seemingly waiting for Vitality to fly into the floor.

But in this round, apEX, holding a MAC-10, single-handedly tore through B Site. They took the round easily without losing a single soldier.

15:2

Vitality had reached match point.

Coming to the first full-buy round, both sides invested a huge amount of utility in Banana early on, but they kept flashing each other without trading kills.

However, Xu Beifang easily gathered information: after the utility exchange, VP had no utility left to stop their attack.

So, on his suggestion, apEX boldly chose a silent contact play.

Xu Beifang and three teammates pushed forward silently from B Tunnel without throwing a single smoke, only calling for shox to throw two flashbangs when they were about to enter the bomb site.

The effect of the flashbangs wasn't very good because the positioning wasn't aligned.

JackZ was immediately killed by Lao Qi on the CT flower bed, but Xu Beifang's trade was fast, and with Zywoo, they also took down Lao Ba, who was under the flower bed.

Successfully taking B Site left VP in a painful 3v4.

Vitality still had plenty of utility left, while VP didn't even have much utility for retaking.

Time was quietly slipping away; they couldn't save their guns anymore and ultimately had to choose a desperate fight.

Xiao Bo's emotions were up; he was almost standing up to commentate:

"A 3v4 clutch. apEX is holding an angle in the church, three teammates are at Three Boxes, Dead Point, and Under Platform. The gun positions are very solid, and they are still refreshing the smoke at CT spawn."

"apEX peeks and kills one, but is immediately traded by Da Jin Ya. But it's not a big problem; the trade is profitable for Vitality!"

"They have no utility left, and the coffin is also smoked off. They have no choice but to push through the smoke for a desperate fight!"

"shox under the platform didn't hold Jame, but Zywoo's AWP didn't miss. Now it's just Jame facing this 1v2!"

"Jame pushes forward, he's not peeking at all... they're double-peeking!"

On the big screen, Jame was trying to walk toward Three Boxes.

But Vitality's twin stars peeked out from Three Boxes and Dead Point at the same time, and bullets from the AWP and AK hit him.

Jame took his hands off the keyboard and sighed helplessly.

And at the moment the screen froze, the Vitality players threw down their headsets hard and hugged each other excitedly.