Chapter 43: Since He Is a Free Man, Let Him Be Free

Having watched the entire demo, the members of NiP finally understood why their coach was so eager to hold a review session.

Su Zhe’s positioning as a lurker was simply too unconventional.

Every single angle he took reeked of daring aggression, entirely optimized for maximum gain.

This was precisely one of the common flaws among pub players.

Since professional players were typically promoted from academy teams, they underwent systematic training. Over the years and through the coach's deliberate corrections, they learned precisely when to attack and when to defend.

Su Zhe, however, was completely self-taught, thrown straight into the main roster right from the start. Although he had gone through a month of training, such a short span was hardly enough to break old habits.

Naturally, during the match, he fell back on his usual experience, playing however felt most comfortable—which was entirely understandable.

The dilemma facing them, however, was that Su Zhe was the MVP of this very match...

A KAD of 21-3-15 and a 1.53 Rating made it terribly difficult for them to critique him...

If his stats had been mediocre, they could have easily found grounds to lecture him and urge him to adjust his playstyle as soon as possible.

But with this kind of performance... for a moment, they genuinely didn't know how to broach the subject.

The training room suddenly plunged into silence, making Su Zhe feel rather awkward. Was his performance in the match really that terrible?

Suddenly, es3tag broke the silence, "Actually, I feel like this kind of playstyle isn't a problem at all..."

The others: Right! Huh? What?

es3tag continued to explain, "You guys know that kid who just debuted on Spirit, right?"

k0nfig chimed in, "You mean the one who pulled off a reverse sweep against VP in the BetBoom Dacha finals a couple of months ago? Donk, is that his name?"

Donk!? Hearing the familiar ID, Su Zhe immediately perked up.

He had previously looked up information on Donk and discovered he was just a player from a tier-two team.

At the time, it gave him the impression that the professional scene was brimming with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, seeing as even players from European tier-two pro teams were this formidable!

Now, inside the "Simulation Training Ground," although he could occasionally solo-kill Donk, it was only ever occasionally.

As a result, it left him somewhat confused about what the average skill level of a professional player actually was nowadays.

es3tag nodded and said, "Right, that rookie from Spirit. I've watched his demos before; precisely because his playstyle is so unique and hard to counter, his recent tournament stats have been exceptional, and he even helped his team take the championship."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Su Zhe, "My point is, since Arrow can help the team secure an advantage using this playstyle, he might as well keep playing this way. Who knows, it might just catch our opponents completely off guard."

"When other teams eventually figure him out and counter him, it won't be too late to correct it then."

"Since it's the lurker role... then let him lurk freely."

At this, es3tag chuckled to himself. Having played professionally for so many years, this was his first time encountering such a situation.

Even back in the ancient days of CSGO, devoid of today's intricate mind games and tactical depth, the requirements for trade-fragging were still strictly enforced.

However, ever since CS2 launched, many teams had changed to varying degrees. Everyone was crossing the river by feeling the stones, either innovating or studying what other teams had figured out.

As a tier-one team, there was nothing wrong with NiP trying a little innovation.

Coach djL hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Trying to forcibly correct him would be impossible without spending several months.

Since it was producing results, they might as well let it be for now. In any case, the team had no substitutes available at the moment, and even Plopski, who had been benched previously, had been loaned out to MOUZ not long ago.

Su Zhe felt somewhat baffled listening to their conversation. He had been waiting for feedback, only for the review session to end with a casual "just let it be."

It seemed his current playstyle wasn't wrong after all...

...

Following the conclusion of the match between NiP and ENCE, netizens flocked to the HLTV website to check NiP's roster information.

They discovered that the long-vacant slot on NiP's roster was indeed filled by Su Zhe himself.

Moreover, a month ago, HLTV had even published a news report regarding NiP's acquisition of this new player, except that NiP's current lineup was far too irrelevant to attract much public attention.

[Even though I've watched the whole match, it still feels like a dream.]

[No wonder Xiao Zhe said he didn't want to join TyLoo's academy team. NiP is miles stronger than TyLoo!]

[With the way Xiao Zhe performed today, those guys on TyLoo really ought to step down!]

[Hahaha @TyLoo Esports Club, feeling any regret yet?]

[259 must be regretting it so hard his intestines are turning green.]

[Here's a joke: someone who can make it into a European tier-one or tier-two team couldn't even secure a starting spot in a domestic team.]

Through others, 259 also learned about Su Zhe joining NiP.

His first reaction at the time was that it was utterly impossible, yet checking the official website confirmed it as absolute reality.

This completely shattered his worldview. A rookie going to a European team, and even passing the trial? How could that be possible!

When this guy tried out for their team, he was barely passable. How much time had even passed since then!

Refusing to believe it, 259 went onto the HLTV website and downloaded the demo for this match.

As he fast-forwarded and slow-motioned with his mouse, 259's frown deepened by the minute.

At that moment, Jamyoung walked back into the training room, rubbing his rounded belly, "Captain, aren't you going to eat? You're still reviewing VODs at this hour?"

His words snapped 259 out of his daze, and he turned his head to ask, "Have you heard about that guy named Su Zhe?"

Jamyoung pulled out the chair next to him and sat down, "How could I not have heard about something this big? Are you watching his demo?"

259 nodded, "I find it hard to believe someone could progress this fast, so I wanted to check out the details."

At that, he made a joke, "At first, I even thought he was the illegitimate child of some NiP executive."

"Oh?" This remark piqued Jamyoung's curiosity, "Could it be that he actually underwent a sudden power-up? I ran into him in matchmaking once before; I felt he had individual skill, but he was still a long way off from turning professional."

Those who turned professional were all prodigious talents, and climbing from C+ to S, or even Gold, Diamond, or S-rank within a month or two, wasn't overly difficult for Jamyoung.

However, going from a pub player to a starter on a professional team in just a few months was not something a mere prodigy could achieve.

259 nodded, "His fundamentals are great. He has a solid understanding of positioning, crosshair placement, and the like. It's just a pity."

"A pity what?"

259 continued, "A pity he didn't take the academy route, and a pity he lacks tournament experience."

Jamyoung:?

"Didn't he pop off when playing against ENCE? Wasn't his rating somewhere around 1.5?"

259 shook his head, "He just got lucky. Mark my words, he won't last three months on NiP—unless his parents really are the board chairman of the NiP club."

Although 259 lacked exceptional individual mechanical skill, his in-game leadership was unquestionably top-tier domestically, and he was one of the earliest players in the country to study the playstyles of European professional teams.

Seeing 259's rather serious expression, Jamyoung nodded and said, "I believe you."