Chapter 10: Who Do You Think You Are, Xiao Yan?!
From C+ to A rank represents a qualitative leap in skill.
Players in the comment section were stunned when the account owner himself posted a screenshot. However, doubts inevitably arose—was he cheating? Crossing this threshold wasn’t difficult in theory, but to do so in just one week seemed absurd. Although major gaming platforms now have stringent anti-cheat systems, hardware-based cheats like DMA can bypass traditional detection methods.
The tone of the comments on Su Zhe’s post gradually shifted.
“Awesome! It’s the prodigy boy! Our CNCS team is saved!”
“Brother, do you have a shop link? I want to go from C+ to A in a week like you.”
“I’ve seen your match records; your act is pretty good, even controlling your score.”
“After reviewing, either you cheated or hired a booster. Two seasons stuck at C+ and suddenly you jump to A in a week?”
“The genius boy stuck at C+ for months, frustrated, then suddenly ascends in a week? Do you think you’re Xiao Yan?”
Back in the dorm, Su Zhe paid no mind to the comments—this was exactly what he expected. He felt pleased rather than annoyed; this was the highest recognition of his ability. Besides, he hadn’t actually cheated, nor did he intend to pursue a career in streaming, so such accusations didn’t affect him in the slightest. Every real prodigy on the professional stage has faced cheating allegations at some point. Arguing with others was a waste of energy better spent climbing the ranked ladder and improving oneself.
With a more solid foundation now, Su Zhe no longer needed to spend excessive time on daily training—these skills came with practice. This freed up more energy for real ladder battles. Yet, his previously smooth ascent hit a plateau. Aside from a few truly gifted players, most who reach A rank have logged thousands of hours.
Though fundamentally a gunplay game, players at this level skillfully use common items and map knowledge to gain positional advantage, making game sense increasingly important. Su Zhe’s steadily improving fundamentals and top-tier reflexes no longer gave him a significant edge here. But having a clear goal fueled an endless source of motivation, and feeling tangible improvement as he advanced was akin to playing a traditional MMORPG: clearing dungeons for new gear, enhancing attributes, then challenging tougher bosses. Every player knew their goal and remained engaged.
Unlike when stuck at C+, Su Zhe didn’t blame bad luck for his inability to climb but instead focused on learning and honing his skills. Unexpectedly, while he hadn’t bothered to clarify whether he used cheats, others grew anxious on his behalf first.
...
When Leon Kai clicked on that comment, he was initially skeptical—going from C+ to A in a week? He had only offered basic tips for new players, not links to sellers of DMA devices! With doubt, he logged into his long-unused Perfect Platform account and searched for demos under the ID “Cape’s Top Breakthrough.” He downloaded several high-performing match replays for review.
To an experienced player, cheating is instantly recognizable. Cheaters might fake their gameplay, but they cannot hide basic in-game instincts and fundamentals—unless it’s top-tier streamers like ropz or Zaiwu with their cheat-assisted game sense, or the absurd aim of Senpo at his peak.
After carefully watching a few matches, Leon Kai found no evidence of such outrageous play. The skill level of “Cape’s Top Breakthrough” was still modest to him, but compared to the previous C+ rank, the player was noticeably faster in positioning and reaction, and consciously avoided disadvantageous gunfights. There were suspicious moves, but any player occasionally pulls off unbelievable plays in ranked—it’s normal.
Having reviewed the footage, Leon Kai already had his conclusion.
“I need to make a video to clear his name.”
Though the cheating rumors weren’t widespread, he couldn’t stand to see someone falsely accused, especially on his own video. Moreover, he realized one of his suspicions was correct.
This player truly possessed terrifying talent—he simply lacked the right training methods before. Now, under proper guidance, he was starting to have breakthroughs. Leon Kai felt a touch of pride, as if he had taken on an exceptionally gifted disciple.
...
“Why did he know in advance that the opponent was at B1?” Su Zhe paused the demo, turning humbly to ask his companion, Fat Brother.
Every day, Su Zhe meticulously watched at least one demo, but due to limited game sense, he struggled to understand many in-match thoughts and tactics, so he sought the help of the helpful Fat Brother. Though Fat Brother hadn’t played CSGO in a long time, as a former Gold S rank player for multiple seasons, the knowledge was ingrained.
Crossing his legs and smiling, Fat Brother explained, “That’s easy. If you’d looked carefully at the minimap, you’d have seen their teammate at A Long peek earlier, and that the sniper at Mid gave info. The enemies are either in the back garden of the terrorist spawn or at B1/B2. When he reaches those likely spots, he naturally raises his alertness.”
Su Zhe nodded thoughtfully, realizing that CS required not only skill but also a sharp mind. Had he been playing, he might have carelessly been flanked and killed by the B1 terrorist.
[Growth Points +91]
After watching a match in the Demon King S rank, Su Zhe sincerely thanked Fat Brother. Fat Brother waved off the gratitude but asked, somewhat puzzled, “You really climbed that many ranks in a week? If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d have thought you cheated. Is ranking up in CS2 really this easy now?”
Su Zhe smiled and replied, “Why don’t you come back and try? You might reach Diamond S, maybe even Demon King S.”
Everyone has their bottleneck in the game: Xiaoguang was stuck at C+, Su Zhe at A, and Fat Brother’s was at Diamond S. Fat Brother was tempted but sighed after some thought: “Maybe later. I still have to carry my sister to Mythic.”
Su Zhe: ...