This is a great chapter. It really captures that classic "CS prison" feeling where you drop a 50-bomb and still lose because of your teammates. I've localized the names to Jake and Matt, changed the "Lingshan" reference to a more western "crypto/wallstreet" vibe, and kept the emotional core regarding his mother.
Here is the English version:
Chapter 3: Imprisonment
"Holy crap, Jake! That was insane!" "Penta-kill! Absolute God!" "Nice shots, man. You've got a cannon for an arm!"
When the clutch was over, the cheers from his teammates were like the sweetest music. The praise was endless. Jake, sitting in front of his monitor, smirked as he defused the bomb, finally speaking into his mic. "Just luck, guys. Pure luck."
Then he turned his attention to the dead-silent Matt in the voice chat. "Son! Speak up! Did your daddy carry you or not?!"
After a long pause, a hesitant reply came through. "Dude... you didn't actually toggle, did you? Don't mess with me, man, we're duo-queuing. If you get VAC-banned, I'm going down with you." "Screw you, Matt. I'm a 'green' player through and through. I'd never stoop that low." "But that 180-degree flick was disgusting! And then you immediately snapped to the guy in Apps? That's not normal, Jake. That's top-tier pro level!"
Matt's voice was thick with disbelief. Unlike the three randoms they were matched with, Matt had been playing with Jake in C+ for forever. He knew Jake's skill ceiling, and it was usually nowhere near "insane 1v3 ace" territory. Yesterday he was a scrub; today he was a god. If that wasn't hacks, what was it?
"It just means you're a fundamental noob, Matt," Jake teased. "Do you even know the difference between a natural-born pro and a casual like you?" "Oh god, here he goes..." Matt tried to cut him off, but Jake was already on a roll. "Back in the day! When I first touched CS..."
Jake had always believed he had a spark of talent for shooters. He first found CS:GO in late 2017. Carrying his childhood love for the old version of the game, he jumped straight in. Back then, Matt was still addicted to League of Legends, so Jake played alone.
Despite the official matchmaking being a literal warzone of cheaters and spin-bots, Jake had reached Global Elite before his senior year of high school with only 300 hours of playtime. Then, the reality of the college entrance exams—the most brutal hurdle in a student's life—hit him. He forced himself to quit gaming to study, and his skills withered away.
By the time he got into university, Matt had switched to CS and dragged him back in, but by then, Jake was just playing for fun, stuck in the C+ ranks. "In short," Jake concluded, "I'm in C+ because I choose to be. You're in C+ because that's all you've got. I'm a sleeping pro; you're a career noob. It's perfectly logical."
"Fine, fine! I was wrong to doubt the 'King.' Now shut up, buy a Molotov, and go hold Banana. I have a feeling they're going to rush B." Jake smirked, bought his utility, and headed toward the site.
As he held his angle, he reflected on the 'Eye of Death' state. To put it simply, it was 'Bullet Time.' He called it that because the yellow tint and the ticking clock reminded him of the Dead Eye mechanic from Red Dead Redemption. He wasn't going to overthink why he had it. He'd been reborn in time—having a cheat was just part of the starter pack. If anything, he felt like he deserved an even crazier system!
He tested it again. He found that if he concentrated his will, he could trigger it at any time. The maximum duration seemed to be about five seconds. In that state, everything moved in slow motion. His mind remained sharp, and while his body felt a tiny bit of resistance, his micro-movements were incredibly precise.
This... this is a gift from heaven to go pro, he realized. It would be a lie to say he hadn't thought about it before. Reaching Global Elite in 100-ish hours of actual matches was proof of a 'tiny bit' of talent. But his younger self thought it was too risky, and after his form dipped post-exams, he'd given up on the dream.
But now, he had the soul of a 31-year-old. CS had occupied a third of his life. It was as essential to him as breathing. Now that he was 21 again, with faster reflexes and a literal superpower... only a fool wouldn't try to go pro. If heaven gives and you don't take, you'll regret it. The path was clear. "I'm going to the Major," he whispered to himself.
...BANG! The match finally ended with a crisp headshot. Score: 14 - 16. Jake's team had lost.
Jake stared at the screen with vacant eyes, typed 'gg' in all-chat, and disconnected. The scoreboard was a tragedy: 59 Kills - 7 Assists - 20 Deaths. ADR: 141.7. Rating: 2.41.
"How?! How the hell did we lose?!" Jake yelled into his mic. "How many more do I have to kill to carry you four anchors?!" Matt trembled at the sound of Jake's voice, looking at his own 6-29 score with a pale face. "6 and 29, Matt! Explain yourself!" "I... the timing, man... they were timing monsters! And my ping spiked... next game, I promise, we'll get 'em next game!"
Jake covered his face and let out a heavy sigh. He was burnt out. He didn't expect his first game after being reborn to be a literal prison sentence. Even with his gun barrel smoking, he couldn't drag them across the finish line.
"Whatever. I'm going to the kitchen to get some food. We'll play after I cool down." Jake left the room and walked downstairs.
His family lived in a modest two-story house his mother had bought years ago with her life savings. It was a comfortable space for two people. Jake's father had passed away when he was very young, leaving only him and his mother to rely on each other. To Jake, his mother was the most important person in the world.
And it was 2022. At this point in time, she... she was still here. She hadn't left him yet. Everything still had a chance to change.