Chapter 171 - 170: Ash, You’re Too Hasty

Chapter 171: Chapter 170: Ash, You’re Too Hasty

Linden, the analyst, remained silent. Aside from Evil, everyone else on the team had issues.

Having an assaulter transition into a commander was simply too bold. Seth didn’t have the potential for it. Evil did, but his talent as a sniper was far too exceptional; making him the commander would be a waste of his skills. Trying to juggle both roles was a recipe for disaster.

As the coach, Forrest knew this all too well. ASG’s problems were glaring. In the past, the team hadn’t produced any results and had been absolutely crucified by their fans.

Thinking about tomorrow’s top-32 to top-24 elimination matches and the dark horses that had recently emerged, Forrest let out a heavy sigh.

"I hope you all stop bringing personal emotions into the game. You are a team. The glory you achieve is shared among all four of you, not claimed by one person alone.

"Setting everything else aside, just look at yesterday’s scrims. Most of the teams we scheduled were academy rosters. Of the five main rosters we faced, two were this season’s dark horses, and their individual mechanics are incredibly strong.

"We played three matches yesterday. Yes, we secured a chicken dinner in one, but we didn’t even break the top ten in the other two. I don’t know what you guys are doing out there.

"Our tactical deployment is flawed. The assaulter’s issues are the same old story. As for our flex player, I won’t say much, but you always want to be the main character. You all play your solo acts very well—perfect for solos. The sniper followed orders the whole time, but the commander made multiple blunders. Fortunately, Evil didn’t blindly follow every call.

"We’ve gone over the VODs multiple times since last night. The major issues have been laid out. Reflect on your own personal mistakes on your own time. If you can’t control your recoil, go hit the training grounds. Play more squad queues and practice your teamwork.

"Captain, you need to study more. As the commander, you absolutely cannot make critical errors during a match, or the entire team goes down with you."

Forrest spoke for a long time, detailing everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. Linden, as the analyst, also emphasized a few key points.

When the meeting ended, Forrest was the first to leave the room. The rest of the staff followed, leaving only the four ASG players behind.

Seth and Huangzi were the veterans of the roster. With the previous captain retired and the former sniper retired due to illness, only the two of them remained in ASG. Mingtian had been promoted from the academy team. Initially, they thought Mingtian was going to fill the sniper position, but then Evil arrived.

But Evil’s mechanics were undeniably strong. He was a prodigy, practically born to play FPS games.

As for Mingtian, they could only say he was a hard worker.

As the captain, Seth was the first to break the silence. "Mingtian, I won’t say much about the beef between you and Evil. If you’re really that dissatisfied, Evil already gave you an option—a one-on-one duel."

Mingtian didn’t speak. He wondered why hard work was considered worthless in the face of raw talent. It simply wasn’t fair! He trained diligently every single day, stayed up late, and practiced his aim to maintain his muscle memory. Yet, in the end, it was no match for natural talent.

Why?

Huangzi watched Mingtian from the side. The kid was indeed hardworking, possessing a rare and commendable spirit in esports. However, hard work simply had to yield to talent.

"Mingtian, you’ve been in this scene for a long time," Seth said. "I don’t need to spell it out for you to understand. In esports, being bad is the original sin.

"An esports organization isn’t a charity, nor does it exist solely for you. If you can’t perform, you have to step down and let someone more capable take over. If you can’t beat them, you have to give up your spot. That’s reality."

Seth looked at Mingtian. The kid was definitely hardworking; otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it to the main roster to begin with. Mingtian just clenched his fists, pressing his lips together in silence.

"I’m here to compete," Ash Sinclair said coldly, standing up. "I absolutely refuse to participate in any locker room politics. I’ll say it again: if you have a problem with me, then crush me in the game.

"If you’re better than me, I’ll tell the coach to give you my current position. If your skills aren’t up to par, then go practice. Don’t pull that toxic workplace crap with me."

He didn’t want to waste his time here. If they had this much free time, they would be better off hitting the training grounds and practicing their aim. With that, Ash turned and pulled the door open, immediately locking eyes with the person standing outside.

Rian Sinclair met Ash’s gaze with a smile. "Long time no see. You’ve matured a lot."

A flash of surprise crossed Ash’s eyes at seeing his sister at the base, which was quickly replaced by joy. "Rian? Why are you here?"

Seth, who was walking out behind him, noticed the stunning woman standing by the door. "A friend of yours?"

Ash nodded, leading his sister toward the lounge area while chattering away incessantly.

Rian listened to her younger brother’s ramblings. In truth, she had arrived while they were still in their meeting but had kept quiet. She hadn’t expected the little boy who used to trail behind her, constantly calling her name, to have matured so much. He could finally hold his own.

"Rian, I have to train later, so I won’t be able to hang out with you," Ash said.

Rian didn’t press the matter. She was well aware of what had just transpired in the meeting room. "Do you want to change teams?"

It wasn’t an empty offer. Rian had the resources to slot Ash into any major esports club, as long as he was willing.

Ash shook his head. "ASG is fine."

Rian didn’t say anything, simply watching him. Ash lowered his head slightly before continuing, "We can slowly build our team synergy, and the minor conflicts within the roster can be resolved."

"Let’s go. I’ll take you out to eat," she said.

"Huh? But..."

"I already spoke to your coach, and he agreed. It’ll just be the time it takes to eat, then you can come right back to train." She had used a bit of her "superpowers" to take him out for a meal and some fresh air.

The Tipsy Abode.

Rian ordered a table full of Ash’s favorite dishes. It hadn’t been that long since they last saw each other, yet the kid had already lost so much weight.

Having sat through such a long meeting, Ash was currently shoveling food into his mouth like crazy. After spending so much time at the base, he had long mastered the art of speed-eating.

Rian only took a few bites before stopping. She looked at Ash. "Your teammates aren’t good enough."

Ash paused at her words. Immediately after, his sister’s voice sounded again. "What are your thoughts?"

"It is what it is. I just hope the guys on the team can figure things out and focus on the matches."

Ash’s tone was indifferent, completely unlike the lofty ambitions he had proudly declared to her in the past.

"Seth came up as an assaulter. Transitioning into the captain and commander role means his macro awareness definitely can’t keep up. Huangzi was originally a flex player, but now he’s filling the assaulter position.

"And your current flex, Mingtian, is dead set on stealing your sniper spot. Your team’s current composition honestly looks like a joke."

Listening to his sister’s analysis, he couldn’t deny it. He knew the internal state of the team better than anyone, but what could he do? ASG was his only option.

"Ash, you’re being too hasty."

Ash pressed his lips together without speaking. He simply wanted to produce results quickly. He wanted his sister to see him shine, which was why he had joined ASG.

It was ASG, the team where he was absolutely guaranteed a starting spot.

He raised his eyes and met his sister’s gaze. "Rian, I can do this."

Rian didn’t reply, simply watching him in silence. After a long while, she said softly, "Go back to the base and train."

It was Aiden Sinclair who escorted Ash away. When Rian had told him to go back, Ash had stood up to leave. The moment he pulled the door open, he had looked back at her, but she hadn’t turned around.

Upon arriving at the base, he returned to the training room to maintain his muscle memory. He practiced his aim and movement, and watched VODs to study their opponents and improve his game sense.

Everything proceeded methodically, in perfect order.