"I don't know what goals the team has set, but I've set myself goals, and I hope to get into the top five in the first round of the playoffs..."
This is the bold words that Xiao XII put down more than half a month ago, and in the 2023 PEL spring playoffs, he worked with his teammates on the 4AM team to successfully finish fifth in the first round and lock up a playoff spot early.
Xiao XII.
Xiao Twelve has reason to look forward to the upcoming 2023 PEL Spring Finals, but it has not been easy, and looking back at the first half of the 2023 season, he has actually struggled.
Although the team finished eighth in the regular season with 567 points and entered the playoffs with 9 points, Xiao Twelve's personal data is not outstanding, especially compared to star teammates such as Sansan and Wei Wuxian, his output is on the low side.
Xiao Twelve blamed himself for this, "It is manifested in his own opinion that he is not up to standard, and he has not fully played out, compared to last year's dishes." These were his heart's words, and they also hit the hearts of many people.
Xiao XII in the game.
The pressure of the "rookie king"
As the youngest member of Team 4AM, Xiao XII only made his professional debut in the 2022 PMGC (Peace Elite Global Finals) qualifying tournament last October.
At that time, 4AM did not perform well in the 2022 Summer Tournament and did not qualify for the Finals, and in order to participate in the World Championship, they had to compete with 16 other teams for the only ticket.
In the early 4AM of the qualifying round, it was dangerous to advance to the finals in 15th place, and at this time the coach sent Xiao XII - the outside world was a little surprised, allowing an 18-year-old player who just reached the age of competition to appear at such an important stage, and his heart was also big, but Xiao XII became the team's secret weapon.
His outstanding performance not only helped 4AM finish first and catch the last train of the World Championship, but also earned himself a resounding title on the Internet - Spray God (Xiao Twelve's usual firearm is the S12k shotgun).
With the once blockbuster, when last season's "rookie king" was no longer eye-catching in the new season, this gap made the outside world inexplicable, and it tore Xiao Twelve's heart even more.
"I've been thinking about it, and I don't know what the reason is, but if I knew, it would definitely be better."
After some thought, Xiao XII said very honestly, "Maybe I don't have the mentality before, sometimes I feel nervous, I feel that everyone expects you, there is pressure, the outside world has seen that you played so well last season, and you don't want to pull your crotch." ”
For a high-performing rookie, the second season is often the hardest to face – fans have expectations, opponents know and value you more, and even personal responsibilities within the team will change, which can bring pressure.
But you must know that Xiao XII has only been a professional player for less than half a year, and this year's spring regular season is the first time he has played an entire season as a starter.
In addition to the suffering, Xiao XII still emphasized, "Other things don't have much to do with it, it's more of my own problem." ”
Wait and grind
Xiao Twelve is a responsible young man, and the first thing that comes to mind when encountering problems is to do himself well, which he learned when he was in the team for two years.
When Xiao XII first joined the 4AM club, although the competition ability was good, because his age did not reach the entry line of 18 years old for professional players, he could only wait, which was almost two years.
After training for a long time every day, Xiao XII did not feel bored, on the contrary, he honed himself harder, "After all, my dream is to become a professional player, and when I feel that I am about to reach the age, I myself began to count the days day by day, but from the first time I seriously calculated to the real step on the field, there was a gap of more than a year..."
Xiao Twelve smiled and recalled this past, silly with persistence, with this persistence, he will not easily retreat, and dare to set a flag before the playoffs to reach the finals in the first round.
Now Xiao Twelve has fulfilled his promise - in terms of personal statistics, he averages 0.83 elimination per game, 695.46 damage per game, and 6.50% critical hit rate per game...
It is worth mentioning that because the new version of the playoffs was adopted, Xiao XII's best S12k was weakened, and the "Spray God" lost his most suitable weapon, and he actually had an extra test when he switched to a submachine gun.
"It's not too much of a challenge, I've practiced other firearms before, that is, there will be adjustments in the style of play, it will not rush directly with a troll, it will be more detailed, and it will consume more (the opponent)."
Xiao Twelve and his teammates.
Give your back to your teammates
Xiao Twelve put it mildly, but how much he paid only he knew - after becoming a professional player, he had to train for about 10 hours six days a week, and Xiao XII had just returned to the base from training matches before the interview, even so, when it came to the gradual adjustment of his personal state, he still gave the most thanks to the team at the moment.
"Sansan, Wei Wuxian, Qingchen... Everyone was helping me, they would patiently guide me in training and matches, Wei Wuxian would tell me how to relax, and his way of self-adjustment was simple - that is, sleep, and often find a place to close my eyes before the game, and I followed. ”
Xiao Twelve and Wei Wuxian talked the most in private, and according to his own words, "Wei Wuxian's seat is next to me, and he sleeps next to me (in a room), naturally there is more talk." ”
As for Sansan, Xiao XII compared him to the "little adult" among the boys: "Sansan and I generally only talk about competitions, but in my opinion, he understands everything, thinks very clearly, and is like an adult..."
Talking about teammates, Xiao XII is particularly relaxed and does not hesitate to reveal the little secrets of his teammates, it is clear that this is a team with a harmonious atmosphere, and his teammates have always regarded the youngest Xiao XII as a younger brother, and they take care of him in training and life, and this intimacy makes Xiao Twelve integrate into the team well.
In PMGC, his answer was "four of us with one heart". Asked what to do when surrounded during a game and playing more with less, he responded: "As long as my teammates are around, I can rest assured. ”
This mentality of being able to give your back to each other is the most valuable aspect of PEL – in fact, Xiao XII has mentioned more than once in interviews that if the team can win, his numbers don't matter.
"Sometimes I don't feel comfortable playing and I want to play better numbers, but if I can work well with my teammates and win the game, my numbers don't matter."
While Sansan acts as the brains of the team and Wei Wuxian strongly outputs, Xiao Twelve strives to do his job well in the new season, often playing the role of supporter, participating in lifting and healing teammates.
Of course, Xiao XII always has requirements for himself, looking forward to the finals, he said in advance, "This time I hope to get the top two." ”
Xiao XII did not think about the championship, he privately revealed that this is the biggest goal in the rest of his career, but from a young man patiently waiting for the opportunity to play to sitting firmly in the main team of the team, Xiao XII knows that the road has to be taken step by step.
Xiao XII in life.
"Good Xiao" contest dreams
In Xiao XII, you can see the confidence and even a little casualness that boys of this age sometimes reveal, and there is also a maturity beyond age after being polished in the cruel professional arena, no wonder fans evaluate Xiao XII as "cute and calm".
Ask him what he is most satisfied with so far, "It doesn't seem to be!" In his opinion, the three-in-a-row team in the fifth week of the spring tournament is "also average", because the operation that he is most waiting for has not yet appeared.
Last season, PMGC needed to use English ID, Xiao XII originally thought of naming himself "GodXiao", but when he typed an extra letter O, it became "GoodXiao", Xiao XII simply did not change, so "Xiao Shen" became "Good Xiao".
However, Xiao XII has always had his own thoughtfulness for the competition, "The Spring Tournament is followed by the PMWI (World Invitational), followed by the Summer Tournament, the Global Finals... A year passed. ”
The reason why he is eager to get the top two in the spring tournament is that he has his own calculations - according to the rules, only the champion and runner-up team in the spring tournament can represent the PEL division in the PMWI World Invitational, and Xiao XII does not want to miss every stage that can be fought for.
In addition to professional events, the Peace Elite program was also selected for this year's Hangzhou Asian Games, and this is the only event that Xiao XII did not actively mention in the exchange, the reason is, "The competition is fierce, and it may be difficult to select them." "Xiao Twelve is very candid.
He also told the surging news reporter, "In the past, I have always watched the Asian Games competition, the whole competition is very 'tall', the favorite is table tennis, it is really a visual feast, especially envious of the athletes to win glory for the country." ”
Playing well in the game in front of you and silently working hard for farther goals seems to be Xiao Twelve's style - the road that belongs to him is still very long, and witnessing Xiao Twelve's insults and frustrations in the past six months, you obviously have reason to expect more from this young man.