The Decoder

Translated into 33 languages; selected for the UK’s Penguin Classics list / named one of The Economist’s ten best novels worldwide of the year / named by The Daily Telegraph as one of the 20 greatest spy novels in history Rong Jinzhen, a mathematical genius whose life has been full of misfortune, is recruited to the secret Unit 701 for his extraordinary talent. There, he is tasked with cracking an exceptionally difficult cipher known as Purple Cipher. Gathering so many of humanity’s finest minds just to guess a secret derived from a few simple Arabic numerals sounds like fun, almost like a game. Yet this game torments the human geniuses, including Rong Jinzhen, to the point of utter ruin. Each of them is like a supernova, with only one chance to flare up in a lifetime. They shine brilliantly for a fleeting moment, then steadily fade until they disappear from sight. These are people who remain as steadfast and quiet as rocks amid the clamor, people untouched by the sunlight of ordinary life. They live beyond the bounds of common understanding. Their talents can change the world, but not their own tragic fates.