Modern statistics collide with the ancient imperial examinations. Using mathematical models, the protagonist uncovers patterns in exam fraud and applies probability theory to solve a thousand-year-old mystery. When data streams meet eight-legged essays, a quiet revolution in knowledge unfolds in the examination hall. By day, he is an editor at the Hanlin Academy; by night, he becomes "Mr. Paper Kite," commanding an intelligence network. When the court’s forecasting System indicates that a prominent upright official is actually a spy for an enemy state, the moral convictions he has held for ten years begin to crack.
