In the world of global cybercrime, a mysterious figure hacks into a Chinese nuclear power plant and an American commodities market, causing a near-meltdown and financial chaos. This sophisticated cyber-terrorist plot draws the attention of Chinese Captain Chen Dawai, who understands that the malicious code used in the attacks bears the hallmark of a code he once wrote at MIT with his college friend, Nicholas Hathaway. Hathaway is currently an incarcerated genius hacker. Recognizing the need for Hathaway's unparalleled hacking abilities to track down the cybercriminals, Dawai secures Hathaway's temporary release from prison, joining forces with his sister, Lien, and a team led by FBI Agent Carol Barrett.

Together, this unusual team traverses from Chicago to Los Angeles and then overseas, making their way to Hong Kong and Jakarta. The group races against time, navigating through the layers of the digital world, trying to trace the network of the high-level cybercrime syndicate. Along the way, alliances and romance form, and Hathaway must confront his past choices while using his technical prowess and strategic thinking to hunt down the hacker. As they dig deeper, they realize that the stakes are higher than they ever imagined, finding themselves entangled in a vortex of international espionage and a threat that could cost countless lives if they fail to stop the mastermind behind the keyboard.