Chapter 228 Li Xiao's Blockchain

Two in the morning, and Li Xiao was still at her computer, typing away at code.

The dense code on the screen looked like wriggling worms. Her eyes were so sore she could barely keep them open, yet her fingers continued to tap away mechanically.

Three days ago, while eating in the Canteen, she had inadvertently overheard a conversation.

"Is it true the budget for the sky ladder project is 1.3 trillion?" one person said.

"Yeah, an astronomical figure," the other replied.

"With that much money, how can we ensure it doesn't get embezzled?"

"There should be oversight, right..."

"Oversight? Which of our previous projects didn't have oversight? Didn't things still go wrong in the end?"

Li Xiao stood there, holding her tray, stunned.

1.3 trillion.

It was the largest number she had ever seen in her life. It was so large she couldn't imagine it, so large she didn't know how to describe it.

But what if this money was embezzled?

What if they were halfway through construction and found the money was gone?

She didn't dare to think any further.

That night, Li Xiao suffered from insomnia.

She lay in bed, tossing and turning, thinking: How could she ensure that every single cent of that 1.3 trillion was spent where it ought to be?

Traditional methods—audits, oversight, the Disciplinary Committee—were all useful. But these were all retroactive investigations, not preventative measures.

Was there a way to make every transaction, from allocation to expenditure, completely transparent, tamper-proof, and verifiable at any time?

A word suddenly came to mind: blockchain.

The next morning, Li Xiao knocked on Lin Mo's door.

"Senior, I have an idea."

Lin Mo was looking at some documents and looked up. "Go ahead."

Li Xiao took a deep breath and laid out her idea.

Use blockchain technology to establish a "sky ladder project fund management platform." Every sum of money allocated from the national treasury would become a "digital asset" on the chain. Then, every expenditure—buying materials, paying wages, signing contracts—would be recorded on the chain, forming an immutable "ledger."

Anyone could check it, but no one could alter it.

Lin Mo listened, silent for a few seconds.

Li Xiao felt a bit nervous. "Senior, do you think... it's feasible?"

Lin Mo looked at her and suddenly smiled. "Xiaoer, when did you learn to think about things like this?"

Li Xiao was taken aback, then said, "Just... I heard people chatting the other day, and I got worried about the money being embezzled, so I thought about it."

Lin Mo nodded. "The idea is good. But have you considered a few issues?"

Li Xiao blinked. "What issues?"

Lin Mo said, "First, while blockchain is transparent, the technical barrier is high. Not everyone understands it; how will you ensure people know how to use it?"

Li Xiao said, "We can provide user training and create a simplified interface so that even those who don't understand the technology can use it."

Lin Mo nodded. "Second, once data is on the chain, it certainly can't be changed. But what if someone embezzles funds offline and doesn't record it?"

Li Xiao thought for a moment. "That would depend on comparing audits with on-chain data. The on-chain records show where the money went, and the audits check whether it actually arrived."

Lin Mo said, "Third, and most importantly—who will maintain this system? Who will regulate it? Who will have access rights?"

Li Xiao said, "It can be decentralized. The National Audit Office, the Disciplinary Inspection and Supervision Commission, and third-party audit agencies would all have access. A dedicated team would be responsible for system maintenance, but any modifications would require multi-party confirmation."

Lin Mo looked at her, his expression complex. "Xiaoer, write this idea up as a proposal. Be detailed, and clearly lay out the technical principles, implementation steps, and cost budget."

Li Xiao's eyes lit up. "Senior, you support me?"

Lin Mo smiled. "I'm not supporting you. I'm supporting a good idea."

Over the next week, Li Xiao locked herself in her office, writing the proposal day and night.

She consulted a vast amount of material on blockchain technology, sought advice from several experts, and even secretly contacted a top domestic blockchain company to ask them about many technical details.

Chen Xueming called, but she didn't answer.

When Zhao Gang brought food, she only said, "Leave it there."

Lin Mo occasionally came by to check on her, and seeing her working herself to the bone, he didn't disturb her, just quietly left a cup of coffee on her desk.

On the seventh night, the proposal was finally finished.

Thirty-two pages, 17,000 words, clearly detailing everything from technical principles to implementation steps, and from cost budgeting to risk control.

Li Xiao leaned back in her chair and let out a long breath.

Then, she slumped over on the desk and fell asleep.

The next morning, Lin Mo pushed the door open and saw Li Xiao sleeping soundly on the desk. A thick stack of printed paper was spread out on the table, covered in dense text.

He walked over softly, picked up the stack of papers, and began to flip through them.

One page, two pages, ten pages, twenty pages...

The more he read, the more serious he became, his brow furrowing and smoothing by turns.

Upon reaching the last page, he looked up at the sleeping Li Xiao, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

"Xiaoer, you've really grown up."

Three days later, Li Xiao's proposal was submitted to the state.

Two weeks later, Fang Lin called. "Lin Mo, is Li Xiao there?"

Lin Mo handed the phone to Li Xiao.

Fang Lin's voice came through the receiver. "Li Xiao, the higher-ups have reviewed your proposal. The evaluation is very high."

Li Xiao's heart skipped a beat. "Really?"

Fang Lin said, "Really. The top leadership held a special meeting to discuss this proposal. The final decision—it's been adopted. You will be in charge of building this system."

Li Xiao opened her mouth, unable to speak.

Fang Lin laughed. "What? Stunned?"

Li Xiao took a deep breath. "Di-Director Fang, may I ask why?"

Fang Lin said, "Because your proposal solved a problem we've always been worried about—how to manage this money properly. 1.3 trillion is not a small sum. We must ensure the people of the whole country are at ease, knowing every cent is spent where it ought to be."

She paused, then continued, "Your blockchain system does exactly that. Transparent, public, and tamper-proof. It is more effective than any other form of oversight."

Li Xiao's eyes grew hot.

Fang Lin said, "Work hard. If you need anything, come directly to me."

After hanging up, Li Xiao stood there, motionless.

Lin Mo walked over and patted her on the shoulder. "Well done."

Li Xiao looked up at him, and tears finally fell. "Senior, I... I just thought about it casually..."

Lin Mo smiled. "Just thought about it casually, and you came up with a 17,000-word proposal?"

Li Xiao broke into a smile through her tears.

When the news spread, the entire base was in an uproar.

Chen Xueming was the first to video call. "Xiaoer! Awesome! Blockchain! Why didn't I think of that!"

Zhao Gang walked over with a straight face, but his mouth was slightly trembling. "Xiaoer, from now on, you are our base's 'Chain Chief'."

Section Chief Wu also came to join in the fun. "Director Li, will the money for our Equipment Section have to go through your system from now on?"

Li Xiao was embarrassed by the praise and kept waving her hands. "No, no, I just thought about it randomly..."

But everyone knew this wasn't random. This was a young person, using her own way to guard 1.3 trillion for the country.

A month later, the blockchain fund management system officially went live.

The first test transaction was the first batch of startup funds for the sky ladder project allocated by the national treasury—5 billion.

Li Xiao stood before the console, her fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Lin Mo stood beside her, with Zhao Gang, Section Chief Wu, and several core members gathered behind her.

"Start," Lin Mo said.

Li Xiao took a deep breath and pressed the Enter key.

On the screen, a line of green text slowly appeared: "Transaction successful. Block height: 1024571. Timestamp: 2038-03-15 09:17:23."

5 billion had become an immutable number on the chain.

From this point on, anyone could check where every single cent was spent, and no one could alter it.

Li Xiao looked at that line of text, and tears flowed down again.

Lin Mo patted her shoulder. "Xiaoer, you've provided the first layer of insurance for the sky ladder project."

That night, Li Xiao stood alone by the window.

Outside the window, the starry sky over the Gobi Desert remained brilliant.

She remembered four years ago, the first time she met Lin Mo. Back then, she was just a clumsy assistant who could even drop a folder on the floor.

Now, she was managing 1.3 trillion in funds.

It wasn't her money; it was the money of the people of the whole country.

She had to manage it well.

She took a deep breath and looked at that faint star in the low southeastern sky.

It was twinkling, as if it were looking back at her.

She said softly, "Rest assured, I won't let anyone embezzle a single cent."