Perfect Number

　　Old Wang's new mobile phone number ends in seven zeros. In their company, this represents absolute authority and even a touch of mystique. Old Wang isn't the boss, nor is he a senior executive; he's just an ordinary data analyst, but he is more obsessed with the perfection of numbers than anyone else.

　　Every morning, the first thing Old Wang does isn't to check his work emails, but to open his phone and verify the seven zeros at the end of his number, over and over again. He even has a huge poster on his bedside with "0000000" written in artistic font. In Old Wang's eyes, this number is like a magic spell, controlling every aspect of his life.

　　His colleagues are long used to his obsession. They sometimes joke that Old Wang will definitely be reincarnated as a calculator in his next life. Old Wang always smiles without rebuttal. He thinks they don't understand. They don't understand the beauty of numbers, nor the order and power behind them.

　　Old Wang's work at the company is also closely related to numbers. His daily job is to analyze various data and find patterns in them. He is like a numerical craftsman, polishing cold numbers into exquisite reports. His reports are precise to eight decimal places, and the logic is as tight as an impenetrable net.

　　There is a saying circulating in the company: if anyone's data goes wrong, they go to Old Wang. Old Wang is like a data savior, able to use his superb numerical skills to correct faulty data one by one. Therefore, he is somewhat famous in the company, and everyone respectfully calls him "Mr. Number."

　　The reason Old Wang is so obsessed with numbers is that he firmly believes that numbers are the cornerstone of the world. He believes that as long as you master numbers, you can master everything. He even feels that his life is like a precise program composed of numbers, and every step should be accurate without error.

　　However, Old Wang's perfect world was shattered on an ordinary afternoon.

　　That afternoon, the company suddenly received an urgent project that required a complex market analysis report to be completed within three days. The whole team was swamped, and Old Wang was no exception. He stared at the computer screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard, afraid of missing any data point.

　　Just as the report was about to be completed, Old Wang suddenly noticed a problem with a data point. This data point, though small, was enough to affect the accuracy of the entire report. Old Wang frowned, checking it again and again, but he couldn't find the source of the error.

　　He was agitated, feeling that the numerical order he had constructed was collapsing little by little. He glanced at the poster on the wall, and the seven zeros were like seven sharp swords, piercing his eyes. He suddenly felt that numbers were not perfect; they were full of all kinds of traps.

　　"What's wrong, Old Wang?" colleague Xiao Li walked to Old Wang's workstation and asked with concern.

　　"There's a problem with a data point," Old Wang's voice was a little hoarse.

　　"Where? Let me see." Xiao Li leaned closer to the screen, examining it carefully.

　　Old Wang pointed to the erroneous data and explained it to Xiao Li.

　　After listening, Xiao Li scratched his head and laughed: "Isn't that simple? Just change the number directly."

　　Old Wang was stunned. He had never thought that there could be such a solution. In his understanding, data must be real, and any alteration was a blasphemy.

　　"But, wouldn't that be a misrepresentation?" Old Wang asked, puzzled.

　　Xiao Li patted Old Wang on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Old Wang, sometimes, the truth doesn't matter; what matters is the result."

　　Old Wang looked at the screen and fell into deep thought. He suddenly felt that what he had been adhering to all along was perhaps just a phantom. He suddenly realized that numbers are just tools, and the person who uses the tools is what truly matters.

　　Old Wang was silent for a while, then slowly raised his head, his fingers trembling as he changed the erroneous data point to the result he wanted.

　　After the report was submitted, it was successfully approved. Old Wang received commendation from the company for this. His colleagues all congratulated him, saying he was indeed "Mr. Number".

　　Old Wang just smiled and said nothing. He lowered his head, looking at the seven zeros on his phone screen. He suddenly felt that these zeros were no longer as perfect as before; they seemed to be mocking his ignorance.

　　The next day, Old Wang calmly submitted his resignation letter to the company. He felt that he should go to a place where numbers were not needed and rediscover the meaning of life.

　　On the day he left the company, he dialed a number on his phone, and the other party quickly answered the call.

　　"Hello, is this the company that buys up premium mobile numbers? I have a number ending in seven zeros here, and I would like to ask, how much is it worth now?"