On February 2nd, the Xuzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics released its economic performance data, revealing that the city's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2025 reached 995.722 billion yuan, falling just 4.278 billion yuan short of the coveted one-trillion-yuan threshold. While this gap might seem like a mere "tiny fraction" relative to the massive trillion-yuan scale, it can also be perceived as a significant "small difference." This outcome may have disappointed some, yet it more importantly showcases a city's pragmatic and grounded approach to the very concept of "development." Prior to this announcement, there was widespread external anticipation and observation that Xuzhou was poised to become Jiangsu province's newest member of the "trillion-yuan GDP club." With a GDP of 953.7 billion yuan in 2024, Xuzhou had firmly established itself as a strong contender to become the sixth city in Jiangsu and the first in Northern Jiangsu and the Huaihai Economic Zone to achieve this milestone. Had Xuzhou successfully crossed the threshold in 2025, it would have undoubtedly provided a substantial boost to the city's developmental momentum and enhanced its capacity for regional influence and driving growth. Ultimately, Xuzhou's effort fell just short at the final hurdle. Some netizens have remarked that the figure of 995.722 billion yuan demonstrates a lack of artificial rounding or a desperate, short-sighted rush to cross the finish line. It reflects a stance of not being held hostage by numerical anxiety and refusing to use a single data point as the sole measure of progress. In fact, the Xuzhou "authorities" had already signaled their position on this matter. During the city's "Two Sessions" this year, the government work report notably did not announce a specific GDP figure, stating only that "the gross regional product is estimated to have increased by approximately 5.8%." On the afternoon of January 21st, Song Lewei, Secretary of the Xuzhou Municipal Committee, while participating in a panel discussion with the Tongshan District delegation, emphasized the need to "seek truth from facts and let things take their natural course," adding, "we should not obsess over this number; we must not be burdened by it." Now, the precise figure of 995.722 billion yuan gives tangible form to those eight characters: rather than excessively focusing on the data, it is better to concentrate energy on "solid and substantive development." This resilience is, in essence, a practice of rational and sustainable development principles. Over the past year, Xuzhou has seen the continuous expansion of its "343" innovative industrial clusters, with the number of high-tech enterprises steadily increasing; initiatives for public welfare have been effectively implemented, with expenditure on people's livelihoods maintaining a high proportion of the budget; the former "coal city" is progressively transforming into a "green new city." This "small difference" does not signify a halt in development but rather represents a strategic accumulation of strength, with a greater emphasis on quality. As 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Xuzhou has clearly outlined a series of key objectives and tasks, with specific plans for regional GDP, research and development expenditure, and new urban employment, among others. Ten key areas of work are closely aligned with the guiding principle of "seeking progress while maintaining stability, improving quality, and enhancing efficiency," focusing squarely on tangible development and the improvement of people's livelihoods. Urban development is never a 100-meter sprint; it is a marathon that prioritizes endurance and quality. The true strength of a city is not measured by a single number but by whether its development is solid, sustainable, and genuinely benefits its residents. In the current climate of increasingly intense competition among cities, it is more crucial than ever to discard numerical anxiety, adhere to the principle of seeking truth from facts, and deeply cultivate a path of high-quality development. The correct path for sustainable urban development lies not in fretting over short-term numerical gains and losses or blindly pursuing speed and scale, but in basing strategies on actual conditions and balancing development quality with the well-being of the people.