Page 41 - TruthAboutLyingFinalAmazon18

Nicholas Boothman
She tapped her screen. A web of nodes lit up, dense, interconnected.
“Start with people in positions where lying isn’t optional, it’s structural. Politicians. Executives. Media. Finance. Law. Anywhere perception matters more than reality.”
Henry’s smile faded.
“You don’t need everyone telling the truth,” Jinji continued. “You just need enough people who can’t lie anymore to break the system that depends on it.”
Vincent leaned forward. “Break it how?”
“Negotiations fail,” she said. “Markets panic. PR collapses. You can’t spin, hedge, or delay. Every conversation becomes binary, true or not. And humans aren’t built for that.”
Henry crossed his arms. “You’re assuming people comply.”
“I’m not,” she said. “I’m assuming they panic.”
She zoomed in on the network.
“Ten percent is enough to make the other ninety percent unsure who’s still playing by the old rules. And the moment that uncertainty spreads, trust doesn’t increase.”
She looked up at him. “It evaporates.” Silence.
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