Minh Truong did not choose randomly.
Among the people he had observed over the past two days, one pattern repeated itself: individuals with higher data latency tended to make decisions later than others—as if hesitation had become part of their existence.
Today, he decided to test that hesitation.
The subject was a middle-aged man who worked at a small electronics repair shop near Minh Truong's apartment. Average appearance. Predictable routine. But his lifespan data always lagged by nearly a full second.
Too long to ignore.
Minh Truong entered the shop just before closing time.
The man looked up. "We're closing soon."
"I know," Minh Truong replied calmly. "I just need advice. It won't take long."
As they spoke, Minh Truong kept the interface partially open.
No number appeared above the man's head.
Half a second passed.
Then the lifespan surfaced—unstable, flickering at the edges.
Minh Truong changed his approach.
"What would you do," he asked casually, "if someone offered to buy your shop tomorrow? Cash. No delays."
The man hesitated.
Minh Truong felt it immediately.
The data stuttered.
The lifespan value dipped—only slightly—then corrected itself upward again, overshooting by a few seconds before stabilizing.
Minh Truong's breath caught.
The system reacted not to action…
…but to possibility.
"I'd… need time to think," the man said finally.
Minh Truong nodded and stepped back, ending the conversation without pushing further. He left the shop as the metal shutter rolled down behind him.
Outside, he dismissed the interface and leaned against the wall.
His hands were cold.
He had not changed anything. No threats. No manipulation. Just a question.
Yet the system had recalculated.
If a single suggestion could cause lifespan fluctuation—even temporarily—then the numbers were no longer passive truths.
They were predictions under constant revision.
Minh Truong straightened.
This meant two things.
First: the future was not fixed.
Second: the system was watching not only outcomes—but influences.
And Minh Truong had just proven that he could be one.