>>281428037
No, he instinctively went for the data-manipulation solution. The power-limitation was just about how he implements it (rather than making up Liam's data as he planned, he had to swap his with someone else's). The fact that he tried to do his "usual routine" without even realizing that he could no longer do it is proof that it's his usual MO.
He couldn't directly influence the ex-wife's actions either because she was a "misery meal" for the guide like Liam is, so he could not directly influence who she'd actually have the child with in the end and we don't know at what point he even began targeting each of them. The guide doesn't care whose child it is. He cares that Liam feels misery from being cucked and betrayed (making the ex-wife believe it's not Liam's child makes it easier for her to rationalize siding with who she thinks is the actual father). Also fooling the few people involved while the truth is that Liam is still the actual father is easier to maintain than the other way around where he'd have to fool everyone else into believing that he is the girl's father by blood and thus the girl's legal guardian and must thus keep paying her amenities. Fooling 3 or so people is easier than fooling 10+ people.
