Sun Tzu on deception
Describe your situation, or just name what is on your mind. You will get the exact passage from The Art of War that fits.
Five words of Sun Tzu have outlived everything around them: all warfare is based on deception. He does not mean lying for its own sake. He means never letting the other side read your real position, your real strength, or your real intent. Describe your situation above to find the line that fits.
Never show your hand
Sun Tzu's rule of appearances is a set of inversions: look unable when you can act, look idle when you are moving, look far when you are near. The point is to deny the other side the one thing they need most, an accurate picture of you. In any negotiation or rivalry, the advantage usually sits with whoever is harder to read.
Bait and tempo
He is comfortable being the one who sets the trap: dangle something to draw the other side out, let them mistake your order for disorder, and move when they have committed. Deception, for Sun Tzu, is not only concealment; it is actively shaping what the opponent believes until they walk into the position you wanted.
Dark plans, sudden moves
His image for it is among the most striking in the book: let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. Keep intentions hidden until the last moment, then act all at once. Surprise is not luck; it is the reward for having stayed unreadable.
Notable lines on deception
All warfare is based on deception.
Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.
Bring it to Sun directly
The quote is the start. Tell Sun Tzu what is actually going on and get his read on it, in a real conversation.
Speak with Sun