Secrecy is a decent test for whether something is clever or just cheating. A real shortcut saves effort and you would happily explain it to anybody who asked. The other kind needs a story, and the story is the tell. Once you start thinking about who cannot find out, you already know what you are doing, and you are spending energy on the cover instead of the work.

Run that test before you take the easy route. Ask whether you would say it out loud to the person in charge with nothing attached. If the answer makes you wince, take the slower way and stop thinking about it.