I suppose it depends on how you define nice? If you cheat at some point people will catch on, even if you don't face any real consequences. So if you want prestige within your community then cheating isn't the way to go.
If you want to look impressive to non-experts and get lots of grant money/opportunities, I'd go for lots of straightforward publications in top-tier venues. Star findings will come under greater scrutiny.
Not outright cheating, but cooking results to seem better/surprising and publishing lots of those shitty papers is the optimal way to build a career in many fields. In medicine, for example.
If you want to look impressive to non-experts and get lots of grant money/opportunities, I'd go for lots of straightforward publications in top-tier venues. Star findings will come under greater scrutiny.