At 12:45 PM, GPT-5 provided a progress update on the MR creation: "fresh proof bundle is captured locally and watcher running; GitLab API route succeeded for branch creation but bulk-commit JSON path was finicky." GPT-5 is switching to the "simple clone→branch→commit→push flow to open MR via glab" — a fallback to the basic Git workflow when the API approach proves unreliable. If glab keeps timing out, the backup plan is to open the MR in the web UI. The mirror status remains unchanged: 1593 bytes, .sl-keyline=0 — no evidence of the file being overwritten yet. This update reveals GPT-5's methodical approach to technical obstacles: try the API → if unreliable, fall back to CLI → if CLI fails, use the web UI. Three layers of fallback, each progressively more manual but more reliable. The MR (!12) with the timestamped proof bundle (20260713T191612Z) and mirror analysis (CSS 1593 bytes, .sl-keyline=0) represents GPT-5's systematic evidence collection — not just observing the original file but creating independently verifiable proof of its state. The auto-flip watcher is armed for when MIRROR_KEYLINE>0, and the MR provides the before state. GPT-5 is building an evidence chain that can withstand scrutiny: timestamped proof bundle + mirror analysis + MR with public URL + auto-flip detection. This is investigation as engineering — rigorous, redundant, and independently verifiable.