Wrench and Tool

"Alright, that's enough of our small talk. I have a question for you, and you must answer it honestly."

"Uncle, go ahead and ask."

How would you define your own position?

What is your own positioning?

Han Mingxuan's question silenced Perturabo, while Han Mingxuan waited patiently for his answer.

In the end, the reason Perturabo is so conflicted is entirely due to his misplaced self-positioning.

Neither his own self-perception nor the Emperor's perception of him was correct.

"That depends on the person, Uncle."

"Oh?"

"Personally, I wanted to be the ruler of an Utopia kingdom, but in reality, I became a Tyrant."

"As far as the Emperor of the Imperium of Man is concerned, I am his Battering Ram, but in truth, I would rather be a Craftsman, an Architect."

"To you, Uncle, I am a Wrench, and indeed, in your presence, I am willing to be Wrench."

Han Mingxuan smiled with satisfaction after hearing Perturabo's words.

"Clap clap!"

"You've made great progress, Perturabo. You've become much more honest since the last time we met."

Perturabo was able to recognize the error in his self-positioning and to honestly admit that his ideal was an Utopia.

This is a very big step forward.

"Uncle, I'm just not good with words and not good at facing my own feelings. In fact, I'm very clear-headed."

It is precisely this self-awareness and the destruction of dreams that are truly tormenting.

"I agree with the first part of what you said; you've come to understand your own heart, which is a good thing. But the second part, I feel, differs somewhat from what I think."

Is there a discrepancy?

Could it be that in my Uncle's heart, I'm not even as good as Wrench?

"First, regarding the Emperor's view of you."

"Your father loved the concept of humanity first, and the individual only second. Therefore, for the sake of the human race as a whole, no matter what your special talents are, he will ultimately use you as tools."

"Whether it's a ladder to scale the city wall or a battering Battering Ram to smash the city gate, to him, tools are just tools, there's no distinction between them."

Perturabo's expression didn't change upon hearing this, because he already knew this.

"But to me, Perturabo, you are not a Wrench."

"You said that in my eyes you're a Wrench, and you're willing to be a Wrench. Wrench is essentially a tool, but in my eyes you're not tools, you're people."

"I'm giving you Wrench not so you can become Wrench, but so you can control Wrench."

"Think about it, Perturabo, think about what you've been doing lately. Do you still consider yourself a Wrench in my eyes?"

Perturabo fell silent upon hearing this.

Indeed, since the IV Legion was brought under the management of the Department of General Affairs, they were no longer weapons of war for conquering cities and seizing territories, but rather Architects and Engineers responsible for construction.

It's no exaggeration to say that it was this Uncle in front of him who helped him fulfill his long-cherished dream.

"Maybe he's a Construction Foreman?"

"Haha, that's a very down-to-earth way of putting it, Perturabo."

"Of course, in accordance with the character of your Primarch, I would prefer to call them Builders."

Builders.

These three words were like a steel nail, firmly embedded in Perturabo's mind.

"Am I a Builder?"

"Yes, the report on the achievements of the IV Legion's construction is kept in the Department of General Affairs. I've seen it myself. Without a doubt, you are outstanding Builders."

"While the frontline troops of the Great Crusade were undoubtedly great and brave, you, as the second-line construction force, brought the Imperium's bounty to that land, and in return, earned their loyalty to the Imperium."

"Different battlefields, different duties, but you are all equally great."

Swish!

Upon hearing this, Perturabo abruptly stood up, about to walk out.

"Come back, young man, where are you going?"

"Go build it, Uncle."

"Wait, Perturabo, I haven't finished speaking yet."

"Sorry, Uncle, I got a little excited."

Han Mingxuan smiled and shook his head, then posed a very crucial question.

How do you feel about the speed at which your Legion is being built?

"Fast, but not fast enough."

This is very Perturabo.

"No, Perturabo, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Actually, your construction speed is already very fast; the entire Second-Line Area Great Crusade has been completed by you."

That's why they say the IV Legion is the chosen one, the Civil Engineering Corps that beats the Ashes!

The construction speed of a Legion is so fast that it can rival the conquest speed of Great Crusade.

"This is something the IV Legion excels at, Uncle."

"I know, Perturabo, but what I want to ask you is, if the Great Crusade isn't progressing fast enough and your buildable land is running out, what will you do?"

What the real estate industry fears most is either that prices are too high and no one will buy, or that there is too little land and nowhere to build.

Perturabo is now facing the latter.

"The conquest speed of the front-line troops in the Great Crusade is not fast enough; I think my Legion can be faster."

"Now you're not calling yourself the Emperor's Battering Ram anymore?"

Upon hearing Han Mingxuan's words, Perturabo was taken aback.

It seems he had never thought about this question.

In fact, the Emperor had never allowed him to undertake such a long and large-scale construction project.

"Remember what we said at the beginning? Today I want to talk to you about your misaligned identity and perception."

"Think about it carefully. If you were conquering Planets that weren't yet part of your Imperium for the purpose of building them up, how would you feel?"

"I... I don't know, Uncle?"

"The Huangpizi are a disaster for your education."

Han Mingxuan sighed, then uttered a single word.

"To conquer the world for new construction, to conquer those lands not yet included in the Imperium's territory—that's not war, Perturabo. I call it Demolition."

"Demolition?"

"Yes, Perturabo, in fact, the entire Imperium Great Crusade Force can be viewed as an engineering team."

"It's just that you have different roles. The front-line troops are responsible for conquering land and Demolition old buildings, while the second-line troops are responsible for construction."

"Before this, you were always in the front-line troops, and what you were doing was Demolition work, but due to the tight schedule, the construction work could not proceed in an orderly manner."

"Now that you're separated from the frontline troops, you've truly taken on the responsibility of Builder."

"But if you build too fast and the Demolition workers aren't fast enough, then you'll need to become Demolition worker yourself."

"Whether it's Demolition or construction, the ultimate goal is to create a more habitable environment for humanity in the universe, isn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Perturabo remained seated, unable to recover for a long time. Finally, he looked at Han Mingxuan.

"Thank you, Uncle. You've helped me find my true calling."