Chapter 1279: A Conversation Between Brothers Guilliman and Perturabo

Perturabo pulled a folded blueprint from his pocket, unfolded it, and spread it out on the stone platform by the fountain.

It was a city planning map, but it was more detailed than any planning map Guilliman had ever seen.

Every street, every building, every park, and every pipeline was clearly marked.

"This is the planning map for the Eastern District New City. It is seventy percent complete."

Guilliman looked at the map carefully.

"These colored lines, did you draw them yourself?"

Perturabo nodded.

"I drew them when I had nothing to do at night."

Guilliman did not say, "Why don't you rest when you have nothing to do at night?"

Perturabo's "when I have nothing to do at night" was when other people were sleeping.

"These green areas, are they parks?"

Guilliman pointed to several green patches on the map.

Perturabo nodded.

"Yes. Every residential area must have a park. Children need space to play, and the elderly need a place to bask in the sun."

Guilliman pointed again to a blue area on the map.

"What is this?"

"An artificial lake. The terrain of the East District is low, and it is prone to water accumulation during the rainy season. Instead of building drainage ditches, it is better to dig a lake; it can store water and serve as a landscape."

A flash of admiration crossed Guilliman's eyes.

"That is a good idea."

The corners of Perturabo's mouth lifted slightly, but he quickly suppressed it.

"It wasn't my idea. I just... wanted to try it."

"And this?"

Guilliman pointed to a gray area on the map.

Perturabo's expression became serious.

"That is the industrial zone. I have concentrated all the factories on the edge of the East District, far away from the residential areas. The wind blows from west to east, so the exhaust from the industrial zone will not drift into the city."

Guilliman nodded.

"Very thorough consideration."

Perturabo was in Silence for a second.

"Not thorough enough."

Guilliman looked at him.

"Where is it not enough?"

Perturabo pointed to the industrial zone on the map.

"I designed Three-level Filtration for the sewage systems of these factories. But with current technology, only two levels can be achieved. The third level requires a new type of filtration material that I have not yet developed."

Guilliman asked.

"How long will it take?"

Perturabo thought for a moment.

"I don't know. Before then, I can only reserve the sewage pipes and install them after the material is successfully developed."

"Perturabo," Guilliman said.

Perturabo looked up.

"What?"

Guilliman pointed to a blank area on the map.

"Here, what do you plan to do?"

Perturabo took a look.

"I haven't decided yet. It could be a school, it could be a library, or it could be... something else."

Guilliman asked.

"What is 'something else'?"

Perturabo was in Silence for a long time.

Then he said.

"I want to build a place for the children who lost their parents in the war to live. Not an Orphanage, but... a home. With houses, with a yard, with teachers, with playmates. Like... like when we were young."

Guilliman's heart gave a sudden jolt.

Like when we were young.

Perturabo wanted to give those children who lost their parents the same thing.

Guilliman did not speak.

He just reached out and patted Perturabo on the shoulder.

Perturabo's body stiffened slightly, but he did not pull away.

"I was just thinking about it. It might not be possible to build."

Guilliman said.

"You will."

Perturabo looked at him.

"How do you know?"

Guilliman smiled.

"Because you said so."

Perturabo's expression turned strange again.

"Just because I said it doesn't mean I'll do it. I was just... thinking about it."

Guilliman nodded.

"Mm, just thinking about it."

The two fell into Silence for a few seconds.

Then Perturabo said.

"If it really gets built, help me look at the site selection. You're good at this."

"Alright."

The setting sun began to sink, dyeing the new buildings in the East District gold.

Perturabo put away the blueprints and returned them to his pocket.

Guilliman looked at him, suddenly remembering something from many years ago.

Back then, Perturabo had secretly made a small wooden boat and placed it in the pond in the courtyard.

The little boat was made extremely delicately, every wooden plank polished smooth as a mirror, and the sail was made from his grandmother's old handkerchief.

Yingxin saw it and shouted loudly.

Perturabo's face flushed bright red, and he said.

"I was just making it for fun. It doesn't look good; I was just about to take it apart."

The next day, the little boat was gone.

Guilliman asked him: "Where is your boat?"

Perturabo said: "Took it apart. It was just for fun anyway."

But later, Guilliman saw that little boat in Perturabo's room.

It had been taken apart into pieces, neatly arranged in a box. Every piece was numbered, and next to it lay a blueprint showing how to reassemble it.

Perturabo discovered that Guilliman had seen it and hurriedly defended himself.

Then he said: "I was just studying the structure. You can only know how to make it better after taking it apart."

Guilliman said: "Mm, studying the structure."

Now, Perturabo was still the same.

Clearly caring, yet refusing to admit it. Clearly putting in effort, yet insisting on calling it "by the way."

The two walked slowly along the new road in the East District.

The road was newly paved with a special water-permeable material so that water would not accumulate on rainy days.

Trees were planted on both sides of the road, with flower beds beneath them, and flowers of various colors were blooming in the beds.

Several old people were playing chess under the trees; seeing Perturabo, they greeted him one after another.

"Lord Perturabo!"

"My Lord, are you here to inspect again today?"

Perturabo's expression immediately became serious.

"Just passing by. Checking on things while I'm at it."

Guilliman walked beside Perturabo and said in a low voice.

"You come here often?"

Perturabo said.

"Occasionally."

Guilliman did not ask again.

They walked to the new building under construction.

The workers were finishing up for the day; seeing Perturabo, they stopped one after another to greet him.

"My Lord!"

"Greetings, My Lord!"

Perturabo nodded, acknowledging them.

The foreman ran over, holding a construction progress schedule in his hand.

"My Lord, sixty percent of the exterior wall decorative panels have been installed. According to the current progress, it can be completed next month."

Perturabo took the progress schedule and looked at it carefully.

"What about the interior?"

The foreman said.

"The interior is proceeding simultaneously. The plumbing and electrical lines have been laid, and the flooring and walls can be finished within this month."

Perturabo nodded.

"What about the ventilation system? Did you change the New Air Circulation System I mentioned last time?"

The foreman nodded.

"Changed it. According to your blueprints, the air ducts have been redesigned. Now every room has an independent fresh air outlet, and the filtration system has been upgraded as well."

Perturabo's expression relaxed slightly.

"Good. Continue."

After the foreman left, Guilliman asked.

"New Air Circulation System? Even ordinary residences need this?"

Perturabo glanced at him.

"Although the air on Xiuluo Holy Star has been purified, the indoor air quality is still not good enough. Especially when the weather turns cold and doors and windows are kept tightly shut, the carbon dioxide concentration will rise. A fresh air system can ensure indoor air circulation, which is especially important for the elderly and children."

Guilliman nodded.

"You think very thoroughly."

Perturabo said.

"It is not thorough. It is basic. People spend most of their time indoors every day. If the indoor air is bad, health problems will arise. If health problems arise, nothing can be done. This is not a small matter."

Guilliman did not refute him.

He knew that every "small matter" Perturabo spoke of was a "major matter" to others.

It was just that he refused to admit he was doing major things.

"Perturabo."

Guilliman said.

Perturabo looked at him.

"What?"

Guilliman pointed to that new building.

"What do you plan to name this building?"

Perturabo was stunned for a moment.

"A name? I haven't thought about it yet."

Guilliman said.

"How about calling it 'Perturabo Building'?"

Perturabo's expression changed immediately.

"No."

Guilliman smiled.

"Why?"

Perturabo said.

"Naming it after me is too... too much. Just call it Eastern District No. 3 Residential Building. Simple, clear, and there will be no mistakes."