"...The junk pile...Max, you--aren't you lonely?"

Because that, first and foremost, is Rung's biggest worry. That the other is lonely and downplaying it which makes him distance himself even more. The other is so convinced that he'll hurt whoever he gets near that he's resorted to this.

"There are plenty of things that could use breaking before building has to occur, Max. And there's always the police force."

You were a warden after all, big guy.