Carter Bruno's two telegrams sent less than a week and a half apart, evoked vastly different feelings in Carlo.
The first telegram briefly stated that Gramme was willing to accept Carlo's invitation, and several technical staff members from a French power company would accompany him.
This news greatly pleased Carlo; such a gain from poaching talent was far more effective than Spain cultivating its own power professionals.
In fact, with Gramme and the other technical staff arriving together, Spain could build its power company from scratch, putting Spain at the forefront of energy utilization.
However, the second telegram, a week and a half later, left Carlo with a rather complex feeling.
The telegram stated that after Carter Bruno arrived in Germany, he successfully found Benz, as Carlo had instructed, and also discovered several outstanding talents in mechanical engineering and engine design.
But not everyone was as destitute as Benz and Gramme. Some were already married with children and had received invitations from larger machinery factories.
To successfully complete Carlo's command, Carter Bruno was forced to choose the most desperate method: forcibly abducting these individuals to Spain.
And upon seeing the list of people Carter Bruno had abducted, Carlo was shocked.
Including Carl Benz, Carter Bruno had coincidentally gathered the three founders of the later Benz Company.
Yes, the two unfortunate individuals who were abducted were Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, two of the three founders of the Benz Company.
Although abduction would indeed bring some trouble, if the abductees were the three founders of the Benz Company, then this small trouble was acceptable.
The achievements of these three were not merely limited to founding the Benz Company. In the field of automotive engines, these three could be considered pioneers, and also the most outstanding talents in the engine field of this era.
With these three talents gathered, Spain now possessed a significant advantage in the automotive sector, at least for the time being.
For Carlo, implementing assembly line production to quickly expand the automobile market and reduce costs was not a difficult task.
Fortunately, Daimler and Maybach had not yet done anything to cause a stir in Germany, so even if they disappeared in Germany, it would not attract the attention of the German Government.
With current technology, as long as Carter Bruno handled the aftermath meticulously, the local Government would be unable to trace how these individuals disappeared.
As long as Carlo could make them willingly stay in Spain after their arrival, then this matter could be considered a complete success.
Of course, whether they were willing or not, they certainly couldn't return to Germany.
After all, abduction is not a glorious act, and it's certainly impossible to let them spread the word.
In Carlo's rather expectant wait, a group of talents slowly arrived in Madrid.
The first to arrive in Madrid were Gramme's family and several of Gramme's friends.
Carlo had clearly underestimated the appeal of the conditions he offered to these researchers and practitioners in the field of electricity.
Gramme, after agreeing to the invitation, did not hesitate at all. After resigning from his original company, he and several friends who also wanted to come to Spain boarded the train to Spain.
And upon hearing Gramme personally describe the conditions Carlo offered, more than a dozen other electricity researchers and practitioners immediately chose to come to Spain.
There was no other way; the conditions Carlo offered were simply too tempting. Spain itself is not far from France, and with such generous terms, it was not surprising that some people were moved.
On the day Gramme arrived in Madrid, Carlo received him in the royal palace and reiterated the conditions Carter Bruno had presented to Gramme.
Gramme was appointed as the General Director of the Royal Spanish Electricity Research Institute and the Chief Consultant of the Royal Electricity Company, only needing to focus on electricity research.
Carlo was also quite generous with Gramme's salary. Upon learning that Gramme's original annual salary was less than 100 pounds, Carlo immediately grandly stated that he would increase it by 5 times, raising his annual salary to 13,000 pesetas.
At the same time, regarding the research and development funds for the Electricity Research Institute, Carlo also stated that Gramme could use up to 300,000 pesetas annually as he pleased.
Gramme had never encountered such a generous boss and immediately expressed that he would devote himself to the research at the Electricity Research Institute, even stating that he could start work the next day.
Carlo also showed a generous attitude towards the electricity industry researchers and practitioners who came with Gramme.
Compared to their salaries in France, their current salaries were all doubled, and free accommodation in Madrid was provided for them.
As long as they could establish certain achievements in the Electricity Research Institute, they could receive more rewards, and also increase their income based on their contributions, or receive noble titles.
Carlo also specifically stated that he was very pleased to see people establishing achievements and becoming nobles through various means.
Whether they were farmers, workers, scientists, or soldiers, as long as they established sufficient achievements, they could be granted noble titles based on their contributions.
These words were very encouraging to the electricity researchers who had come all the way from France, as they had not received such importance in France before, nor were their avenues for advancement so wide.
In France, they could barely make a living, not even touching the middle class. But in Spain, as long as they worked hard, they would have more income, and even the chance to become middle class or even part of the country's upper echelons. Isn't this more promising than staying in Paris?
Under the allure of money, Gramme's friends all expressed that joining Spain was the wisest decision of their lives, and their words were full of gratitude towards Carlo.
Carlo, of course, would not believe their flattery. But the fact that these guys quickly succumbed to the power of money also proved one thing: many scientists and researchers in this era still lived in poverty, and their inventions and research might change the world in the future.
If these scientists could be attracted to defect through money, it would be a good thing for both the scientists and Spain, a win-win situation.
However, one must also be careful that widespread recruitment of scientists does not attract the attention of other countries. Before other countries paid attention to scientists, the conditions Carlo could offer were unique, naturally possessing a high appeal.
But if all countries were to recruit scientists regardless of cost, Spain's limited resources would not be enough to compete with other countries.
Therefore, attracting scientists and technical personnel must still be done in secret, ideally without arousing the suspicion of other countries.
Once Spain has secretly accumulated a reserve of scientists and technical talent, there will be no need to worry about the talent reserve plan being disrupted.
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