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Chapter 68 - Chapter 67: The Hope of the Second Industrial Revolution

Carlo now also saw the vastly different attitudes between Maybach and Daimler.

Carter had already investigated the identities of these two people before taking action.

"Mr. Daimler, if you are willing to work in Spain, both you and Mr. Maybach will enjoy the same treatment as Mr. Benz, and you will own shares in the company you work for.

I will also not restrict your personal freedom; all universities in Spain are open to you, and you can study and work at any university in Spain, and your family members can also attend university.

Please believe in my sincerity; in the research of automobiles and engines, I will not interfere with you in any way, but will only provide you with a continuous flow of funds for research." Maybach clearly was not against staying and working in Spain; now, only Daimler needed to be persuaded, and then the cooperation of the three founders of the Benz Company could basically be formed.

Carlo was also very much looking forward to what kind of impact these three people getting together early would have on the automobile Industry.

"Alright, Your Majesty, I seem to have no choice." Daimler nodded helplessly, saying with a bitter smile, "But I hope Your Majesty can abide by what he said, that he will not interfere with our research, and at the same time provide us with sufficient research funds."

What Daimler was most worried about was Carlo relying on his identity as King to dictate their research, leading to him being unable to conduct his research as he wished.

If Carlo was willing to abide by the rule of not interfering with research, then working in Spain would not be so repulsive.

After all, Carlo had also promised good treatment for their families, and for a married man with children, this was indeed an attractive point.

"Of course." Carlo smiled and nodded, stating his plan: "Considering that all three of you are involved in engines, I have decided to establish a United Engine Company, giving each of you 5% of the shares to help you with your engine research.

The annual research and development funds will not be less than 200,000 pesetas, but the patent rights for your research results will belong to the entire company, no problem?"

Daimler, Maybach, and Benz looked at each other and all expressed no objection.

They would also own shares in the company, and they would have a share if the company made money. Moreover, for those involved in research and development, the amount of money they earned was not actually that important.

The annual research and development funds provided by Carlo were the best guarantee for them; being able to continue investing in the Industry they loved was more appealing than any subsequent patent rights or dividends.

After successfully winning over the three, Carlo gave a signal with a look, and a servant next to him handed a check for 5,000 pesetas to the three.

This was considered a welcome gift for the three, and at the same time, it was to show Carlo's sincerity to the three.

Although 5,000 peseta was not a lot, for Daimler and the other two, it allowed them to not be so strapped for cash when they first arrived in Spain, and to calmly arrange their own and their families' lives.

Only when life is stable will investing in work be easier and more efficient.

After taking the three to an adjacent restaurant to enjoy a luxurious lunch, Carlo had Carter take the three to find their way to their new homes.

The residences arranged for these scientific research talents were all detached villas that had been built recently, and the cost of a single villa was not too high.

After all, there was no such thing as speculating on housing prices in this era; apart from the houses on the most prosperous streets in the center of Madrid, other houses closer to the outskirts were just that.

Even on the outskirts of Madrid, there were many houses built by the people themselves, some of which looked like slums, so how could housing prices be high?

Compared to buying finished houses, people were more willing to build their own houses, which was more cost-effective and cheaper.

Speaking of which, the next step for the Government was to rectify the slums in Madrid.

Not to mention Spain, this phenomenon currently exists in all countries across Europe.

Although the Industrial Revolution made the entire country stronger, it was the capitalists, factory owners, entrepreneurs, nobles, and politicians who became wealthy; for common people, especially those below the middle class, life had not improved much.

In fact, the exploitation of workers by capitalists made the lives of ordinary people even more difficult. How chaotic was Europe at this time?

Salaries were divided into male workers, female workers, and child workers; most common families, in order to make ends meet, could only send all men, women, and children out to work.

This was also the reason for the relatively high illiteracy rate in many countries, including Spain.

These families, to survive, had no choice but to send children to factories and other places to work; if they were sent to school, even if it was a free school, it would reduce the family's income, making things even worse.

Europeans looked glamorous, but those who were glamorous were only the wealthy classes above the middle class.

The true common people did not live better than those in other places; the exploitation and oppression by capitalists and factory owners were like a heavy mountain for all common people in Europe, suffocating them.

This was also the reason why Carlo had not been focusing on literacy progress. If the income of Spaniards could not be effectively and substantially increased, the illiteracy rate among Spaniards would not decrease.

Only when the per capita annual income of Spaniards gradually catches up with the level of other European countries will there be hope for significant progress in the illiteracy rate.

After successfully winning over Gramme and the other four, Carlo was in a very good mood.

Driven by his good mood, Carlo also paid close attention to the establishment of the Royal Electricity Research Institute and the United Engine Company.

Electricity, naturally, goes without saying; electrification itself is one of the most important cores of the Second Industrial Revolution. And engines, meaning internal combustion engines, are another major core of the Second Industrial Revolution.

Doing well in electricity and engines means that Spain will make great progress in the Second Industrial Revolution.

Of course, because Spain's population itself is not large, the improvement from the Second Industrial Revolution will not be as immense as in Germany and the United States.

But for Spain itself, it undoubtedly adds a few more points of hope for renewed revitalization.

If the hope for Spain's revitalization after completing reforms was only 30%, then by deeply engaging in the Second Industrial Revolution, the hope for revitalization could be increased to at least 60%.

What is the goal of Spain's revitalization?

Carlo is not yet clear.

But Carlo knows that a small Great Power is not what he and Spain truly need. In the face of a large-scale World War, a middle-to-lower-level Great Power often cannot determine its own destiny.

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