Chapter 3: Luo Lun Luo Ya Te

Victor Emmanuel II acted quite quickly.

On the day Carlo received the three million Lira annuity, Victor Emmanuel II also brought him the steward candidate he had carefully selected.

However, the final decision still rested with Carlo. After all, a steward was a noble's most trusted subordinate, and Carlo had 100% of the choice.

Borrowing a conference room in the palace, Carlo held a meeting with the subordinate recommended by Victor Emmanuel II.

Because Carlo was not very old, the talent recommended by Victor Emmanuel II was also young, looking to be only in his early 20s.

However, according to the information provided by Victor Emmanuel II, this fellow named Luo Lun was not simple.

First was his education; not only did he graduate from a prestigious university, but he had also studied abroad in Britain and France for several years.

However, because he had been cultivated and funded by the royal family since he was a child, his loyalty was guaranteed.

Moreover, Luo Lun himself was already managing a portion of the Italian royal family's assets, and his capabilities in finance and economics were worth affirming.

Simply put, Luo Lun was a talent who had been tested in terms of knowledge and capability, and his loyalty was also worth affirming.

Carlo's first impression of Luo Lun was also quite good.

Born in a monarchical country, Luo Lun still had a favorable view of monarchy. Especially since everything he had came from the funding of the Italian royal family, his loyalty to the entire Italian royal family was beyond doubt.

"Luo Lun?" Carlo spoke first.

"Yes, Your Highness. I am Luo Lun, and it is my honor to serve you." Luo Lun nodded very respectfully, keeping his posture very low.

"Very good." Carlo nodded with satisfaction, quite approving of Luo Lun's behavior.

After all, if his own steward did not recognize the superior status of the nobility, then who else would recognize the nobility?

"Were you working for my father before?" Carlo asked.

"Yes, Your Highness." Luo Lun nodded and answered very respectfully: "Previously, I managed plantations in the Philippines and also acquired several newspaper offices in the Turin area."

Carlo was quite satisfied. Although the plantations Luo Lun managed were just crop plantations, this kind of management experience could be extended to future rubber plantations.

There was no need to say how profitable rubber plantations were; with such experience, he could easily make Carlo a giant in the rubber industry in the future.

And the experience of acquiring newspaper offices added a few points to Luo Lun. Because in Carlo's heart, the power of public opinion from newspaper offices was very important.

If a person or a country could master the power of public opinion, they could easily turn black into white, calling right wrong and wrong right.

This was quite important for stabilizing the monarchy of Italy or Spain, at least enough to influence the choices of the people, so that the monarchy would not exit the stage of Italy and Spain so early.

Whether now or in later generations, people had a blind herd mentality.

No matter whether a system was good or bad, as long as more people said it was bad, then it was bad.

If the power of public opinion was mastered well, it would become Carlo's most important weapon after the military in the future, and it could also play an unexpected role.

In Carlo's future plans, whether becoming the King of Spain or continuing as an Italian noble, he had to do some actual good deeds for the people using his noble status.

And the power of public opinion, with newspaper offices as the mainstay, was an important weapon for Carlo to carry out propaganda. After all, the purpose of doing good deeds was to let the people know that nobles were not all cruel oppressors of the people, and that monarchy was not all flaws.

"Tell me your views on newspaper offices." Although Carlo was already very satisfied, the examination of Luo Lun was not completely over.

If Luo Lun could have some slight fit with Carlo in future development, perhaps the cooperation between the two would be even more perfect.

Hearing Carlo's inquiry, Luo Lun did not rush to answer, but after careful thought for a moment, he spoke: "For the present, newspaper offices are just a way for people to obtain information from the outside world."

"But for the future, the role of newspaper offices is quite important, and can even influence the crowd watching the newspapers."

"Although the role of one newspaper office is not large, if we can control dozens or even hundreds of newspaper offices, and then publish a certain piece of news on these hundreds of newspapers together, then this piece of news will instantly be believed by hundreds of thousands or even millions of people, regardless of the truth of the news."

"I believe that, judging by the potential and role of newspaper development, you have the necessity to buy several newspaper offices as your own weapon of public opinion, so as to exert influence on the people."

Carlo nodded, quite approving of Luo Lun's words.

Although the development of newspaper offices had not yet formed a large-scale power of public opinion, the role of such public opinion institutions as newspaper offices was beyond doubt.

Luo Lun could see this point first, proving that his strategic development vision was quite good.

With such a talent as the manager of Carlo's assets, at least the probability of Carlo's assets increasing was far greater than the probability of them decreasing.

"You have successfully moved me, Luo Lun." At the end of the conversation, Carlo smiled and nodded, saying to the nervous Luo Lun: "From now on, you are my palace steward."

The steward of a Western palace was not like the eunuchs of an Eastern palace; the steward not only had quite high speaking power but would not be discriminated against by anyone.

Luo Lun also did not reject becoming Carlo's steward; after all, if he were under Victor Emmanuel II, he would just be a talent with decent ability.

But if he were loyal to Carlo, Luo Lun would become Carlo's confidant and important subordinate; the importance of the two sides was completely disproportionate.

And Carlo was also the Duke of Chablais of Italy; becoming the steward of a Duke was not a shameful thing.

"Your Grace, because I have been an orphan since I was a child, I only have my name Luo Lun, and no surname of my own."

"May I request you to bestow upon me a unique surname? Luo Lun is willing to serve Your Grace with his life's energy." At the end of the chat, Luo Lun suddenly spoke and requested Carlo to bestow a surname upon him.

Such things had not happened before; if a commoner suddenly gained the trust and reuse of a monarch, it was not strange to bestow upon him a surname that integrated into the noble class.

Luo Lun's request for a surname was actually expressing his attitude of loyalty to Carlo. After obtaining the surname given by Carlo, Luo Lun was completely labeled with Carlo's tag.

If Luo Lun betrayed Carlo in the future, his reputation among the entire European nobility would stink, and his future would naturally be gone.

Carlo naturally understood this point, looked at the determined Luo Lun, and Carlo smiled, saying: "Alright then, Steward Luo Lun. I think the surname Luo Ya Te is good; Luo Lun Luo Ya Te will definitely become a legend worth writing in Italian history."

Luo Lun nodded and accepted this surname respectfully.

Luo Ya Te in English is "Loyalty." The meaning of Carlo giving him such a name was self-evident, and Luo Lun also hoped to express his loyalty through such a way, so as to obtain Carlo's trust and reuse, to show his ability.

New book setting sail, seeking recommendation votes, seeking collections, seeking follow-up reading, seeking investments!

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(End of Chapter)