Chapter 68: The Hope of the Second Industrial Revolution

At this moment, Gao Da also saw the starkly different attitudes between Maybach and Dai Mulei.

Regarding the identities of these two men, Ka Dier had already investigated them thoroughly before taking action.

"Mr. Dai Mulei, if you are willing to stay and work in Spain, both you and Mr. Maybach will enjoy the same treatment as Mr. Benz, and you will also hold shares in the companies where you work.

I will not restrict your personal freedom either; all universities in Spain are open to you, and you may study and work at any university in Spain. Your families may also enter these universities to study.

Please believe in my sincerity. In terms of research into automobiles and engines, I will not interfere with you in any way; I will only provide you with a continuous stream of funding for your research." Maybach was clearly not opposed to staying in Spain to work, and now that he only needed to persuade Dai Mulei, he could basically assemble the cooperation of the three founders of the Benz company.

Gao Da was also very expectant; if these three men were brought together early, what kind of impact would it have on the automotive industry?

"Very well, Your Majesty, I suppose I have no choice." Dai Mulei nodded helplessly and said with a bitter smile, "But I hope Your Majesty will abide by what you said, not interfere with our research, and at the same time provide us with sufficient research funding."

What Dai Mulei feared most was that Gao Da would use his status as King to boss them around regarding their research, causing them to be unable to conduct their work as they wished.

If Gao Da was willing to abide by the code of non-interference in research, then working in Spain was actually not so repulsive.

After all, Gao Da had also promised them treatment for their families, which was indeed an attractive point for a man who was married and had children.

"That goes without saying." Gao Da nodded with a smile and laid out his plan: "Considering that all three of you are involved in engine development, I have decided to establish the United Engine Company, granting each of you 5% of the shares to help you conduct research in the field of engines.

The annual research and development funding will be no less than 200, 00 pesetas, but the patent rights for your research results will belong to the company as a whole. Is that acceptable?"

Dai Mulei, Maybach, and Benz looked at each other and all indicated they had no objections.

They would also hold shares in the company, so they would have a stake if the company made money. Moreover, for those engaged in R&D, the amount of money they earned themselves was actually not their primary concern.

The R&D funding Gao Da provided each year was the best guarantee for them; being able to continue investing in the industry they loved was more exciting than any subsequent patent rights or dividends.

After successfully winning over the three men, Gao Da gave a signal with his eyes, and a servant nearby handed the three of them a check for 5, 00 pesetas.

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

Although 5, 00 pesetas was not much, for Dai Mulei and the others, it would allow them not to be so strapped for cash when they first arrived in Spain and to arrange their lives and their families' lives with ease.

Only when life is stable can one invest in work more easily and efficiently.

After taking the three to a nearby restaurant to enjoy a luxurious lunch, Gao Da had Ka Dier take the three to get familiar with the route to their new homes.

The addresses arranged for these scientific research talents were all detached villas built in the recent period, and the construction cost of a villa was actually not too high.

After all, there was no such thing as real estate speculation in this era; apart from the houses on the most prosperous streets in the center of Madrid, the houses near the outskirts were just so-so.

There were even many houses on the outskirts of Madrid built by the citizens themselves; some looked like slums, so how could house prices possibly be high?

Compared to buying finished houses, citizens 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 renovate the slums of Madrid.

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

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

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

Wages were divided by male workers, female workers, and child laborers; most common families had to send men, women, and children out to work to make ends meet.

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

These families had to let children work in factories and other places to survive; if they were sent to school, even a free school, it would reduce the family's original income, making a bad situation worse.

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

The real common people did not live better than those elsewhere; the exploitation and oppression by capitalists and factory owners were like a heavy mountain to all the common people of Europe, pressing down so hard that they could hardly breathe.

This was also the reason why Gao Da had not focused on the progress of literacy campaigns. If the income of the Spanish people could not be effectively and substantially increased, the illiteracy rate of the Spanish people could not be lowered.

Only when the per capita annual income of the Spanish people gradually caught up to the level of other European countries would there be hope for making significant progress in the illiteracy rate.

After successfully winning over the four men including Ge Lamu, Gao Da was in a very good mood.

Driven by his good mood, Gao Da also paid close attention to the founding of the Royal Institute of Electricity 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, that is, internal combustion engines, are another major core of the Second Industrial Revolution.

Getting electricity and engines right meant that Spain would make huge progress in the Second Industrial Revolution.

Of course, because Spain's own population was not large, the boost from the Second Industrial Revolution would not be as huge as that of Germany and the United States.

But for Spain itself, it undoubtedly added a few more hopes for a resurgence.

If the hope for the resurgence of a reformed Spain was only 30%, then by deeply engaging in the Second Industrial Revolution, the hope for resurgence could be increased to at least 60%.

And what was the goal of Spain's resurgence?

Gao Da was not yet clear.

But Gao Da knew that being a small great power was not what he and Spain truly needed. In the face of a large-scale world war, a mid-to-low-level great power often could not determine its own fate.

First update, seeking support!

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(End of chapter)