Victor Emmanuel II acted quickly.
On the same day Carlo received his three million lira annual allowance, Victor Emmanuel II also brought him the candidates he had carefully selected for the position of steward.
Ultimately, the final decision rested with Carlo. As the steward, he was the most trusted subordinate of a nobleman, granting him complete discretion in his choices.
Using a meeting room in the palace, Carlo met with the subordinate recommended by Victor Emmanuel II.
Since Carlo was not old, the talent recommended by Victor Emmanuel II was also young, appearing to be just over 20 years old.
However, according to the information provided by Victor Emmanuel II, this fellow named Laurent was not simple.
Firstly, his education: not only was he a graduate of a reputable university, but he had also studied in England and France for several years.
Furthermore, because he had been nurtured and supported by the royal family since childhood, his loyalty was guaranteed.
Laurent himself was already managing some of the Italian royal family's assets, demonstrating solid capabilities in finance and economics.
In short, Laurent was a talent whose knowledge and abilities had been tested, and his loyalty was also assured.
Carlo's first impression of Laurent was also good.
Born in a monarchical country, Laurent felt a strong connection to the monarchy. His loyalty to the Italian royal family, which had supported him, was unwavering.
"Laurent?" Carlo spoke first.
"Yes, Your Highness. I am Laurent, it is an honor to serve you." Laurent nodded respectfully, keeping his posture very humble.
"Very good." Carlo nodded in satisfaction, quite approving of Laurent's demeanor.
After all, if his steward didn't recognize the superior status of the nobility, who else would?
"Were you working for my father before?" Carlo inquired.
"Yes, Your Highness." Laurent nodded, answering respectfully, "Previously, I managed plantations in the Philippines and also acquired several newspapers in the Turin area."
Carlo was quite pleased. Although the plantations Laurent managed were primarily agricultural, this management experience could be extended to future rubber plantations.
The profitability of rubber plantations goes without saying. Having this experience would easily allow Carlo to become a giant in the rubber industry when planning future ventures.
And the experience of acquiring newspapers added several points for Laurent. In Carlo's mind, the power of public opinion represented by newspapers was extremely important.
A person or a country that can control the power of public opinion can easily twist black into white, making right seem wrong and wrong seem right.
This was crucial for stabilizing the monarchy in Italy or Spain, at least capable of influencing people's choices and preventing the monarchy from exiting the Italian and Spanish stages too early.
Whether now or in the future, the public has a kind of blind herd mentality.
Regardless of whether a system is good or bad, if enough people say it's bad, then it's bad.
If wielded well, the power of public opinion would become Carlo's most important weapon after the military in the future, and could also achieve unexpected results.
In Carlo's plans, whether becoming the King of Spain or continuing as an Italian nobleman, he intended to use his noble status to genuinely do good deeds for the people.
And the power of public opinion, centered around newspapers, was a crucial weapon for Carlo's propaganda. After all, the purpose of doing good deeds was to let the people know that not all nobles were cruel oppressors of the populace, and that monarchy wasn't entirely flawed.
"Tell me your thoughts on newspapers." Although Carlo was already very satisfied, his assessment of Laurent was not entirely complete.
If Laurent's views on future development aligned somewhat with Carlo's, their cooperation might be even more perfect.
Hearing Carlo's question, Laurent did not rush to answer but thought carefully for a moment before speaking: "Currently, newspapers are merely a way for the public to obtain external information.
But for the future, the role of newspapers is extremely important, capable of even influencing the people who read them.
While the impact of a single newspaper is limited, if we can control dozens or even hundreds of newspapers, and then publish a certain piece of news simultaneously in these hundreds of newspapers, that news will instantly be believed by hundreds of thousands or even millions of people, regardless of its truthfulness.
I believe that, given the potential and role of newspaper development, you must purchase several newspapers as your weapon of public opinion, thereby influencing the populace."
Carlo nodded, fully agreeing with Laurent's words.
Although the development of newspapers had not yet formed a large-scale force of public opinion, the role of such media institutions was undeniable.
Laurent's ability to foresee this proved that his strategic vision for development was quite excellent.
With such a talent for managing Carlo's assets, the probability of his wealth increasing was far greater than the probability of it decreasing.
"You have successfully impressed me, Laurent." At the end of the conversation, Carlo smiled and nodded, saying to the slightly nervous Laurent, "From now on, you are my court steward."
A court steward in the West was not like the eunuchs in Eastern courts; a steward possessed considerable influence and was not discriminated against by anyone.
Laurent was not averse to becoming Carlo's steward. After all, under Victor Emmanuel II, he was merely a capable talent.
But if he served Carlo, Laurent would become Carlo's confidant and important subordinate, a position of entirely disproportionate importance.
Moreover, Carlo was also the Duke of Chablais in Italy; becoming a duke's steward was not a shameful matter.
"Your Grace, because I was an orphan from a young age, I only have my given name Laurent, and no surname of my own.
May I request that you bestow upon me a unique surname? Laurent is willing to dedicate his life to serving Your Grace." At the end of their conversation, Laurent suddenly spoke and requested Carlo to grant him a surname.
This was not an unprecedented event. If a commoner suddenly gained the trust and heavy reliance of a monarch, it was not surprising for the monarch to bestow upon them a surname that would allow them to integrate into the noble class.
Laurent's request for a surname was essentially a declaration of loyalty to Carlo. After receiving a surname from Carlo, Laurent would be completely branded with Carlo's mark.
If Laurent were to betray Carlo in the future, his reputation among the European nobility would be ruined, and his future would naturally be gone.
Carlo naturally understood this, and looking at the determined Laurent, Carlo smiled and said, "Very well then, Steward Laurent. I think the surname 'Loyal' is good. Laurent Loyal will surely become a legend worth writing about in Italian history."
Laurent nodded, accepting the surname with a respectful expression.
Loyal in English is derived from 'loyalty'. The meaning of Carlo giving him such a name was self-evident, and Laurent also hoped to express his loyalty in this way, thereby gaining Carlo's trust and heavy reliance, and showcasing his abilities.