Empire Rising: Spain

The benefits of doubling the research budget made both Tesla and Graham determined to achieve this goal at all costs.

To motivate the researchers at the Electricity Laboratory, Carlo even stated that as long as the plan is completed successfully, all personnel at the Electricity Laboratory would receive a reward.

Carlo’s generosity towards researchers is well-known, which also made the ordinary scientific personnel full of expectations. They were motivated at work not only to obtain the reward promised by Carlo but also to accomplish the unparalleled feat of creating a City of No Sleep, personally establishing a great milestone in electricity.

With everyone full of energy, no problem is unsolvable.

Indeed, this was the case. A week before Christmas, the Electricity Laboratory had already completed the installation of all streetlights and the construction of the power plant, and had tested the lines, ensuring there were no connection issues.

Now, all that was left was to wait for Christmas to come, for Madrid to become the hot topic among the European populace, and for Spain to symbolize progress and development in the hearts of Europeans.

On December 25, 1879, with the arrival of Christmas night, the streetlights in Madrid City Center were smoothly lit.

The citizens of Madrid also flocked to the streets, their eyes filled with excitement and enthusiasm, as they looked at the Madrid City Center illuminated as bright as day, tears of excitement filled the eyes of the Spaniards.

"Father, what is this? Why does it glow?" Under a streetlight in Madrid City Center, a little boy, who seemed only a few years old, curiously asked his father.

The streetlight before them was so bright, a brightness never seen before, akin to the sun during the day.

Hearing his son’s inquiry, Francesco reluctantly took his gaze away from the streetlight and, smiling, introduced it to his son: "The newspaper says this is a streetlight, something that provides us illumination.

We are the first country to adopt street lighting on a large scale, and Madrid is the first city to be as bright as day at night. And all of this was brought by our great His Majesty the King. Now, Spain is the most powerful country in the world!"

On the day before Christmas, the Spanish Government announced the City of No Sleep plan to the public. This statement caused a sensation throughout Spain, and many Spaniards even decided to forgo Christmas to personally visit Madrid and see the so-called City of No Sleep.

Francesco’s family was one of them. They lived down south in Toledo and came directly to Madrid, not even celebrating Christmas.

The reality was just as they hoped; at this moment, Madrid was bright as day. The light was not emitted by the streetlights, but the glow emitted from the hearts of the Spaniards standing with tears beneath the streetlights.

It was proven that Spaniards love their country dearly. When Spain showcased its strength with the City of No Sleep, Spaniards were filled with tears, celebrating their country’s power with various emotions.

Tonight, Madrid was a City of No Sleep, and for all Spaniards in Madrid tonight, it was also a sleepless night.

The fact that a City of No Sleep kept many Madrid citizens awake all night was something Carlo never anticipated.

However, it also proved the City of No Sleep plan’s effectiveness, as the news from various countries the next day confirmed this further.

First, major newspapers in Spain proudly reported the success of Madrid’s City of No Sleep and proudly announced that Madrid was the first City of No Sleep in human history, and Spain declared its power and resurgence through this.

Photos of rows of streetlights in Madrid City Center, bright as day, were reprinted by newspapers in other Northern European countries, and their reports covered Madrid’s City of No Sleep in Spain.

Due to the peaceful conditions in Europe, this once-in-a-century news quickly hit the headlines of various countries, sparking considerable discussion among European citizens.

Of course, while these Europeans envied Spain for having a City of No Sleep, they also started blaming their own governments.

Especially in major European countries like England and France, the British and French citizens criticized their governments more fiercely.

In the eyes of the British, the British Empire is the most powerful country in the world, and London is the world’s beacon.

How could London fail to achieve the ambitious goal of a City of No Sleep, allowing a small city like Madrid to achieve it instead?

In the past, Londoners viewed Spain as a remote and backward countryside, but now this remote and backward region had become a developed modern city, while London seemed inferior.

This was absolutely unacceptable to the British. They can take pride in their country’s strength, but they can also be outraged at being one step behind.

On the second day of Christmas, as newspapers from various countries reprinted the news about Madrid’s City of No Sleep, Londoners hit the streets in protest against the government’s inaction, demanding that London also set up streetlights, making it a City of No Sleep.

In addition to Londoners, Paris residents also protested against their government. The protests in Paris were even more intense, and the French Government dared not ignore the opinions of Parisians.

This was not to be taken lightly; Parisians were truly capable of overthrowing the government. While the British Cabinet could turn a blind eye to the protests of Londoners, if the French Government handled public protests like the British Cabinet, the lifespan of the French Government might come to an abrupt end.

Public opinions cannot be violated, yet achieving a City of No Sleep is a heavy burden that England and France cannot bear.

Thanks to the strength of England and France, the populations in London and Paris were also vast. This also meant that for London and Paris to achieve the goal of a City of No Sleep, they must install more streetlights and build more power stations than Madrid.

Looking at the public’s angry emotions, these constructions must be completed in a short period to quell the public’s anger.

How much expenditure is this going to be? The governments of both countries did not even dare to calculate. If they truly created a City of No Sleep like Spain, just to illuminate one city, would the two countries’ other development still proceed?

Moreover, even if they wanted to imitate Spain by creating a City of No Sleep, do they have the capability in electric power development?

Not only do they need high-power generators, but they also need stable lighting bulbs. Under the premise of possessing both, costs must be minimized, and expenses reduced, which instantly gave the governments of both countries headaches. They also blamed Spain for creating a City of No Sleep, as it placed their governments in a difficult position.