Pope Augustus

"Faol, I believe public opinion is a matter of great importance to the national economy and the people's livelihood. It seems inappropriate for the Rome Newspaper to be left under the Borgia Family's management," Augustus said seriously.

"Your Holiness means you want to reclaim the Rome Newspaper and have it directly managed by the state? But the Borgia Family may not be willing to concede, and this might not be a problem that money can solve.

Rashly moving against the Borgia Family also carries risks. The Borgia Family is deeply rooted and widely connected, and they often act unpredictably, capable of anything. If it's just for the Rome Newspaper, doing so doesn't seem worth it.

Although the Borgia Family was once suppressed and weakened after Pope Alexander VI, a centipede dies but never stiffens. In recent years, the Borgia Family has shown a trend of growing stronger, once again winning over many families and forces through means such as intermarriage and enticement."

Faol immediately pointed out the crux of the problem, proving he was indeed the person Augustus had chosen, Augustus praised him in his heart.

Mentioning the Borgia Family's growing strength, Augustus thought for a moment. Historically, Innocent X, who became Pope in 1644, seemed to be a descendant of the Borgia Family, and he should be in his thirties now.

"Is there absolutely no possibility for me to reclaim the Rome Newspaper from the Borgia Family?" Augustus asked tentatively.

"I still need to investigate and understand the specific situation thoroughly. Although it will be difficult and require a significant cost, it should not be impossible. If you decide to do this, you can entrust this task to me to try."

"Good! Then this great and glorious task is entrusted to you!" Seeing Faol volunteer, Augustus was very pleased.

"Then, in whose name do you wish to acquire the newspaper? Yours, the Papal States', or the Holy See's?"

In whose name, that was the question. It certainly couldn't be in his own name; openly running a newspaper that constantly praised himself would be too disgusting, and the effect would surely be very poor. Moreover, the Medici Family and the Borgia Family could be considered sworn enemies, and using his name would only make things more difficult.

It was also not good to use the name of the Papal States or the Holy See. To those unaware of the inside story, this would appear to be a complete struggle with the common people for profit. In many people's minds, they would probably equate him directly with those popes who enriched themselves.

Since that was the case, then...

"In your name."

"In my name? But…" Faol looked astonished, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"There are improprieties in using my name or the Holy See's name. In comparison, using your name is actually the most suitable."

Faol certainly wasn't foolish enough to ask "What's improper?" The Pope would naturally tell him what needed to be said; not saying something surely meant he had his own considerations. As for what they were, Faol could actually guess a thing or two.

However, taking over a newspaper previously run by the Borgia Family in his own name still made Faol somewhat apprehensive.

"How about, in God's name instead? That would be more authoritative and make the Borgia Family more likely to concede, and also…" As he spoke, Faol's voice grew softer and softer, so soft that he himself could barely hear it.

These reasons were too far-fetched and completely unfounded; Faol himself was not unaware of this.

If the newspaper were in God's name, it would be restricted in many aspects. As for authority, the more authoritative something was, the more likely it was to provoke resistance.

And making the Borgia Family more likely to concede was pure nonsense. The only things that could make the Borgia Family concede were power and wealth. God? He would only be remembered when seeking power, accumulating wealth, and eliminating dissidents in God's name.

"Just in your name, I trust you! You must also trust yourself, you can do it! You have me and the entire Papal States behind you; just go ahead boldly, don't worry so much." As he spoke, he patted Faol on the shoulder affectionately.

After drinking this bowl of chicken soup, Faol was greatly moved.

"I will definitely not fail your trust! After reclaiming the newspaper, all operating income will be handed over."

Augustus couldn't help but want to laugh. He had originally intended to let him try, but hearing him speak, it sounded as if he was absolutely determined? He was already considering the issue of profit distribution afterwards. But how could a newspaper he managed generate income?

Seeing his enthusiastic appearance, he couldn't bear to pour cold water on him. He wasn't afraid of him getting carried away, so he continued to encourage him.

"Good! Then this matter is entrusted to your full responsibility. Feel free to make any requests. I will try my best to satisfy what I can do. In urgent situations, you don't need to report everything to me. Everything is to achieve the goal first."

"Okay, then I'll go investigate the situation first."

"Go."

After leaving the door, Faol immediately launched an investigation into the Rome Newspaper and the Borgia Family from various angles.

Faol, though of humble origins, was in the vortex of power, far more sophisticated than his peers, with an enormous network of connections, encompassing all walks of life. Although he had previously positioned himself as an inferior in front of many of them, times had changed; the chessboard had flipped, and all those connections had become usable resources.

In a very short time, Faol gathered a lot of information about the Rome Newspaper and the Borgia Family. This included the specific operating conditions of the Rome Newspaper, the distribution of Borgia Family members, their spheres of influence, economic sources, business collaborations, marriage alliances, negative news, and many unofficial rumors from unknown sources.

Looking at the collected information, Faol had a plan in mind. He immediately sought out the Pope.

"Augustus, I had someone test the waters, and the Borgia Family indeed refuses to concede if we try to buy the Rome Newspaper directly. But I now have a method, and I'd like to ask for your opinion on its feasibility."

"Tell me about it." Augustus was already letting him do as he pleased; any method he came up with, he must have thought it feasible before coming to ask him, so he just needed to state his position.

Faol took a deep breath, then began his lengthy explanation:

"I want to first acquire the main potential industries from various Borgia Family members at a high price, and then use various economic means to disrupt their capital chain. And I will provide paid assistance to their competitors, suppressing their remaining industries, making them operate at a loss or even go bankrupt.

From what I currently know, the Borgia Family is not a monolith; there is considerable competition, conflict, and oppression among them. The situations of family members also vary; some are immensely wealthy, while others barely make ends meet.

We can also use differential treatment to cause severe losses for some of them, while others remain completely unharmed. The decline of some will inevitably trigger the greed of others. This will incite suspicion among them, intensify their conflicts, and strengthen their internal strife.

With them preoccupied and internally divided, our resistance to acquiring the Rome Newspaper will be much smaller than it is now. At that time, we might be able to acquire the Rome Newspaper at a very low price.

But before that, I will need a large amount of capital investment to win this business war against the Borgia Family. I believe that with my ability and sufficient funds, I will definitely win. Moreover, these capital investments can also become part of our economic income in the future.

The Borgia Family is wealthy but unkind, resorting to any means to achieve their goals, and has always been a cancer in the Italian region. In recent years, their ambition has grown daily; if left unchecked, they will one day become a great threat again. Since we are going to acquire the Rome Newspaper, why not take this opportunity to weaken the Borgia Family?

Additionally, I can be the mastermind behind the scenes, conducting this business war by controlling numerous proxies, so much so that they won't even know who their opponent is."