Lao Che

Lao Che was a Chinese crime lord, who nearly killed Indiana Jones in a double cross in 1935. Lao was the father of three sons, each with a different woman: Chen, Kao Kan and another.

Biography
Based in Shanghai, China, Lao became one of the city's most notorious gangsters, using his sharp mind and ruthlessness to work his way up from being a petty thief and loan shark, making his fortune in opium and white slavery. As a criminal entrepreneur, Lao owned both legitimate and illegal businesses, including pharmaceutical and export companies, and several taverns and nightclubs, such as the Lotus Eaters. His nightclub, Club Obi Wan, served as a front and the base of operations for his criminal activities. His sons, Chen and Kao Kan, also served as top members of his criminal empire.

A tactic Lao frequently used was to keep cremated ashes of deceased family members as collateral for loans given out. This habit helped start his collection of rare and royal ashes..

In 1924, Lao was responsible for the murder of a watchmaker who refused to pay protection money on his shop.

Indiana Jones' first run-in with Lao was in 1933 at the Lotus Eaters, when Jones discovered that the gangster had, in essence, enslaved Indy's friend Wu Han by holding captive the remains of the young scholar's family. Jones managed to surreptitiously steal the remains from under Lao's nose, thereby gaining Wu Han's freedom.

In 1935, Lao commissioned Indiana Jones to recover the remains of Nurhachi, the first emperor of the Manchu Dynasty, in exchange for the Eye of the Peacock. Lao sent Kao Kan to steal the urn, but Jones caught him, and Kao Kan's left hand was wounded in the process. The next day, Lao met with Jones at Club Obi Wan to complete the trade as originally planned: Nurhachi's ashes for the diamond. After examining the ashes, Lao double-crossed Jones by poisoning him then offered the antidote only in exchange for both valuables. Desperate for a bargaining chip, Jones grabbed Lao's trophy girlfriend — Club Obi Wan singer Willie Scott — as a hostage. The situation turned violent when Chen shot Jones' back-up, Wu Han, and Jones retaliated by killing Chen with a flaming skewer. Lao called in his men to deal with Jones, but Jones and Scott escaped through a window, with the antidote.

Lao Che and his surviving son chased them by car to Nang Tao Airport where Jones unwittingly left the country aboard a plane owned by one of Lao's legitimate businesses, Lao Che Air Freight. Though Jones taunted Lao with a farewell message, Lao smiled, knowing that he held up the upper hand with his loyal pilots.

Contacting the plane, Lao had the pilot and co-pilot fly off course over the remote mountains on the border with India, and dump the plane's fuel and parachute out, intending to kill Jones and his companions in a plane crash.

Behind the scenes
Lao Che is an alternate spelling of the famous philosopher Laozi.

Lao Che's character in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was portrayed by the late Shanghai-born and raised Chinese actor, Roy Chiao, who died in 1999 due to complications from heart disease. Before his death, fans had called for the return of Lao Che in the next Indiana Jones film, with Chiao reprising his character. Spielberg had stated he was open to re-using the character, and that Chiao, as well as Ric Young who played Kao Kan, was interested in returning for the film.

Lao Che's name appeared on windows and boxes outside a fireworks factory in the trailer for the then-untitled Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings video game. The more recent trailer showed Indiana Jones drinking at Lao Che Cocktails before being approached by two men who have heard he is "looking for the boss". Lao Che himself didn't make an appearance in the final product though his name is referenced through Lao Che Lounge.

Appearances

 * Indiana Jones and the Dinosaur Eggs
 * Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom junior novel
 * Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
 * Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
 * Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom novel
 * Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom comic
 * Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures
 * Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
 * LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
 * LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues

Notes and references
ラオ・チェ