Hot River Film Company

Company sign outside the Roanapur building

The Hot River Film Company (Chinese: 熱河電影公司) is an ordinary cable TV provider based in Roanapur. The company is one of several front businesses for the Hong Kong Triad's Thai branch. Furthermore, the company's main film productions are in the Bangkok branch, so the building in Roanapur is empty of actors and is solely utilized as one of Mister Chang's offices. The location debuted in the first Black Lagoon light novel, but it has additionally made its way into the main manga series.

History

Shaitane Badi

In the first light novel, when Chang got to his office after surviving an assassination attempt on a Triad tanker, Biu Yuyun told him that an informant had reliable information on where the assassins were taking refuge. With Chang busy in thought, Biu asked him if they should make a move since he had men mobilized and ready to follow the order to storm the area. After his thought, Chang decided to call the Lagoon Company office. When the Lagoon crew picked up the phone, Chang informed them that Jake's hideout had been found.

After Revy and Shenhua attempted to raid the abandoned building, they went to see Chang the next day at his office at the Hot River Film Company building. Although Chang identified the casings that Revy brought back, he was confused by the shuriken and caltrops, adding that he was surprised that he now had more dead allies than dead enemies. This comment made Shenhua look down in shame, telling Chang in Cantonese that she took full responsibility for the events at the warehouse since she underestimated the enemy and split her forces. When she told Chang that she would have taken off her high heels if she met the ninja who she faced, the Triad boss was surprised and even shivered at the thought that someone rivaled and bested Shenhua. At Revy, Chang cast aside his doubts about the Lagoon Company's trustworthiness since Shenhua testified that Revy tried to fight the ninja head on and took out two enemies easily. He then picked up one of the shuriken, asking Shenhua if she knew about people putting their initials on such weapons. He soon remarked that the letters "OMC" on the shuriken seemed like the weapon was from a brand that he could not immediately recognize.

Later after Shadow Falcon "disguised" himself as Rock, he went to and stood in front of the company building, soon entering the lobby. His disguise worked, as the guards greeted him and the receptionist recognized him, telling him that he could visit Chang by taking the elevator to the highest floor. Unknown to him, Chang earlier contacted his guards to let any suspicious individuals into the building and act like they were welcome. When Falcon got to the office, Chang's five bodyguards pointed their guns at him but then lowered their weapons, telling Chang on the intercom about his arrival. As Falcon walked through the building, the various employees laughed after he left each area due to his unusual ninja clothing. Immediately, Chang greeted the man as Rock, then quipping by stating his ninja name, shocking Falcon. Falcon asked him how he knew his name, and Chang stated that he was a fellow ninja, showing Falcon a box with the OMC logo that was on Falcon's weapons. Awed by Chang's alleged master ninja rank as well as his ownership of a rare item, Falcon bowed deeply to Chang in respect.

Accordingly, Chang commended him for being able to "sneak" past his guards and confront him, even forgiving him for attempting to kill him not knowing that he was a master ninja. Continuing his role-play, Chang granted Falcon the title of Shadow Greater Ninja, exciting Falcon in addition to Chang giving him his new mission to go to Hong Kong and pledge his service to Chang's "master" there. After Falcon left the office, Chang called the Triad leader Zhuang Dai-Long to inform him about Falcon's arrival and new membership in Hong Kong, adding that Falcon should not take any jobs involving disguise. When he hung up, Biu Yuyun asked his Elder Brother Chang if he could send Falcon to Hong Kong in good faith, but Chang replied that he could not let Shenhua kill Falcon, adding that it would be a while until Shenhua calmed down. Chang also revealed to Biu that Falcon was a customer of OMC, a business run by the Triad's New York branch, and bought all the company's items, which were created during the kung fu cinema boom in Bruce Lee's time. As the two Chinese men joked with one another, Chang affirmed that he would let Hotel Moscow deal with Stanislav, one of the men who tried to kill him on the Triad tanker.

El Baile de la muerte / Roberta's Blood Trail

After Balalaika and her men successfully let the Grey Fox soldiers escort themselves out of the city, Chang was at his office when he finished a call with Rock about escorting the soldiers to the Golden Triangle region. Still in his bathrobe, Chang tossed his cellphone to Biu Yuyun, who informed him that Shue Yan had contacted the Triad about inspections of villages in the Golden Triangle being necessary to contain the effects of Khun Sa's forced "surrender." Chang told him that there was no need to contact Khun Sa directly since his surrender was a farce and they needed him to continue living quietly in Yangon. Biu in turn stated that he was working on contacting the "hound" Roberta but was unsure if she could catch up to the Americans. Chang joked that Biu was worrying too much and would get gray hair by overthinking about the Vysotniki's plans.

Still curious, Biu wondered if Balalaika would keep her promise of their temporary alliance, but Chang smoked a cigarette and smiled, commenting that it did not matter if Balalaika caused enough trouble for them that Roanapur fell since they could set up shop somewhere else and duke it out with Balalaika. Squatting, Biu smiled back and stated that he finally realized why their leader chose Chang to lead their branch, repeating that Chang was a gutsy ex-cop who let his friends die at a port. Chang responded that he was not gutsy and was just able to enjoy things for how they are, concluding that he needed to check his remaining cards on the table.

Ballad of the Sinful Wizard

In the second light novel, Mister Chang was in his office at the company building in Roanapur and answered a phone call from Balalaika sometime after he himself had spoken with the Lagoon Company at their office. Speaking sarcastically, he joked if she cared about "their promiscuity last night." Being blunt, Balalaika forwardly asked Chang if he was the one responsible for encouraging Rock in his situation, making Chang confirm with a fearless laugh. With Chang being a fellow manipulator, Balalaika told him that he was not the only one who favored Rock due to his life-gambling habit. Nonetheless, she remarked that she wanted Rock to be a better villain. When she asked Chang why he did not get rid of the CIA himself, Chang answered that if the CIA was to take over Roanapur, then they might as well befriend them.

Albeit Balalaika's hesitancy regarding his reasoning, Chang reminded her that Roanapur was a town that accepted the hated and rejected, just as the city accepted her and her fellow ex-Soviet rejects. When Chang stated that he trusted the judgment of right versus wrong to Roanapur's denizens, Balalaika questioned him as to why he trusted the "yaponski." In response, Chang told her that his name was "Rock," not his former Japanese self "Rokurō Okajima," and likewise Balalaika was then her current self and Chang was no longer Chang Wai-San. He finished by saying that he had no interest in Rock, adding that he had a guest to greet.

Hanging up the call, Chang faced his guest across the sofa and apologized for attending the unexpected call. The tailored-suit guest had no problem and apologized in turn for his impolite visit. Once confirming that the bargain for Tricia O'Sullivan was in progress, the man complimented Chang, remarking that he was right to rely on the Triad leader. Telling himself that the well-dressed man was Zeng Kemin, the fiancée of Tricia and grandson of Budaibang leader Zeng Shuntian, Chang sarcastically asked the grandson if he really came to him on his own accord given the Zeng family's differing policy regarding the matter. Saying that he heard that Chang ran Roanapur as if it was his own garden, the grandson rhetorically elaborated that it was natural to ask the garden's caretaker for help.

Comparing the younger and elder Zeng, Chang thought to himself that Shuntian grew up in hard times whereas Kemin had grown up in peaceful times, noting Kemin's preference for negotiation over bloodshed. Wondering about Kemin's next move, Chang asked him if Budaibang would lose face for asking his help, and Kemin replied that they could not lose face to others considering the trouble that Budaibang's presence had already caused for Roanapur. Respecting Kemin's strong sense of duty, Chang welcomed Kemin to Roanapur and ordered him to leave Tricia's safety in the Triad's hands.

L'homme sombre

After learning about the murders of Black men in Roanapur, Rock knew that Dutch would be a possible target, so he and Revy drove to the film company's office to see Chang for more information. Chang told them that the assassins were five women dressed in all-black suits, and he wondered why Rock visited him. The ex-salaryman told Chang that Dutch would be the next target since he fit the target description, so Chang reluctantly informed him that Jinx, contracted under Hotel Moscow, was in the hospital after surviving an assassination attempt. Before Rock and Revy left, Chang told them that he would provide them with some backup, using his telephone to call Shenhua to aid the Lagoon pirates.