Novels like The Charismatic Hero
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Charismatic Hero, best match first.
- 51 Black Owl, White World 黑枭白界 Are they loyal and righteous, or consumed by greed? Using a raw, down-to-earth style, this novel portrays the many faces of life among another group of people in the real world. Are they driven to desperation, or risking everything? How will the men who walk the edge tell their stories? Betrayal and being betrayed, killing and being killed: step into the criminal underworld of the late twentieth century, into the hell behind the sunshine. Perhaps they are far removed from you and me. Perhaps the 35Reads6.8Score—Shelves
- 52 The Absolute Kingpin 绝对枭雄 After transferring schools, I find out my beautiful desk mate is actually my former enemy. And then... New book: Call Me a Con Artist. I hope you’ll check it out and show it some support! 279Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 53 Bloodstained Memories 血染的往事 (This story is entirely fictional. The places, people, events, and everything else in it are not real.) In the early 1990s, on a silent winter night, two muffled gunshots rang out beneath the darkness over an old neighborhood. A five-shot hunting rifle with a sawed-off barrel brought more than a scene of underworld vendetta. It also laid bare a hidden storm of bloodshed. Some say he was a loyal and righteous brother. Some say he was an ambitious kingpin. Others say he was a vicious monster, crue 36Reads7.5Score—Shelves
- 54 Heading South in 1996: I Take My Young Aunt and Conquer the Underworld 九六南下：我带小姑奶闯江湖 [Period] [Fleeing an arranged marriage] [Heading south for work] [Passionate underworld] [Multiple heroines] New Year’s Day, 1996. Chen Yaozu, a poor lad from southeastern Henan, flees south overnight with his young grandaunt, who is being forced into marriage. As soon as they arrive in the Pearl River Delta, his classmate’s cousin kicks him out of her rental, leaving him homeless. He steps in to help someone, only to be hunted by gangsters. At the factory, he’s bullied, and people even set thei 802Reads—Score101Shelves
- 55 Everyone Else Has Transmigrated and Stands Unrivaled. Why Haven’t You Changed? 都穿越谁与争锋了，你还不改变？ A feel-good story with a slow pace and no soap-opera drama. It won't change the direction of the five-man group. After the protagonist meets them, the story focuses on him in another district, with the city's development revolving around him. My name is Xiang Yun, and I'm someone even a dog can kick around. I'm an orphan, and at school the school bully would often demand money from me and pick on me. Then one day, I couldn't take it anymore. I beat him so badly he ended up in the hospital. I tho 330Reads—Score—Shelves
- 56 Neither Black nor White? A Quack Doctor Twice Over 亦黑亦白？双料庸医 I'm a clinic owner. One act of justice made me enemies with the underworld, and from then on I began walking a path where I could operate in both the criminal and legitimate worlds. The world isn't simply black or white. It's both black and white. This isn't exactly a power fantasy. There are gangs, passion, and humor, as well as brotherhood between men who support one another and rise to the top together. 7Reads—Score—Shelves
- 57 I Dabbled in the Underworld and Accidentally Reached the Top 黑道玩票，不小心混到了巅峰 (Underworld + passion + brotherhood) You want to force me to the top of the underworld? Then I’ll give you exactly what you want! I’ve weathered bloody storms! Walked through a hail of bullets! Been betrayed by brothers! Faced life and death with indifference! Endured every vicious scheme! I, Wang Dongsheng, will tear through the darkness and shatter every plot! I’ll lead my brothers to rise on this blood-soaked road! I only ever wanted to be a nobody, but you forced me to become a hyena bristli 10Reads—Score—Shelves
- 58 I'm a Hoodlum: Two Strokes, One Vertical, That's How We Do Things! 老子是流氓，两横一竖就是干！ “Hello, my name is Fang Xiu. The ‘Xiu’ in ‘to the bitter end’!” In this bloody underworld where people prey on one another, Fang Xiu is swept against his will into one whirlpool after another! Only after stepping into it does he realize that the underworld is a bottomless vat of dye, filled with schemes, treachery, and betrayal! By the time he wants to turn back, he’s already sunk deep into the mire, with no way out! All he has left are the few brothers at his side, standing shoulder to shoulder 31Reads—Score—Shelves
- 59 After Being Hunted, I Went on a Rampage! 被通缉后，我彻底杀疯了！ After three years at a military academy and three years as a special forces soldier, Lu Chuan chooses revenge without hesitation after his younger sister’s death! Now wanted by the authorities, the young man makes his way to Wan City. What kind of legendary path will he forge there?! In the days of youth, ride with pride and fine clothes; never let your best years pass without purpose! May you wander for half your life and still return as the same young soul... 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 60 The Gangster Young Master 黑道少爷 Hello, readers! I’m the author, Jie’ao de Yu. Welcome to my work. This is an exciting novel about how the protagonist rises to dominate the criminal underworld and grows step by step. Along the way, several lovers stay by his side. How many will there be? 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 61 Let the Young Be Wild 任少年轻狂 Multiple heroines + brotherhood + no System + a little cathartic wish fulfillment Lin Chen is beaten up by the school beauty’s thug of a brother just for looking at her one too many times in class. I will never give in. Push an honest man too far, and he becomes even more terrifying. 45Reads—Score—Shelves
- 62 The Heavenly Gate of the Jianghu 江湖天门 The martial world is awash in blood and turmoil. Who will shape the course of history? What is the true reason for Ming Jia's return? A hidden dynasty emerges once more, the sinister Yamaguchi-gumi refuses to stay buried, and the powerful Xiao clan is shrouded in mystery. As the struggle for supremacy looms, the story of Tianmen continues... 117Reads—Score—Shelves
- 63 The Underworld: I Make the Rules 黑道：我才是规矩 Two years in prison, and nothing is as it was. Wherever there are people, there are rivalries and power struggles. Schemes and betrayals are everywhere, and one careless move can destroy an entire family. No matter what, the strong can turn the tables against the odds. Starting today, I make the rules in Philadelphia! 2.4kReads—Score104Shelves
- 64 After I Got Out of Prison, My Sister Forced Me to Inherit a Billion-Dollar Fortune 出狱后，姐姐逼我继承亿万家产 Food delivery rider + Sanhe drifter + brotherhood in the underworld + rise to the pinnacle of power. Revenge and face-slapping + unexpected fortune + underdog's rise + tight, logical plotting. A Southeast Asian power struggle + fierce mercenary battles + leading your brothers to the top. My ex-girlfriend clings to a rich man and mocks me: “All you'll ever be in this life is a garbage picker!” Late one night, three sexy older women corner me beneath a bridge. “Your parents left you hundreds of mi 8Reads—Score—Shelves
- 65 A Song for the Underworld 混子的挽歌 [Raise our cups and toast the rugged road through the underworld.] [Through blood and fury, a brotherhood that lasts a lifetime.] A naive, timid young man, to keep from losing the brothers at his side again, chooses to take up a three-foot steel blade and step into a world stained red with blood. Behind the brotherly bravado and drunken revelry of the underworld, the only things that never change are ruthless exploitation and cold reality. The people he meets make him sick. And little by little, 2.4kReads7.3Score239Shelves
- 66 Those Were the Days: My Life in the Underworld 那些年，混过的日子 Sleeping rough and braving the elements are just part of life. Clashing blades and exchanging blows can put old grudges to rest. Brothers are heaven, brothers are earth. With brothers, you can stand tall between heaven and earth. Brothers are the wind, brothers are the rain. With brothers, you can summon the wind and call down the rain. Based on real events, this novel commemorates the years we spent getting into trouble together and pays tribute to the youth of those born in the 1980s. End 1.3kReads6.4Score109Shelves
- 67 Underworld Tales: From Prisoner to Underworld Legend! 黑道往事：从劳改犯到黑道传奇！ Bai Zimo was once a mighty special forces champion, but after being framed by a villain, he was wrongfully imprisoned for ten years. Three years into his sentence, a mysterious woman appeared and exposed a shocking conspiracy. She also made him a harsh offer: bring down and kill a crime boss within three months, and he could get out and take his revenge. No one expected Bai Zimo’s first targets after his release to be his own brother and sister-in-law! A thrilling battle in the shadows begins! 20Reads6.8Score—Shelves
- 68 The Underworld Life of a Post-90s Generation 90后的黑道生活 I'm a native of Tianjin, born and raised, and part of the post-90s generation. This story unfolds in Tianjin, a city alive with the bustle of everyday life, and follows the extraordinary journey of a young man from our generation. Starting out as a rebellious troublemaker, he roughs it among the street thugs before rising to become a feared underworld boss. Through years of hardship, one saying remained etched in his heart: “If you live by the sword, you'll die by the sword.” This story is entir 136Reads6.3Score—Shelves
- 69 Honor Among Gangsters 黑道有义 My new work is out! Come read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 22Reads—Score—Shelves
- 70 Tales of the Underworld 黑道风云往事 This story is entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is coincidental. This book urges people to choose the right path and serves as a warning to those who have gone astray. At eight, backed by my uncle, I planted the seeds of violence with a kitchen knife and blood. At sixteen, yearning for the world of the underworld, I plunged headfirst into its maelstrom. I saw its filth and darkness, its betrayals and its worship of profit, with only the faintest trace of loyalty. I s 67Reads—Score—Shelves
- 71 The Wolf Raises Its Head 狼抬头 When a wolf turns back, it has its reasons: either to repay a kindness or to take revenge! I stepped over one pile of bones after another, climbing step by step, rung by rung... Years later, standing on a rooftop and looking down at this city, at all those strangers who somehow seemed familiar, I knew I could never turn back! 965Reads7.1Score101Shelves
- 72 From Rags to the Top of the Underworld 白手起家，干到黑道之巅 [Crime syndicate fiction + brotherhood + passion + shocking twists!] Beneath the gods and Buddhas, all are believers. First, crush the Azure Dragon, then wipe out the Divine Gang. I! Will become the one and only peerless gangster! 351Reads6.8Score—Shelves
- 73 The Years I Spent as the Big Brother 我当大哥那些年 To live in this world, you have to chase girls, make friends, and take good care of the people around you! Being a good-for-nothing isn't the end of the world. What's important is having the drive to improve! My name is Wu Liang, and I'm a delinquent. I've gotten into fights, gone down the wrong path, and even worn handcuffs! But I've never regretted the mistakes I made when I was young, or the people I loved... We poured our passion into our youth. We were young once, and now we've grown up. In 11Reads6.4Score—Shelves
- 74 Selfish Desires: Tales of the Underworld 私欲：江湖往事 [This book is based on a true story] Three years ago, I was convicted of intentional assault and sent to prison. After getting out, I wanted to live an ordinary life. But then my younger sister went down a path of no return. For her sake, I had no choice but to return to the underworld! This book is packed with thrilling action and satisfying moments! 1.1kReads7.5Score111Shelves
- 75 The Peerless Crime Lord 绝世大枭雄 The System arrives, and the ambitious rise of Jiang Bai, a lowly security guard, gathers unstoppable momentum. 352Reads6.3Score—Shelves
- 76 A Blood-Red Underworld 血红色的江湖 The martial world is a blood-red place... This is not a power fantasy. Through real-life experiences, it shows everyone just how cruel the martial world is, and warns them to stay out of it. Yang Hai, a young man from somewhere in Northeast China, was determined to enter the martial world. Ten years later, his heart has turned cold. The glories of the past have vanished like smoke, and all that awaits him is judgment! 1.7kReads—Score124Shelves
- 77 I Got Beaten Up Several Times Right After Starting School 刚开学就挨几顿打 When faced with school bullying, would you keep your head down and endure it, or fight back with all you've got? Sen Hao is beaten up several times soon after starting middle school. But he grows stronger through adversity, eventually crushing underfoot each person who once bullied him. 114Reads—Score—Shelves
- 78 Big Brother Jiadai 大哥加代 A big brother hailed as the King of Shenzhen, he was also a top underworld boss who could make waves in the capital. Loyal and righteous, he was always willing to help brothers in need and made friends far and wide. He also won the hearts of the big brothers who followed him. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 79 The Underworld: A Life in the Jianghu 黑道：人在江湖 What is the underworld? No one can really say. To me, the underworld is the jianghu. The jianghu has its own rules and its own stories. It’s not all fighting and killing. More than anything, it’s about human relationships and navigating the ways of the world. In 1996, a film about young gangsters influenced countless young people, leading them down a path of no return... That same year, after four years in prison, I walked out through those heavy doors and regained my freedom. My name is Fang We 209Reads6.7Score—Shelves
- 80 Rise to the Top of the Underworld! 引领黑道巅峰！ [Power fantasy] + [Undercover agent] + [Clash of black and white] + [Decisive and ruthless] + [No System] + [Patriotic] Three years, then another three years, and another three years! Jiang Wuqing, you’re a cop! No! I’m the gang’s top enforcer! If you weren’t a cop, why wouldn’t they arrest you when they took down the gang? I play both sides! Years later… Please, when you take them down, take me with them. I can’t take it anymore! There’s really no crime left anywhere in the world. I’ 853Reads6.9Score106Shelves
- 81 He and His Thousand Brothers 他和他的一千个兄弟 A sweeping crackdown on organized crime by the municipal Party committee and government brought Kangcheng ten years of peace. But after a decade, criminal forces sprang up like mushrooms after rain and returned in force. A breakup, having his identity stolen in the college entrance exam, and a construction boss’s schemes led Chen Li’an to give up on making an honest living. In the end, he went down a path of no return, turning against society. 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 82 The Wolf: A Northeast Gangster 狼性：东北老炮儿 The men of Northeast China are wolves, with wildness in their very bones. The old-school tough guys of the Northeast are a pack of wolves, with an untamed stubbornness running through their veins. I want to tell the story of this pack of wolves, and share it with everyone, because they embody the mark of an era. 275Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 83 What Gang Boss? Call Me a Philanthropist 什么黑老大？叫慈善家 The ratings have just come in, so feel free to give it a try! Rebirth + business + lots of loyal followers + staying on the straight and narrow + law-abiding + women, but no female lead! A top underworld boss is reborn. He rises from humble beginnings, making use of every resource around him. He brings along the brothers who followed him in his previous life and were forced to take the fall and go to prison! He founds the Hanhai Group! Drinks the strongest liquor! Dates the wildest women! Yet no 125Reads5.5Score—Shelves
- 84 Child of the Prison 狱之子 Trapped in a cage, with no control over his own fate. Break free, and soar to the skies. As the saying goes, a golden-scaled carp is no ordinary pond-dweller. A boy born in prison leads three children who share his fate out of confinement and into the city. There, they make waves, clash repeatedly with small-time gangs, and navigate their ties to major organizations like Hongmen, Hongxing, Dongxing, and the Dragon Gang, until they are drawn into a war for supremacy in the underworld... 124Reads8.0Score—Shelves
- 85 The Godfather of the Underworld 黑道教皇 Brothers for a day, brothers for a lifetime. Their vow of loyalty rings out amid the fanfare of youth: impulsive days, blazing passions, love that lasts until death, and brothers who stand together for life. Whose youth isn't filled with fire? “What do they call you?” “Long.” “I asked for your name.” “People like me don't have names.” “But one day, the world will tell you mine.” “People today don't recognize a tree that will reach the clouds, only praising it once it has grown that tall!” 648Reads7.1Score—Shelves
- 86 The Game of Fortune: My Life in the Underworld with the Girls of Dongguan 富贵棋局：我和东莞姐们的江湖路 In the 1990s, who ruled Shenzhen’s underworld? That would be Shenzhen King Jia Dai! I was just a hotheaded rookie fresh to the scene, but to protect my beloved Sister Qingshuang, I beat up Zuo Shuai, who was in a wheelchair. Zuo Shuai was Jia Dai’s lifesaver and sworn brother. He’d just had his legs crippled in Macau, and now I’d gone and beaten him up too. Jia Dai promptly put out a hit on me... 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 87 Reborn, So Why Would I Still Be the Big Boss? 都重生了，谁还当大哥啊？ [Reborn + Business + Powerful father-in-law + Lots of brothers + The straight and narrow + Law-abiding] Back in 2006, Chen Tianjun, who had taken a bullet to the back of the head, suddenly finds himself returned to the day his father-in-law showed up at his door with a dozen men... Now that I'm back, I can never get mixed up with the underworld again. I'll lead my father-in-law, my wife, and all my brothers down a golden road paved with money! “Chen Tianjun is the real deal! He's got nearly a th 157Reads5.5Score—Shelves
- 88 Black or White? No, I'm a Business Mogul! 非黑即白？不，我是商业巨擘！ [Reborn + Business + Lots of Brothers + No Sycophancy + Punishing Evil and Promoting Good] Gangster Shen Fei is reborn in 2008. Should he stick to his old ways and remain a gangster, or abandon his brothers and go straight? No more gang life! He’ll lead his brothers down the straight path! Make a fortune! Drink the strongest liquor! Date the wildest women! Every one of Shen Fei’s brothers! Will stay away from gambling and drugs! “Isn’t he your chairman? Why does the whole company call him Big Br 142Reads6.3Score—Shelves
- 89 Zhang San, the Top Dog of Jiamusi 佳木斯张三一霸 This story does not glorify criminals. It is meant to warn readers not to break the law, or they will surely face severe punishment. Justice may be delayed, but it will come. When the time comes, no one can escape the law! 1.1kReads8.4Score131Shelves
- 90 Urban: From Nobody to Kingpin 都市：从小人物到大枭雄 There are many ways to live in this world. My way is simple: let your fists do the talking! 9Reads7.2Score—Shelves
- 91 A Top Law-and-Politics Graduate Joins the Underworld: That's Normal, Right? 政法高材生，混个黑道正常吧？ A gambling-addict older brother drags Gu Tian into an accident. A top student at a university of political science and law, Gu Tian accidentally kills someone. In the process, he escapes detection by assuming the identity of his victim, Li Yu. From then on, he finds himself on a path that takes him further and further from his dreams! 17Reads8.2Score—Shelves
- 92 Flowers Blooming in the Mud Will One Day Turn Toward the Sun 泥泞里的花朵，终会向阳开 Watch an ordinary man rise step by step from a pathetic weakling to a godfather of the underworld. Feel the thrill of every bone-crunching punch and experience the ruthless art of scheming for power. There are no absolute protagonists, and no absolute supporting characters. 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 93 Dongguan, I Am King! 莞市，我为王！ What kind of legendary path will Li Feng carve out after leaving martial arts school and arriving in Dongguan? In the bright days of youth, ride proud and true. Make the most of your time, and know where you’re headed. May you roam the world for half your life, then return still young at heart... (The original cast of strongmen who rose from vocational school reunites. A new story, a fresh start!) 393Reads7.3Score—Shelves
- 94 The Thirteen Guardians of Tang City 唐市十三太保 The Tang City Underworld Duology, Part One: The Thirteen Guardians The bigwigs of Tang City’s martial world fell one by one during the 1983 crackdown. But wherever there are people, there will always be a martial world, and new forces are already stirring! Who will become Tang City’s next underworld boss? The story of the Thirteen Guardians of Tang City begins after Qin San, Wang Wu, and Ma Liu witness their father’s execution by firing squad! 965Reads—Score—Shelves
- 95 Reborn as a Jianghu Boss, Starting with Obeying the Law 重生江湖大佬，从遵纪守法开始 [Tycoon Godfather] [Humorous and easygoing] [Satisfying and funny] In my previous life, I was a ruthless underworld big shot who killed countless people! But in the end, I was betrayed! I could have accepted my own death, but my parents were angered to death, too. In my final moments, I thought, if I could do it all over again, I'd become a good person. Heaven heard me, and I really was reborn. Looking at my young bros, I had an idea! I'd teach them the law and get them to start being go 28Reads6.6Score—Shelves
- 96 The Path of an Ordinary Person 小人物的路 A person has to make many choices in life. Everyone has choices of their own. Everyone has their own path. As for whether a path is right or wrong, no one has a definitive answer. (The story spans quite a lot.) 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 97 The Jianghu: A True Account of Half a Life in the Underworld 江湖：混社会的半生真实经历 A chaotic age, filled with flashing blades and clashing steel! The martial world is like a cup of tea. Everyone tastes it differently. My name is Zhao Long. Back then, most people called me Long Si, Brother Si, or Fourth Master! I'm not exaggerating when I say my reputation back then was almost as great as that of the famous Fourth Master Qiao up north! I was a poor kid who couldn't afford a meal. Through sheer grit and ruthl 4.7kReads7.1Score201Shelves
- 98 The Underworld King of Campus: The Campus Belle Falls for Me 高校黑道枭雄，校花为我倾倒 Qin Ling should have grown up happily under his parents' protection, but they were brutally murdered. Qin Ling had a rough childhood and even spent three years in prison after being framed. By the time he left prison, he had grown into a young man standing 194 centimeters tall. He also happened to find his way onto a university campus. [Violence?]“Sorry! I like it too.” [Stealing?]“My bad! I'll pay you back double.” [Loan sharks?]“Isn't this basically free money?” [Human traffickers?]“Prepare to 712Reads5.8Score—Shelves
- 99 The Pearl River Delta Rises: The Man in Charge 风起珠三角：话事人 [Decisive and Ruthless] + [Sharp-Witted] + [Brotherhood] + [Industrial Tycoon] Pearl River Delta, 2004. It was the best of times: assembly-line machines roared day and night, and gold seemed to lie everywhere. It was also the worst of times: the urban villages were a tangled mix of people, and might made right. Chen Jun had been driven to the edge of a cliff, with a group of poor brothers who had nowhere else to go behind him. "The rules around here need to change. From now on, I'll be the one m 41Reads—Score—Shelves
- 100 The Underworld Boss Through My Eyes 我眼中的江湖大哥 When Zheng Hao stood up for his ex-girlfriend, Gu Xin, he took down Chengbei Laosi, a small-time thug with a bit of a reputation, twice. His own name soon began to rise. Later, he became enemies with Jin Changxu, a Korean-Chinese gangster, and beat up Chen Jianjun, an old-time thug who had just gotten out of prison. One brutal fight after another turned Zheng Hao into the big brother everyone talked about. But the arrival of Zhou Yunkang, son of veteran boss Zhou Wandai, presents Zheng Hao and h 13Reads8.7Score—Shelves
