Novels like The Trade Route
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Trade Route, best match first.
- 1 With No One to Back Me, I Tread Carefully Through the Workplace 无靠山：我在职场步步蛰伏 He endured poverty and contempt from a young age, and saw through life's fickleness early on. A powerless young man from a poor family lies low, biding his time and working his way forward one step at a time. He excels at calculating interests, understands the power games of the workplace, and navigates the benefits and costs of human relationships on every side. The whirlpool of fame and fortune offers countless temptations, and countless people lose themselves in it. Only by holding fast to yo 5.8kReads—Score524Shelves
- 2 My Performance Review Is Livestreamed to the Entire Internet 我的绩效面谈是全网直播 My performance review was livestreamed across the internet 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 3 Reborn as a Cunning Office Drone, I Put Every Know-It-All in Their Place 重生腹黑社畜，专治各种不服 [Reborn in the Workplace + Anti-PUA + Turning the Tables on Moral Blackmail + Cunning Hero + No Tolerance for Naysayers + Pure Satisfaction] [The Workplace Guide to Ruthlessness] Ma Guangcai was an honest, overworked wage slave who worked himself to death in his previous life. Director Wang Lei, a master of PUA, worked him like a pack mule, and HR even misspelled his name as “Ma Hucai” and couldn’t be bothered to fix it! Reborn, he returns to the starting point where he was exploited. This time, —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 4 Legend of Good Deeds: The Sage’s Wealth-Building Code 善行传奇：贤者的财富密码 No System, no awakening, no superpowers. A series of small stories paints a picture of life in all its variety, showing that true happiness comes from helping others and staying true to your values. By treating people well, Xianyu finds one opportunity after another. Fresh out of high school, he relies entirely on his own hard work and perseverance, taking things one step at a time until he becomes a Korean millionaire. The plot moves quickly. It can be an inspirational story, a satisfying power —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 5 A Guide to the Workplace 职场图鉴 [Long-planned scheme + Betrayed male lead + Fashion mogul + Female lead finds redemption] After graduating from university, Wang Dijia stayed in the big city of Xishi to build a life for herself. Five years later, she had finally saved enough for a down payment on a home. Just as she was looking forward to marrying the boyfriend she had been with for seven years, he betrayed her. Her parents took her down payment to buy a house for her younger brother, and because her boyfriend had stolen compan 8Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 6 The Company Said, 'Cut Pay to Save Jobs.' So I Counted Who Got Laid Off 公司说“降薪保岗位”，我统计了被裁的都是什么人 The company said, “We’re cutting pay to save jobs.” So I tallied up who got laid off 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 7 Dan Shuyi's Office Werewolf Game: From Invisible to Queen of the Rules 单书意的职场狼人杀：从隐形人到规则女王 Shan Shuyi’s workplace game of Werewolf: from invisible nobody to queen of the rules —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 8 Dan Shuyi: You Can't Afford My Name 单书意：我的名字，你们买不起 Shan Shuyi: You can’t afford my name —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 9 I Turned My Boss's Empty Talk into ASMR 我把领导的废话做成了ASMR I turned my boss’s empty blather into ASMR 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 10 A Spring Romance Found in a Book 婚以读春恋 1 The next time she saw Ding Yi was at a matchmaking party disguised as a birthday celebration. She knew that everyone there was a suitable marriage prospect, carefully selected by her father. She would marry one of them. One promising young man after another came forward to ask her to dance, while the man in the corner played the piano, lost in his own world. The dreamy light illuminated his bowed profile and long, slender fingers. The melody flowed like silk, as if it were playing just for her 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 11 Autumn Comes Late on a Cool Day 天凉晚来秋 This book follows Leng Qiu, a young woman from a farming family seventy years later, and tells the stories of several ordinary women, including Leng Qiu, Su He, A Le, and Mao Mao. Against the backdrop of social change in China, they face a series of life challenges involving the college entrance exams, work, marriage, family, and entrepreneurship. Through their indomitable determination and commitment to truth, kindness, and beauty, they continually seek breakthroughs, heal themselves, and reali 9Reads8.5Score—Shelves
- 12 Starting Life Over: Making the Right Choices in Guangzhou 重启人生：我在羊城做对选择题 The moment Chen Mo opens his eyes, he is back at the lowest point in his life: fresh out of college and just starting his career in Yangcheng. In his previous life, he was full of dreams, but his humble background made him insecure, his indecisiveness led him astray, and he put his trust in the wrong people. After ten years of struggling in the cutthroat internet giant Xingyao Technology, he ended up laid off, deeply in debt, and abandoned by everyone. This time, with ten years of bitter lessons 6Reads—Score—Shelves
- 13 The Wicked Commander of the Guochao PR Department 国潮公关部的恶女司令 [Women’s growth + workplace ensemble + team spirit + niche professions + comeback and face-slapping + business warfare] “I’m not fighting tooth and nail to win. I just refuse to accept defeat.” Yan Yue is a formidable career woman known as a “villainess.” She leaves a fashion magazine to become PR director at DOM, a streetwear brand rooted in Chinese culture. Despite the title, she’s actually a one-woman department. She thought she could ride the wave of a new era, but reality turns out to be no 11Reads9.0Score—Shelves
- 14 I'm the Only One at the Company Actually Following the Stupid Orders 全公司只有我在认真执行愚蠢命令 I’m the only one in the whole company actually following the stupid orders —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 15 I'm the Grand Prize at the Company Annual Gala 公司年会的特等奖是我 I won the grand prize at the company’s annual party —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 16 The Company Made Me the Fall Guy, So I Livestreamed a Law Lesson and Sent Them to Prison 公司拿我顶罪，我直播普法送他们坐牢 My Company Made Me Take the Fall, So I Livestreamed a Lesson in the Law and Sent Them to Prison 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 17 The No-Overtime Association 不加班协会 The No Overtime Association —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 18 Moon-Gazing in the Ruins 废墟里赏月 [An ordinary wage slave VS workplace demons] [Realistic fiction · heart-wrenching · healing · the working life of ordinary people] What’s it like to get your company blacklisted by a platform just days after joining? Shi Ye, a worker who has internalized workplace anxiety to the point that it’s in her DNA, will tell you from personal experience: you feel so guilty you torment yourself day and night, drown your sorrows in alcohol, then mistake a handsome stranger for someone else and sob to him 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 19 Goodnight, Mr. Fei 吻安，我的费先生 Ren Jia'er always thought of herself as a modern woman who put her career above love, until she met Fei Lingnan. Fei Lingnan despised office romances. He thought anyone who looked for love at work had a pig for a brain, until Ren Jia'er came along. “My boss says I seduced his best manager and told me to quit,” Ren Jia'er said, feeling wronged. “Um... why do I feel like I'm the one who seduced you?” Fei Lingnan replied with a smug grin. “I've seen shameless people, but never anyone as shameless a 5Reads—Score—Shelves
- 20 She Is Above the Clouds 她在云端 Love or career: which would you choose? In the financial hub of the 21st century, known as the age of paper gold, everyone thinks they’re just one step away from success. Jiang He is a coolheaded, perceptive girl from an ordinary background. Through her own hard work, she gets a foot in the door at a prestigious securities group, while her other foot steps into the elite social circle of upClass. With keen insight and ability, she presses on along a thorny path, yearning for success and dreami 43Reads8.2Score—Shelves
- 21 A Good Girl Is No Lamb 乖乖女从不是羔羊 In the summer of 2007, after graduating from college, Li Kele went to the coast and got a job at a factory. But life began making her pay the price of growing up: leaving home, heartbreak, unemployment… What was she supposed to do? Amid betrayal and schemes, she stumbled her way toward maturity. The workplace taught her many things, and so did the boys and girls who came into her life. Kele, keep moving forward. Don’t look back. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 22 The End of Bad Luck 倒霉尽头 “Hi, I’m the man you slept with last night.” When Ji Yunyun saw the WeChat message, she nearly dropped her phone. Yesterday had been the worst day of her life: someone stole her project proposal, her boyfriend cheated on her, and her nemesis suddenly became her boss. That night, she went to a bar to drink her troubles away, then stumbled home in a haze. When she woke up the next morning, she found herself in the bed of a strange man. She thought she could keep the whole thing buried, until he me 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 23 The Imperfect Winner 不完美赢家 “Beauty is a sin. Ambition is armor.” Lin Luo'an is a “black lotus” who clawed her way up from a small county town. She saves herself time and again, climbing higher step by step, crossing class barriers to become a renowned crisis PR queen. She knows how to turn accusations back on their accusers and trample her enemies underfoot. Until she meets Shen Keyu, who is even more pragmatic than she is. Shen Keyu clawed his way up to become a rising elite. On the surface, he seems bland and harmless; 556Reads7.3Score104Shelves
- 24 The Tenderness of My Natural Enemy 天敌的温柔 Jiang Zhuxi is a rising star in the workplace. She believes in hard work and playing by the rules. To survive in a complex professional world, she relies on her expertise and resilience. Even if you’re her senior, if you break the rules or exploit loopholes, she’ll deal with you swiftly and without mercy. Zhang Min’er, a self-made founder, is different. She rose to success in business through tact and ruthlessness. You could call her an old witch to her face, but if you can be of use to her, she 25Reads—Score—Shelves
- 25 Rise Up, Professional Rose! 逆袭吧！职业玫瑰 [A comeback! A workplace rose strikes back from the brink!] “Once I get into grad school, will my life finally be stable?” Lin Yue stared at her acceptance letter, feeling lost. Her best friend Su Yao fought her way into a major corporation, only to face harassment from her boss, have her proposal stolen, and become everyone's scapegoat! “New hires are supposed to drink with clients?” Su Yao sneered, recording evidence. One whistleblower letter went straight to the chairman's office! Lin Yue gav 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 26 Business Wars: The Misplaced Moonlight 商战风云之错位月光 A story about the workplace, marriage, business warfare, and values. In the fiercely competitive world of business, tension and drama intertwine, bringing grand strategies, clashes of interest, and power struggles to life. The Misaligned Moonlight symbolizes the unpredictability of fate and the complexity of emotion, hinting at how human nature is twisted and restored amid business warfare, and the fierce collision between love and profit, morality and desire. You're welcome to read my work on 21Reads—Score—Shelves
- 27 Rule Disqualified 规则失格 “In this place, feelings are a burden, and rules are weapons. My first mistake was thinking work meant getting things done. The first lesson I learned was that survival meant knowing how to deal with people.” When a trivial meeting title got me publicly used as a “prop” by a drunken third-in-command looking to make an example of someone, I didn’t feel wronged. I simply felt the rules’ icy touch. My name is Chen Xu, and I’m a newcomer who only wants to do a good job. In that moment, I had an epip —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 28 Television Station: Directors and Producers 电视台：编导和导播 Workplace fiction + industry realism + a quiet epic + detail-driven realism + the aesthetics of burnout + everyday existentialism + professionalism At Huaguang TV Station, time is measured in “broadcast cycles,” not calendar days. Every day, director-writer Song Lin revises the wording of the “Happiness Index” report, changing “steady improvement” to “ongoing optimization.” Meanwhile, broadcast director Su Yuan times every shot in the live broadcast down to the second. Their workplace is made u —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 29 Who Says You’re Destined for an Ordinary Life? 谁说你此生注定平凡 [Younger man + healing + mutual secret crush] [Not a wish-fulfillment story + design industry + cozy everyday life] [Simple, straightforward older single woman × sincere, clear-eyed fresh graduate] [At the breaking point in her career, almost driven mad × spirited and boundless] [A perfect complement + helping each other succeed] Xu Shan may be getting on in years, but she’s simple and straightforward, not a schemer, a little goofy, and rather rough around the edges. Liang Yao is new to the worl 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 30 Before My Sixth Breakup 在第六次失恋前 When Wang Yalei and Old Shu stroll hand in hand, they have no idea that their relationship will end with a text message just half a month later. From her first year of college to the year she turns thirty, this is her fifth heartbreak. A woman who could have been a big brother's woman gradually accepts that her fate is to be the big brother among women. Big brothers have their own fate, too. She must face her work, take responsibility, cherish her friendships, and only then comes the love that c 160Reads9.4Score—Shelves
- 31 Gen Z Takes Over the Workplace: You Think You Can Steal My Million-Yuan Sales Crown Just Because Someone's Got Your Back? 00后整顿职场，仗着有人抢我百万销冠？ A Post-00s Worker Takes On the Workplace, Just Because Someone Wants to Steal My Million-Yuan Top-Seller Crown? 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 32 The Vanity Fair: Complete Edition 名利场(全集) 480Reads9.2Score101Shelves
- 33 I Was the Target of Rumors on My First Day at Work! 入职第一天，我就被造谣了! I Got Slandered on My First Day at Work! —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 34 The Law of Arrogance 傲慢法则 [The Law of Arrogance, Everyone Is Evil] Threatening the rich is like taking their lives; challenging the poor’s worldview is like digging up their ancestors’ graves. The basic rules of this world have never changed. Yu Huanxi firmly believes that if you’re not sitting at the table, you’ll end up on the menu. In the past, she was Fengcheng’s top “freelance tour guide and scalper.” She could swallow her pride, start a group brawl, and shamelessly refuse to back down. Now she’s the lowest-ranking 457Reads8.9Score107Shelves
- 35 I'll Still Love You Years from Now 哪怕多年以后还爱你 “Business is business, whoever it’s with. How much per time?” he asked casually, lighting a cigarette. Zhou He kept her head down and replied with utter seriousness, “You saved me. How could I let you come out at a loss?” He raised an eyebrow, watching her with keen interest. Meeting his gaze, Zhou He said sincerely, “With your looks, you could rise to the top anywhere. I’m penniless and have nothing to my name, so naturally I can’t let myself sully you.” She once thought he was the light shini 384Reads8.8Score100Shelves
- 36 She Tore Up More Than Just the Non-Compete Agreement 她撕掉的不仅是竞业协议 What she tore up was more than just a non-compete agreement 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 37 Return Against the Light: The Financial Queen's Game 逆光归来：财阀女王的棋局 [Lone, aloof hidden-capital queen × sharp-witted master of the abyss, fatal attraction as two powerhouses go head-to-head, purge internal enemies before romance, secret identities + alliance + corporate warfare and revenge, happy ending] Three years ago, Lin Qiuwen was sent overseas by her father as a sacrificial pawn. As her family tore itself apart from within, the shadow of her mother's early death never lifted. Since then, she had grown accustomed to hearing sneers like “useless legitimate d 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 38 Twenty Years in Dongguan 东莞二十年 A tribute to the workers of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The protagonist starts out as a naive young newcomer, then grows amid the undercurrents of workplace power struggles and rises above the competition to become an executive at a Taiwanese-owned company. Later, he leaves to start his own business, facing hardship after hardship in the cutthroat world of commerce, as well as twists and secrets in his personal love life. 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 39 Mr. CEO, Please Stop Your Workplace Gaslighting 总裁大人，请收起你的职场PUA Lin Wei, a modern workplace ace well-versed in psychology and labor law, transmigrates into a CEO romance novel as a disposable secretary who was bullied to death at work by CEO Gu Yechen. Faced with Gu Yechen’s psychological abuse, crushing workload, and emotional manipulation, Lin Wei refuses to take it lying down. Instead, she hands him an Employee Rights Protection Handbook, a therapist’s business card, and a resignation letter to use as leverage. Under her ongoing “education,” Gu Yechen goe 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 40 She Uses AI to Take Down Workplace Deadbeats 她靠AI：手撕职场老赖 Urban workplace + empowering female lead + AI golden finger + workplace comeback + taking down deadbeat debtors + working-class underdog makes good + light comedy + workplace survival guide Duan Xiaomo clutched her crumpled 500 yuan and stared at the expired pickled vegetables HR manager Wang Meili had thrown at her. She was close to tears with rage. After two years of overtime and taking the blame countless times, was this all her severance was worth? And they still wanted her to sign a trap of —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 41 This Life Is Over, I'll Be a Leader in the Next 这辈子就这样了，下辈子当领导 Two minutes after Fang Leilei died, she came back to life on the spot and was sent straight back to the day of her new-hire military training. One familiar, youthful face after another. Back then, he hadn't become a department manager yet. Back then, she hadn't stabbed me in the back yet. Ah! Isn't that my dream man?! He married a scheming woman in my past life, so it's my turn to have him in this one! Just look at me, Fang Leilei: my career was a mess and my love life was a disaster in my last 20Reads8.1Score—Shelves
- 42 Glamour 光鲜 [Women’s Growth + The Real Fashion Industry + Matched Opponents] The glamour you see is not the whole story of fashion. Xing Yanyan’s acclaimed work, Glamour, is now shining online! A story about women in the workplace and the challenges they face, reality and ideals, love and freedom, courage and fearlessness. True feminism is a path to freedom, and freedom should never be limited to just one way of life. When luxury brands collide with street culture, refined commerce with rebellious nonconfor 343Reads9.4Score104Shelves
- 43 The Hunter Game: A Game Within a Game 猎人游戏：局中之局 They’re used to treating others as prey. But what happens when the tables turn? Everyone has something they want to protect, but once they’re caught in a game called “profit,” can anyone truly stay out of it? This is a story about headhunters, but it’s about much more than that. Cross-border mergers and acquisitions, IPO turmoil, power succession, staged accidents... Every move is controlled from behind the scenes. The moment a pawn realizes it is a pawn, the counterattack begins! (A modern work 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 44 A History of the Death of Idealism 理想主义消亡史 [No transmigration], [No cheats or System], [Realistic], [No feel-good wish fulfillment], [Deep-dive into the inside story], [Scheming] Medical investment is an obscure industry with a lot of hidden complexities. Yan Hui is a professional in the field, as well as an idealist. But as time goes by and circumstances change, his life and work gradually slip beyond his control. (A song will be included in the author’s notes for each chapter. It will relate to the chapter, directly or indirectly, obje 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 45 A Heartfelt Deal 心动交易 [Sweet romance with angst + healing] [Exclusive devotion, a polished but depraved top lawyer × a money-loving junior lawyer] Jiang Ran met Gu Shencheng because he casually pointed her out from a line of beauties. She wanted his money; he wanted her body. Once she was through her rough patch, Jiang Ran pulled up her pants and acted like nothing had happened. “Attorney Gu, let’s not keep in touch from now on.” Gu Shencheng gripped her chin. “Jiang Ran, you used me and now you’re tossing me aside?” 97Reads7.1Score—Shelves
- 46 Spiritual Root Awakening: From Sales Drone to Dao Lord of All Realms 灵根觉醒：从销售牛马到万界道主 "Transmigration #Support System #Low-Key Growth #Exceptional Talent #One Female Lead #Early Cameos #Life Goals #Dreams Fulfilled #Twists and Turns #Journey to the Great Dao Together" Volumes: Volume One: Prologue, A Tribute to Half a Lifetime of Movies: Life Is Unpredictable. Volume Two: The Years in Qingshi Town: Awakening a Spirit Root, Starting Life Anew. Volume Three: Turmoil in Taiyue City: The Rise of the Merchants’ Guild, For Those Who Strive. Volume Four… ------To find out what happ —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 47 The Corporate World: Mergers and Acquisitions 职场铭之并购江湖 (Workplace intrigue + business rivalry + workplace romance + turning one's life around) In Modu, you dream of owning a spacious home, driving a nice car, and having a beautiful, gracious partner. But you're just an ordinary office worker, an ordinary accountant. What can you do? The protagonist, Ren Jiaming, is in the same boat. Yet through luck and his own hard work, he weathers the deceit and rivalry of the business world and the ups and downs of romance, inching closer to that life day by day 161Reads—Score—Shelves
- 48 Her Second Game: A Future Full of Promise 她的二次博弈：遥遥可期 An older, guiding lover, by your side every step of the way. A ten-year age gap. Love is a journey of healing, and a lighthouse that guides us as we grow. The best kind of love isn't rescue when you're down and out. It's walking side by side and helping each other become better versions of ourselves. She had been through a failed marriage. When love quietly began to appear, she was confused, retreated, hesitated, afraid, and too scared to take the leap... Shen Qiyu said, “Being good to you was n 31Reads—Score—Shelves
- 49 From Involution to Lying Flat: A Corporate Drone’s Path to Enlightenment 从内卷到躺平：大厂社畜修行记 This is a story with a healing touch. From overwork to lying flat: A tale of a corporate drone’s journey at a major internet company, chronicling the endless grind of modern laid-off tech workers! Will you choose a cat-like approach to finding a job, a dog-like approach to working, or a Buddhist approach and lie flat? Between striving to get ahead and simply showing up to work, what will you choose? Join the cool and aloof Chi Mai as she explores modern city life and the path to healing yourself 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 50 After Reading His Mind, I Got the CEO Wrapped Around My Finger 读心后，霸总被我拿捏了 Qi Wan is a chatty slacker at Die Shan Design, lounging around and munching sunflower seeds on the surface, while secretly possessing incredible talent. Xie Chi is a reclusive, mysterious boss who fears socializing but controls everything. She can hear his innermost thoughts, like the sound of his heartbeat: “If she comes any closer, I'm done for.” When colleagues dump work on her, directors try to suppress her, and her ex threatens her, she hits back with face-slapping comebacks. From plagiaris 6Reads—Score—Shelves
