Novels like Rising to the Top in Midlife
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Rising to the Top in Midlife, best match first.
- 1 Ride the Wind and Break the Waves 乘风破浪 At the lowest point in his life, Xue Jialiang has lost all hope. Then a mysterious figure appears, and his fate takes a turn for the better. He rapidly bounces back, becoming a hot commodity… 1.4kReads8.5Score189Shelves
- 2 The Uncrowned King 无冕之王 Jing Tao is reported during the public notice of his appointment as director. After his promotion falls through, his former leader makes a decision on his own and sends him to gain experience at the grassroots level. Under Jing Tao’s leadership, the community is reborn. Using his strengths, he actively takes part in the process of democratization and helps address a wide range of social issues, including housing, education, healthcare, elder care, and people’s livelihoods. He truly fulfills the 26Reads6.7Score—Shelves
- 3 The Past of Power 权峰往事 This is a special kind of workplace, one filled with all the ambitions and aspirations, triumphs and dreams that men pursue... 2.9kReads8.2Score276Shelves
- 4 Starting Over in Midlife 人到中年：东山再起 Unemployed, betrayed by his wife, and facing his mother’s serious illness, Fang Hongyi hit the lowest point of his life in middle age. After accidentally saving a mysterious woman, he caught the attention of a powerful figure and began his rise from the ashes. From then on, Fang Hongyi climbed ever higher, making a triumphant comeback. Powerful people from every walk of life rushed to curry favor with him, and wealth and beautiful women soon followed. Everyone who had once looked down on him wou 143Reads8.4Score104Shelves
- 5 Transmigration: The Rise and Fall of Officialdom 穿越：宦海沉浮 There are many ways to change one’s fate. Su Zhe is a grassroots employee whose only dream is to own an apartment in the county seat, then marry and start a family. But the sea of officialdom is turbulent. From the day he set foot on this path, his life was destined to be anything but peaceful. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 6 A Most Unusual Path to Power 非常权途 As the driver for a beautiful female executive, Zhou Tianyu was under enormous pressure. After helping his boss with a small favor, he earned her appreciation and quickly went from being a mere chauffeur to holding a leadership position. But this was only the beginning… 2.2kReads8.8Score240Shelves
- 7 Forty-Year-Old Man: Getting Rich in Middle Age 男人四十:中年暴富 Wang Jun is a timid, inept nobody, afraid of trouble and scraping by in society. After accidentally saving a wealthy woman, he sets out on a path to turn his life around. 684Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 8 The Pinnacle of Power in Officialdom 官场之权力巅峰 Ye Xingsheng is widely regarded by his colleagues as a model worker. He's diligent and hardworking, with an outstanding record, yet the leaders don't appreciate him. 22Reads5.5Score—Shelves
- 9 Reborn: An Ordinary Career in Government 重生之平凡官路 Xu Wen was once a minor deputy section-level official, an ordinary grassroots worker with no connections. He was fixated on getting promoted, but never managed to achieve it. Then he suddenly returned to the day he first joined the workforce. Determined to live well and make up for his past regrets, he never expected that, little by little, he would rise to the heights he had once admired from afar. —Reads8.2Score—Shelves
- 10 The Road to Officialdom: I Rebuild and Reign Supreme 官路鸿途：重整旗鼓我为王 A career in government is like Mount Everest: so high that the air is thin! It is also like a ladder reaching to the heavens, seemingly impossible to climb! And yet countless people continue to press forward, one after another! Qin Junyu was just an insignificant member of this vast crowd of climbers. One drunken night gave Qin Junyu more than twenty years of memories out of nowhere. In those memories, Qin Junyu, once a force to be reckoned with in the business world, had been defeated by politi 2.5kReads7.4Score184Shelves
- 11 The Road to Power 权力官途 262Reads7.3Score—Shelves
- 12 Officialdom: Five Years in Office, Leading the County Out of Poverty 官场：上任五年，带全县脱贫致富 In 2018, just after Wu Shixie takes office, he is faced with a severe crisis: the local government is strapped for cash and can't even pay its employees. Watch how he puts resources to work, manages the budget, promotes capable people, and uses a range of governing methods to transform the county! Once you take office as a local official, you must devote yourself to the people and plan for generations to come. Watch how Wu Shixie leads the whole county out of poverty and toward prosperity, givin 653Reads—Score—Shelves
- 13 The Pinnacle of Power: Saving a City Leader in the Night 权力巅峰：从夜救市领导开始 (This book has multiple female leads, no cheating or NTR, and plenty of feel-good moments.) First sword after being reborn: cut down the one you love! In his previous life, Gao Ran was a low-ranking official who was meek, obedient, and above reproach. And yet he was dumped, bullied, and exiled. In the end, worn down by hardship and sorrow, his hair frosted white, he climbed the stage alone, sick and old. He died depressed and far from home. In this life, he will live differently and take another 5.3kReads7.3Score424Shelves
- 14 A Prodigy's Path to Power 天骄仕途 The world of officialdom is full of unseen clashes and schemes, ruthless enough to kill without spilling a drop of blood! It may look like flowers embroidered on brocade, but beneath the surface, it’s a pot boiling over a raging fire! Lu Mingyuan, a small-town exam grinder, rose from humble beginnings, enjoyed a meteoric career, took command of power, and improved people’s lives, composing a magnificent chapter for a new era! 8Reads8.2Score—Shelves
- 15 Reborn in the Political Arena: From a Leader’s Driver to the Pinnacle of Power 重生官场：从领导司机到权力巅峰 Xu Liang was ruined by scheming villains. His entire life was one disappointment after another, and even making ends meet became a struggle. So when he got the chance to be reborn, he swore to change everything that had happened in his previous life! I’ll seize every opportunity! I’ll get revenge on everyone who wronged me! I’ll claim every advantage for myself! But after weathering countless trials, he realized that even at the top, you still have to keep your feet on the ground to live with pe 9Reads6.3Score—Shelves
- 16 The Pinnacle of Political Power 官途巅峰 Three years ago, he was a low-ranking county government clerk, but he got caught up in a corruption case and saw his future destroyed. Now he’s determined to take control of his own fate and stir up storms across the land! 270Reads—Score—Shelves
- 17 Rising Step by Step in Middle Age 人到中年：步步高升 Cheng Dawei has offended his beautiful boss and is constantly being targeted by her. He never expected that one good deed would turn his luck around and send him climbing the career ladder. From a nobody in the company whom everyone bullied, he rises to become the darling everyone fawns over and curries favor with... 823Reads8.7Score105Shelves
- 18 Rising Through the Ranks: Starting as a Township Chief 平步青云：从乡长开始 Wu Zheng, a cadre reassigned to a new post, faced a hostile welcome on his very first day as township chief. Using his iron-fisted methods, he launched a determined counterattack, climbed one step at a time, and rose to the pinnacle of power. As he advanced, the daughter of a high-ranking official became his confidante, while a group CEO became his close friend. Together, they worked to give ordinary people a better life. 147Reads8.3Score—Shelves
- 19 Officialdom: Rising Through the Ranks, a Female Leader Trains Me to Become a Party Secretary 官场：进部：女领导培养我当书记 There's a saying in political circles that people express in subtle terms. First, you have to be capable! Then, someone has to say you're capable! Finally, the person who says you're capable has to be capable too! The political arena is full of ups and downs and endless power struggles. Junhao has already risen to a fairly high rank. In the eyes of others, he's simply enjoying the shade beneath a powerful patron, having received an exceptional promotion after meeting a good boss. But after takin —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 20 The Official's Cauldron 官鼎 A photograph set off quite a stir. Wu Kejun thought it was just a coincidence, but little did he know that behind it lay a massive conspiracy. He thought he could control his own life, but in the end, others still pulled the strings. How can he break free from adversity? How can he evade the hidden hands around him? It’s a question with a distinctly philosophical edge... 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 21 Middle-Aged Man: A Second Spring 人到中年：男人第二春 He went to prison for three years out of loyalty to a friend! But when he got out, he discovered that his company had gone bankrupt, his wife had betrayed him, and his mother was gravely ill and on the verge of death! But Lin Fei wasn't crushed by life's hardships. Instead, he emerged reborn, rose higher and higher, and soared to success once more! The worst you can do is beg for food. As long as you don't die, you'll have your day! A man should never say he can't do it! 1.8kReads8.8Score240Shelves
- 22 The Game of Power 权利的游戏 Reborn in 2001, Gao Yuan decides he won’t lie flat anymore. He’ll ride the waves and fight his way forward in officialdom. Subtle dealings and favors, ruthless political power struggles, intense clashes of ideals, and the unpredictable ups and downs of a career in government. This is the story of a young official’s journey of transformation. 498Reads7.4Score103Shelves
- 23 A Stunning Rise Through the Ranks 升迁：一鸣惊人 Facing obstacles at every turn in the workplace, he rises to the top and becomes unstoppable. Wei Yiming had been living a smooth and easy life, until his arrogant, short-tempered new boss ruined everything on her very first day. From then on, she picked on him at every turn and ordered him around constantly. One chance act of courage brought him face-to-face with the woman of his dreams, lighting up a life in which every step had been a struggle. After years of keeping his head down, he finally 1.9kReads8.4Score223Shelves
- 24 The Seat of Power 官之位 Orphaned as a boy, Zheng Qing is taken in by a soon-to-retire provincial official after receiving a keepsake left by his father. At the same time, he is forced to shoulder the burdens of two generations far too soon. His enemies are practically untouchable! After entering the political arena, Zheng Qing follows his elders’ dying wishes to serve the people while fighting his way up at all costs, hoping to one day clear his father’s and grandfather’s names and avenge their deaths. Unfortunately, p 12Reads6.8Score—Shelves
- 25 Officialdom: Rising Straight to the Ninth Heaven 官场：青云直上九重天 My new work is out! You can read it on Fanqie Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 31Reads—Score—Shelves
- 26 Reborn to a Career in Officialdom 重生之官运 Wu Zhuoran, a university graduate selected for a government post with no connections to rely on, stumbles into politics by chance. With his intelligence and courage, and through tireless effort, he makes like-minded friends, resists temptation, and challenges and defeats every obstacle in his way, step by step reaching the pinnacle of his political career and his life... 100Reads6.3Score—Shelves
- 27 The Deputy Secretary on Temporary Assignment 挂职副书记 Zhuang Xiaobo, vice chairman of the Writers' Association, arrives in Jiangcheng on a transfer order and takes up a deputy secretary post overseeing cultural projects. With nothing but his pen, he pries open a web of corruption. His scholar's cunning cuts to the bone. With no powerful backer, he relies on ink and paper to fight his way through... 154Reads—Score—Shelves
- 28 Tiger Descending the Mountain 下山虎 Two brothers, one lifetime. Far from home and with no one to turn to, just staying alive is so hard. But the living can’t just sit around and die. We have to keep moving forward. Even if life is a swamp of filth, we’ll still shape it into a flower, even if it’s only a foxtail. 35Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 29 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
- 30 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 159Reads—Score—Shelves
- 31 No Regrets in Serving the People 为民无悔 Love brought upheaval; I left the faith behind for a new path. A strange past emerged, and my journey through love was tangled with complications. The waves are fierce. How can I ride them and break through the currents? Love is tangled. Where can I find my way home? My strange past only brings more uncertainty. After years of hardship, I finally found the dignity I once sought, but by then, the satisfaction I had hoped for was gone. What remained in my heart was countless ordinary people, yet I 53Reads8.5Score—Shelves
- 32 Officialdom: The Road to Power Begins as a Police Officer in a Detention Center 官场：掌权之路从看守所民警开始 Yang Junbang, a police officer with the criminal investigation squad, was framed and demoted to work at a detention center. There, Yang Junbang met his benefactor and ultimately embarked on a path to defy fate and change his destiny. 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 33 Cheng Wuxu's Fifth Book 程无序的第5本书 [An Incomplete Guide to Officialdom] Political elites aren't made in a day. Zhao Zhiliu carves out a path to promotion through betrayal, scheming, and stepping on others, joining forces with newcomer Ning Xiaofei to keep working miracles and reach the pinnacle of life. 32Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 34 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
- 35 Reborn: I Just Want to Lie Low 重生：我只想摆烂啊 Money gives you confidence, but not being greedy brings peace. Power is a responsibility, and not abusing it brings stability. If it were you, what would you choose? Li Qianchuan chose money. Power? To him, it was nothing but a constraint. A bright future? The taste of power? Sorry, that wasn't what Li Qianchuan wanted. Only after getting battered in the business world did he realize that wealth wasn't in his destiny: he couldn't hold on to illusions or keep the prosperity he'd once enjoyed. G 2kReads7.8Score148Shelves
- 36 You Forced Me Out with Nothing, Now I'm Getting Promoted. Why Are You Panicking? 逼我净身出户，我升官你慌什么？ Zhou Mo was reborn. In his previous life, his mentor helped him rise from a humble library job all the way to the heart of power. But his family became his downfall. His wife and her insatiably greedy family drained him dry, and in the end, he discovered that the son he had raised to adulthood was not his biological child. He died in despair. Living his life over again, Zhou Mo once more faces a turning point. This time, he has decided to divorce, even if it means leaving with nothing! Anyone wh 377Reads6.5Score—Shelves
- 37 Reborn in 1992: From the Start, I Became a Leader in My Hometown 重生1992：开局当家乡领导 The tycoon Chen Ping returns to 1992, a pivotal year in history. Carrying regrets from his past life, he must see how he can rise steadily amid this sweeping tide of change and give back to his hometown. 454Reads7.3Score—Shelves
- 38 Reborn: Ruling the Officialdom 重生：纵横官途 In his previous life, his family fell into ruin. He watched every member of his family die while he was in prison, then died in despair. In this life, he pays tribute to himself before entering prison, determined to return and avenge his family. Amid the favors and treachery of officialdom, how will he find the hidden hand pulling the strings? 6Reads8.3Score—Shelves
- 39 The Political Arena 宦海 [Political intrigue + satisfying revenge] “Hold office and bring blessings to the people!” Song Yang, who grew up in a small mountain village, stumbled into officialdom by chance. Since he was there, he decided to make the best of it. He overcame one obstacle after another, braving every challenge as he contended with forces from all sides, while one tale of love and hatred after another unfolded around him. His highest principle, from beginning to end, was to serve the people’s interests, and i 126Reads6.4Score—Shelves
- 40 I, Qi Tongwei, Win Chen Yang's Heart and Take Aim at Sha Ruijin 我祁同伟，拿下陈阳，狙击沙瑞金 After transmigrating into the world of film and television, he becomes Qi Tongwei, a recent graduate, and obtains the Smooth Climb to Success System. He takes down Tazhai, pacifies Jinghai, and leads the Mekong River operation... He fights drugs, graft, and corruption, climbing ever higher until he becomes the king of Handong. Liang Lu: “Tongwei, I got down on my knees in front of the entire student body at Handong University!” Chen Yanshi: “If you don’t marry Chen Yang, Qi Tongwei, I’ll die wit 838Reads5.4Score—Shelves
- 41 Officialdom: A Reborn Playboy’s Ascent to the Top 官场：纨绔重生跨越巅峰 [Reborn + officialdom + political struggles + economic development + patriotism] A spoiled young heir weathered a lifetime of setbacks. Reborn, he used his foresight to lead his family out of hardship. In finance, he guided his brothers to sweep all before them. In politics, he dodged one open and covert attack after another. In the economy, he selflessly served his country and its people. Follow Li Linxuan through the heart-pounding world of officialdom as he devotes his passion to millions of 694Reads7.3Score—Shelves
- 42 A Life in Officialdom: The Stories of Women in Politics 人在仕途：官场女人那些事儿 (Realistic political workplace + case-based stories + no harem) It’s hard to be a person, harder to be a woman, and harder still to be a woman in politics. But women in politics have their own rules for survival. Drawing on my 17 years navigating the political world, with firsthand experience across township, county, municipal, and provincial offices, I’ll show you what a woman in politics is really like! 16Reads8.9Score—Shelves
- 43 The Office Secretary 办公厅秘书 Zhang Shijie had just graduated from college when he passed the exam to join the court. He married Liu Mengmeng, the girlfriend he had loved for four years. Work, life, money... After a few years of married life filled with all the ordinary necessities, the passion faded, leaving behind nothing but dull, monotonous days. By chance, Zhang Shijie discovered that Liu Mengmeng was cheating on him with his best friend... Anger and pain took turns tormenting him... After reflecting on his situation, Z 6.8kReads9.0Score616Shelves
- 44 Reborn: From Junior Clerk to the Very Top 重生：从小科员直达巅峰 (Rebirth + urban life + officialdom) Zhang Zhengyu, middle-aged and stuck in a rut, is involved in a car accident while hosting an official reception. When he wakes up, he has returned to 1995 and become a clerk at Linshui County’s Investment Promotion Bureau. Having achieved little in his previous life, he decides to seize this chance to make a name for himself, rise steadily through the ranks, and reach the pinnacle of power! 1.1kReads7.1Score—Shelves
- 45 A Wild Ride Through the Countryside on the Road to Power 官途之乡野狂飙 A low-level employee is bullied and finds his career going nowhere, until he runs into an old classmate and finally begins to rise through the ranks... 53Reads7.5Score—Shelves
- 46 Male Gynecologist: From the Start, I Became the Hospital Director’s Secretary 妇科男医：开局给女院长当秘书 [The exhilarating comeback of The Knockout + House of Cards-style power plays, with a black-lotus heroine and high-stakes twists] “Fang Yu, would you have a child for me?” A recalled message from the gynecology clinic sets off a storm beneath the surface of Binhai People’s Hospital. Fang Yu, the hospital’s only male gynecologist, gets caught up in the schemes of the beautiful deputy director, Tang Ying, on his very first day as an intern. He stumbles upon Tang Ying’s affair with hospital directo 680Reads7.8Score113Shelves
- 47 There Was No Underworld in the Nineties 九十年代没有江湖 Years later, workers renovating Qinghe's old town unearthed a moldy ledger beneath an abandoned factory housing complex. The ledger listed laid-off workers, families of miners killed in accidents, women from dance halls, and several lines of numbers blurred by water. On the last page, there were only three words: Chen Qingshan. Some said he was the most loyal man in Qinghe. Some said he was the man who most deserved to die. Others said that if not for the times he lived in, Chen Qingshan mig 49Reads—Score—Shelves
- 48 Medical Officer 医官 [Master Returns from the Mountains + Political Intrigue + Miracle Doctor + Broken Engagement + Rise in Government + Female CEO + Chasing His Wife to the Crematorium + Pinnacle of Power] Fang Yu is a doctor, bringing relief to people amid the tumult of the medical world. Fang Yu is an official, using his influence and charm to serve the people. Witness the thrilling life of Fang Yu, a peerless miracle doctor who saves lives with a needle in his left hand and wields power for the common good with 1.7kReads8.9Score223Shelves
- 49 The Ups and Downs of Officialdom: From Teacher to Public Servant 宦海沉浮：从教师到公仆 As a newly appointed teacher, Xie Lingfeng wanted to be a beacon of civilization, illuminating the world. But a chance encounter sent him into the government, where he embarked on a career navigating the tides of officialdom. “If I can’t be a teacher, then let me become a public servant who serves the people!” 2.2kReads8.4Score124Shelves
- 50 The Pinnacle of Power: Defying Heaven's Mandate 权力巅峰：胜天半子 The road to officialdom is hard, with one obstacle after another. Li Tongwei spent ten years rising and falling in the political world. Reborn, he sets out on the same path once more, but with new insights and a keen understanding of its ever-shifting currents. Watch as he climbs step by step to the pinnacle of power, roots out corrupt officials, and paves the way to a happier life for the people. 17.4kReads8.8Score1.2kShelves
