Novels like The First Book by Jianghu Laoliu
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The First Book by Jianghu Laoliu, best match first.
- 151 The Weasel Calls Me Big Brother 黄皮子叫我大哥 A chance encounter changes the course of Tang Yi's life. Through gambling on uncut stones and appraising antiques, he amasses a fortune worth billions. But fate has other plans: he becomes a casualty of a power struggle. Unwilling to fall into ruin, Tang Yi rises to become the overlord of the mercenary world. When he returns to his hometown, another storm of blood and violence awaits him... 6.9kReads8.8Score91214d adds
- 152 The Ultimate Bodyguard 极品小保安 Luo Jun's public identity is that of a lowly security guard in Haibin City. His true identity is... He has come to Haibin City, where the winds of change are blowing, to protect someone important to him. Danger lurks all around, and every step could be his last. In the bustling city, Luo Jun thrives thanks to his formidable skills and extraordinary intelligence. When enemies are strong, he defeats them with his fists. When they are cunning, he outsmarts them. But when love comes for him with mur 14kReads9.0Score1.4k14d adds
- 153 My Years as a Con Artist 我做老千的那些年 The short drama adaptation of the Old Cheater series is now streaming on Red Fruit and Tomato. Come check it out! I'm a professional gambler. At the table, I can turn the odds on their head. But I want to use my own experience to tell you a simple truth: stay away from gambling. Because nine out of ten games are rigged, and you lose every time! 453.4kReads9.5Score46.3k14d adds
- 154 The Number One Brother 一哥 The short drama A Brother is now streaming on Hongguo, with a surprise in store! I used to be a gang boss. Now I’m just a food delivery rider. Ever since I could remember, my father, a former soldier, had been a drunk with a nasty temper. Whenever he got drunk, he liked to beat my mother, often leaving her black and blue. Later, my parents divorced, and while trying to earn money for tuition, I went astray! I had no choice back then. Now, I just want to be a good person! 32.1kReads9.3Score1.7k14d adds
- 155 I Am the King 我为王 Betrayed by everyone, I was wounded by those closest to me! I cut off a finger to survive, then lay low for six years before emerging again. Through the grudges and warmth of the martial world, I’ve seen it all. I am the king! 1.7kReads8.4Score12214d adds
- 156 The Young Celestial Master of Tomb Raiding 盗墓小天师 (Tomb raiding + exploration + feng shui + folk taboos) Others raid tombs with Luoyang shovels and Soul-Guiding Talismans. I raid tombs with peachwood swords and yellow talisman paper. The last young celestial master of White Water Temple on Longhu Mountain somehow becomes the tomb-raiding world's most sinister “yin-yang master.” Wang Yan carries the bronze bell passed down by his master and a half-volume of the incomplete Yin-Yang Treasure Mirror. He had planned to spend the rest of his days ten 25.3kReads8.9Score2k14d adds
- 157 At Middle Age, I Turn My Life Around with Jade and Become the World's Richest Man 人到中年，赌石翻身成世界首富 [Stone gambling + bargain hunting + X-ray vision + tycoon + everyday life + feel-good story + underdog comeback] After his divorce, Lin Fan awakens the ability to see through things and sets his sights on the stone gambling market. With precision, he makes his moves, and the jade he cuts out shocks the industry. Wealth, status, and beautiful women come flocking, leaving his former wife, who once betrayed him, far behind. 314Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 158 Three Thousand Levels of Qi Refining: From the Start, I Take the Empress as My Disciple 炼气3000层，开局收女帝为徒 [Invincible]+ [Comedy]+ [Misunderstandings]+ [Empress] Ye Kong transmigrated to another world. Every day he spent fishing, he could break through one level of cultivation. After ten years, he had reached over three thousand layers of Qi Refining. He thought life would stay peaceful forever, with nothing to do but roast a white tiger or catch a phoenix. Then one day, an empress was reborn and came to ask him to be her master. Ye Kong: Hey, disciple, can you stop making me worry about you? Empress 3.8kReads6.6Score1.1k14d adds
- 159 The Antiquities Restorer 做旧师 [Entirely handmade, with no AI whatsoever + Behind-the-scenes industry secrets + Authentic antique identification with images and text + National vendettas and family feuds] If you want to truly understand the antiques trade, start by making fake antiques! Start by learning to age forgeries! My name is Mei Jiu. I was just a temporary odd-jobber on a film crew, but after I helped them repair a broken bowl, I was promoted to assistant prop master. I fix props, so why are they asking me to make fak 40.4kReads9.2Score4.9k14d adds
- 160 Gambling on Jade: Winning Over the Underworld’s Queen 赌石：从征服黑道女大佬开始 [Stone gambling + treasure appraisal + X-ray vision + divorce + an underdog's comeback + regret + underworld + beauties] His ex-wife took it upon herself to give her younger brother all the savings they'd spent five years building up. Furious, Zhao Yu divorced her on the spot. Then he was hit by a car while crossing the road and gained X-ray vision. From then on, he went from rags to riches and soared to the top! [This is a feel-good comeback story. If it doesn't satisfy you, come tell me off in 41Reads6.5Score10914d adds
- 161 Stone Gambling and Antique Appraisal 赌石鉴宝 Wang Ming, an apprentice at an antiques shop, happened to gain X-ray vision while fighting a few punks one night, which also earned him the wrath of a mob boss. From then on, he ruled the underworld. Wealth, beautiful women, luxury cars, mansions, everything a man could want was his! This is a feel-good story about an ordinary man rising to the top, and it’s well worth a read! 446Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 162 Overseas Turmoil: The Path of a Crime Lord 海外风云之枭雄路途 My name is Lin Feng. I’ve encountered, witnessed, and experienced many industries and incidents that people would rather keep hidden. So many people have been lured overseas by high-paying jobs, only to die. So many have died because their desires could never be satisfied. This synopsis can’t do the story justice. Read the novel to find out more. 8kReads9.1Score65714d adds
- 163 American TV: Starting with Chicago P.D. 美剧：从芝加哥警署开始 [Suit-Wearing Tough Guy + Gunfights and Action + Leveling Up by Taking Down Enemies + Morally Gray] Li Sen transmigrates into the role of a sergeant in the intelligence unit of the Chicago Police Department. He activates the Punisher System and empties magazine after magazine without hesitation. Assault, abuse, kidnapping, murder, robbery, gangs, black or white, powerful or high-ranking, if you're guilty, you die! Luxury cars, mansions, beautiful women, money, guns, clean up the underworld and g 9.6kReads8.2Score87014d adds
- 164 Storms Over the Northern Frontier 塞北风云 [Underworld Kingpin]+ [Rise to Power]+ [Take Down the Boss and Claim His Wife]+ [Multiple Female Leads]+ [Ensemble Cast]+ [Passionate Underworld Adventures]+ [Scheming and Hilarious] Be an ordinary man: greedy for money and fond of beautiful women. That was one thing I realized after getting out of prison. I used to be an underworld boss who could turn the tide with a flick of my hand. But my brothers were either locked up or gone. I used to be a pushover too, until I met that woman. She changed 41.9kReads9.1Score3.1k14d adds
- 165 A Popular History of the Later Han 后汉通俗演义 [Historical Romance Grounded in the Official Record, The Complete History of the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms, An Easy Introduction to Official History] A Popular History of the Later Han is a classic historical novel in episodic form and a continuation of A Popular History of the Former Han. Across one hundred chapters, it follows the full historical arc from Wang Mang's usurpation of the Han and Emperor Guangwu's restoration, through the decline of the Eastern Han, to the division of the rea 95Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 166 The Young Traveler 少年行 In that moment, I truly understood why the poor stay poor. It isn't because we don't work hard enough. It's because of the environment we live in, the resources we have, our narrow-mindedness, and the few, fragile opportunities available to us. All of it traps my impoverished family in a struggle just to survive! I gave everything I had for a chance to “change my fate,” yet a single storm was enough to destroy it! 24.6kReads9.1Score2.6k14d adds
- 167 After Taking Down My Beautiful Master, I Took the Martial Arts World by Storm 撂倒美女师父后，我火爆了国术界 [Urban romance + life among all walks of society + traditional martial arts underworld] Also known as Wind Over the Martial Gate. During the summer vacation of 1984, a troupe came to our village. Its middle-aged troupe leader, a master of countless skills with his hair tied in a little braid, stayed at my house. He treated me terribly. Not only did he trick my beautiful mother into leaving with him, he also stole our family heirloom and drove my father mad before making him disappear... I was le 11.4kReads9.2Score1.4k14d adds
- 168 The Thief's Way 贼道 My name is Xiao Wu. I was a wild child no orphanage could keep in check. At nine years old, I charged into this dog-eat-dog world. I saw through it then: living was like clinging to a moving train. You either held on or fell and were crushed to pieces. The first steamed bun I stole wasn’t because I was hungry. I wanted to see whether these hands that picked pockets could grab fate by the throat. The juvenile detention center, the shelter, and the detention center were my schools. The thieves wer 84.3kReads9.6Score10.6k14d adds
- 169 Treasure Appraisal and Gemstone Gambling 鉴宝赌石 Li Wei, a member of the Li clan, is caught up in a dangerous situation when a developer plans to demolish the clan's ancestral hall. The clan leader decides to draw lots for a suicide squad, and Li Wei happens to draw the fateful lot. While fighting the developer's men, he is gravely wounded and gains X-ray vision, but also earns the wrath of underworld boss Zhang Huihuang. This is a satisfying underdog comeback story that's well worth a read! 2Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 170 Changle Lane: A Golden Age Just as I Wish 长乐里：盛世如我愿 Zhao Dianyuan was the illegitimate son of a martial actor in a traveling opera troupe and a wealthy heiress. With a jade-like face and a slender waist above broad shoulders, he had been blessed with a handsome appearance from birth. After the September 18 Incident, he was driven south of the Great Wall and eventually made his way to Shanghai. Amid the city's glittering distractions, he experienced all kinds of strange adventures and saw how the land lay shattered, the times in chaos. Then one da 9kReads9.6Score1.3k14d adds
- 171 The Legend of Mr. Lu in Hong Kong's Underworld 港综之陆先生传 The martial world isn’t just about fighting; it’s also about human relationships and social rules. They say that once you enter the martial world, your left foot steps into prison and your right into hell. Few make it out alive. Yet there are always extraordinary people who break free of fate, shatter the rules, and rise to the summit, leaving countless stepping stones in their wake. 26.6kReads9.0Score87014d adds
- 172 The Way of Heaven Is Strong 天行健 In his early thirties, he was betrayed by his wife and left his hometown in a rage. After enduring the hardships of survival and facing the harsh realities of society, he made a comeback and became a legendary business magnate. Through countless rises and falls, love and heartbreak, he ultimately became a king who could shape the course of the world. 13.4kReads9.1Score1.7k14d adds
- 173 Lu Ban's Secret Art of Feng Shui 鲁班风水秘术 Carpenters revere Lu Ban as their patriarch. He left behind the Lu Ban Book, divided into two parts. The first contains carpentry techniques, while the second is a collection of secret spells, never to be shared with outsiders. The patriarch also left a curse: anyone who learns the spells in the second part must suffer one of the fates of being widowed, orphaned, childless, or disabled. That is why later generations called the second part of the Lu Ban Book the “Missing One.” In the old days, mo 5.7kReads9.1Score78414d adds
- 174 King of the Underworld 江湖枭雄 An ordinary-looking confrontation pushes a callow young man to a crossroads in life. Faced with fate’s mockery and the crushing weight of life, he chooses to stand tall and fight back. 31.2kReads9.1Score2.7k14d adds
- 175 EN Longevity: I Lay Low for Six Thousand Years, and I’m Seriously Strong! 长生：苟了六千年，真的很能打！ [Empress, harem, comedy, diary, revelations, incredibly satisfying, invincible, high-octane] Lin Feng transmigrates to the cultivation world and keeps a low profile for six thousand years. Using all sorts of secret identities, he leaves behind countless legends and enjoys a few romantic encounters along the way. Then one day, his diary is discovered. Only then does the cultivation world realize that such a scheming old fox has been hiding in plain sight. As the diary is exposed, the world’s secr 7.7kReads8.4Score50914d adds
- 176 Infinite Battle Cops 无限战警 The world has changed, and humanity can survive only inside bases. When darkness falls and devours the world, the real destruction has only just begun! Li Qiang returns from a bloody fight in the slave arena! He becomes a battle cop and embarks on the path to power! He leads Earth beyond the Milky Way and breaks through the darkness! His fury shakes heaven and earth! His rage makes the universe tremble! 46Reads—Score—14d adds
- 177 The Yellow Emperor’s Secret 黄帝秘藏 With a blood-written deed on my body, I fought hungry dogs for food. In the bitter cold of winter, I was about to be beaten to death on the frozen ground, until someone stood before me and told me I was a dragon in the art of feng shui... 14.2kReads8.9Score59714d adds
- 178 A Popular History of the Former Han 前汉通俗演义 [Cai Dongfan's Historical Romance, The Complete Founding History of the Han Dynasty, The Qin-Han Rivalry, A Plain-Language History, Political Intrigue and War] This book is Cai Dongfan's A Popular History of the Former Han, a classic historical novel that recounts the dynasty's rise and fall from the chaos at the end of the Qin through the middle and late Western Han. Spanning one hundred chapters, it begins with Lü Buwei's extraordinary investment and Qin Shi Huang's unification of the realm, a 129Reads8.3Score—14d adds
- 179 The Lanterns Shone Like Day on Last Year's Lantern Festival 去年元夜灯如昼 [Amnesiac Grand Princess × Cold-Faced Court Official | Escape from the Imperial Mausoleum | Palace Intrigue and Political Scheming | Mutual Redemption] A great fire turns her from the most honored princess of the Li Song dynasty into a palace maid assigned to guard the Yanyang Imperial Mausoleum, someone everyone avoids. She has forgotten who she is and everything she once had. Her greatest wish each day is to make it out of the mausoleum alive. But its rules are strict, and the first one is nev 22Reads8.5Score20014d adds
- 180 The Police Chief’s Shocking Crackdown on Organized Crime 公安局长惊天扫黑大案 Han Shuang arrives in Changhu City and takes up her new post. On her very first day, the heiress of Changhu Group dies under mysterious circumstances, and a forensic examiner carrying evidence climbs into a restricted area, their fate unknown. Wu Gang hides a blade behind his smile. Deputy Director Gou Jianxiao sets traps at every turn, while the three great families are entangled in a web of influence. With two capable women at her side, Han Shuang steps into this isolated city woven from power 6.4kReads7.5Score32414d adds
- 181 Nonli, I Must Have You 非离，不可 [Urban Romance] [Relationships] [Marriage] [About Love] Can’t two people just be together and live happily? If they chose to get married, why are they always arguing? How did a good life turn into such a mess? Why insist on getting divorced? 301Reads—Score—14d adds
- 182 The Supreme Urban War God 都市至尊狂兵 [War God + Mystery Solving + Elite Soldier + No Goody-Two-Shoes + Pure Urban Fiction, No Cultivation] His name is Chen Feng. To the world, he is a madman. When the nation faces peril, he is its sharpest blade! The shocking Blood Sky Incident landed Chen Feng in the most terrifying prison in the world. Three years later, he broke out as the Grim Reaper and returned to his homeland, only to find that everything had changed and he had fallen from grace. The woman he loved most was now with his own 38.1kReads9.1Score4.2k14d adds
- 183 The Legend Reborn 传奇重现 The four-part series by Wei Jie: We Were All Bad Kids, I Am Legend, Legend Reborn, and Hidden Dragon on the Right Path. A young man, still green, left his hometown in a fit of anger. Four years later, he returned, weathered and bearing the glory of success! In a city built from reinforced concrete, old friends were gone and legends had faded into retirement... Faced with his family’s reproach and his friends’ disdain, he had once wandered at a crossroads, pointing into the dark sky with his 32.6kReads9.4Score3.2k14d adds
- 184 I Am the Legend 我就是传奇 I don’t know when it happened, but a bunch of people like this came into my life, even though I’ve always been cold-hearted and a little shameless. When I got dumped, they’d say, “What’s the big deal? Lost your girl? Find another one tomorrow. If you’re really desperate, I’ll lend you myself for the night!” When I felt lost, they were always there with me in our cramped little rooms, shouting, “We give it everything we’ve got, all so we can make something of ourselves!” ... Back then, I couldn’t 19.6kReads9.3Score2k14d adds
- 185 The Seductive Wife 媚妇 [Divine doctor + countryside] College student Lu Feng is left a fool after the village chief harms him, but his enemy's fiancée wants to offer herself to him. Many people have persecuted them, but luckily Lu Feng gains the mysterious legacy known as the Nine-Eyed Divine Art. One glance makes beautiful women fall for him, one glance cures every illness, and one glance subdues all things. From then on, he becomes a renowned miracle doctor, treating the sick, taking on local bullies, pursuing beaut 6.6kReads9.2Score97014d adds
- 186 Code Name: Legend 代号传奇 He’s slept on a graveyard hill, stood on the execution ground, acted like a bastard, and played the hooligan. He’s traveled to the ends of the earth and walked the line between life and death... It is an early autumn morning. The rain has passed, and the sky is high and clear. A train racing from the far south of the country toward the interior roars past villages and towns, forests and fields, speeding across this vast land... A mysterious unit of legend. The legend of a soldier king begins wit 29.4kReads9.3Score3.9k14d adds
- 187 X-Ray Vision for Appraising Jade 透视赌石鉴宝 [Underdog’s rise + Antique appraisal + Gemstone gambling + X-ray vision + Cathartic revenge + Power fantasy] Lin Chao is an ordinary office worker who accidentally discovers that the goddess he secretly loves is being bullied by the company manager. He beats up the manager, leaves the company, and gets hit by a car. When he wakes up in the hospital, he has gained X-ray vision. From then on, his life is unstoppable: money, beautiful women, luxury cars, and mansions are all his! [A cathartic power 25Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 188 Tales of Shanghai’s Underworld 沪上黑道往事 My new novel is here! You’re welcome to read my work 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! The male lead of this book loses his father at a young age and depends on his mother. To avenge his father, he goes up a mountain to study martial arts under a master. After completing his training, he comes down and succeeds in taking revenge. To escape the authorities’ pursuit, he brings his mother to Shanghai. By chance —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 189 The Hidden Dragon of the Righteous Path 正道潜龙 One of Wei Jie’s four-part series A shooting case. An undercover agent lies dead in the street. An investigator once swore an oath beneath the solemn national emblem. At a crossroads of fate, a twin brother makes a dramatic entrance, leading to a lonely yet passionate story... Back to 1998! Our brotherhood is still here, our youth is still here. From this point, we set sail once more and forge the next great triumph! 39.3kReads9.5Score4.7k14d adds
- 190 A Life of Dark Desires 黑欲人生 Keep your hands ruthless, your mind sharp, and your nerve strong. The martial world is a place where people devour one another. Talk about honor and reason? You'll end up without a bone left! [Blood-Soaked Martial World] [Love and Hate] [Powerful Background] [All the Right Ingredients] 16.3kReads8.9Score1.4k14d adds
- 191 Reborn: The Strongest System 重生之最强系统 Zhou Qing was reborn in his senior year of high school and obtained the strongest System. See how, with the System’s help, he rises to the top and tramples each of his past-life enemies underfoot. 8.6kReads8.5Score90414d adds
- 192 Master the Art of Conversation and Become a Great Speaker 回话有招练就好口才 My new work is out! You’re welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 2.7kReads6.4Score16014d adds
- 193 The Hidden Secrets of the World 天下藏局 [Wuxia World + Antiques Appraisal + Tomb Raiding] I never went to school as a child. Instead, I spent ten years learning the trade from a beautiful woman. Over those ten years, she forged me a pair of “Ghost Eyes” that could identify every rare treasure in the world. She trained my hands into “Buddha’s Hands,” teaching me to break traps and set schemes with impunity. And she taught me a repertoire of “divine skills” that let me navigate the shifting world of the martial underworld with ease. Dra 99.7kReads9.4Score18.4k14d adds
- 194 Tomb Raiding Tales from Western Henan 豫西倒斗往事 [Tomb Raiding] [Appraisal] [Period Piece] [Supernatural Mystery] [Feng Shui Secrets] My name is Jin Hai. My grandfather was one of the most skilled tomb raiders of the Republic of China era. While he was alive, he repeatedly warned me never to get involved in tomb raiding. But after he died, I had no choice and ended up taking that path anyway. In the early 1990s, I went against his dying wish and followed in his footsteps, bringing along my childhood friend Wang Ping. Our Luoyang spade plunged 6.6kReads8.6Score44114d adds
- 195 Hong Kong: Inheriting a Factory with Ten Thousand Workers from the Start 香江之开局继承万人工厂 [Hong Kong + business wars + finance + technology + industry + entertainment + Miss Hong Kong] In 2024, countless fresh-faced retail investors piled into the A-shares market, blindly buying at the peak with all their money. As a thousand stocks hit the daily limit down on the ninth, one investor who had trusted a financial livestream host perished in a blaze alongside a certain blue-tick financial streamer. In 1985, British capital was retreating from Hong Kong as Chinese-owned businesses rose, 20.1kReads8.0Score1.2k14d adds
- 196 I Found a Treasure on Antique Street: From the Start, a Hundred-Thousandfold Profit 我在古玩街捡漏，开局十万倍利润 At the end of the Ming dynasty, the mysterious Mohist school vanished from the world. Chen Han, a university student majoring in cultural relics, activates the Mohist legacy by a stroke of luck. The Mohist school’s divine techniques, lost for more than four hundred years, return to the world and astonish everyone. His appraisal skills are terrifying, his talent for restoring antiques is unheard of, and he can perform mysterious mechanical arts and techniques, as well as counter-heavenly feats of 20.1kReads9.0Score2.6k14d adds
- 197 Cao Yang's Journey South 曹阳南下记 Passionate and exhilarating. Now complete. Read with confidence. Cao Yang heads south to seek refuge with his older sister, setting off wave after wave of upheaval… 41.6kReads8.9Score4k14d adds
- 198 The Youth of Two Generations 两代人的青春 My name is Li Sunan, and I'm a complete... bastard. Please take a moment, settle in, and let me tell you the whole story. From my godfather, Li Zhen, to my second uncle, Cui Lijun, and then to my own dark life. From 1990 to 2020. Thirty tumultuous years in a small city in Northeast China. One act ends, and another begins. Two generations rise and fall, knowing both glory and disgrace. There are no all-powerful crime bosses here. Just a bunch of little people struggling at the bottom... The road 2.3kReads6.9Score10814d adds
- 199 Suspicious Homicide Cases: A Police Chief's Major Crimes Notebook 悬疑凶案：公安局长重案手记 An assassination attempt targeting the county magistrate ends with the accidental killing of the only daughter of Qingjiang's richest man. After five years as strangers, the husband and wife join forces again following their daughter's tragic death. The mother launches a forceful counterattack in politics, while the father brings the full weight of his business empire to bear. They swear to make the killers pay in blood. To crack the case, the female God of War Lu Qingshuang is parachuted into t 44.8kReads8.2Score2.9k14d adds
- 200 America, 1860: Starting from Scratch as a Tycoon 美利坚1860：从零开始当财阀 [European and American Business Wars] [The American Civil War] [The Gilded Age] [Technological Development] Business tycoon Allen died beneath a heavy truck in a car accident, only to unexpectedly transmigrate into the body of a 19-year-old Irishman in New York in 1860. With just 75 dollars to his name, Allen used his modern business acumen to start from scratch, first opening a canning workshop, then expanding the factory and starting a company. In the turmoil of the Civil War, his carefully l 14kReads8.7Score39114d adds
