Novels like White Mountains, Black Waters
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as White Mountains, Black Waters, best match first.
- 151 Officialdom: From the Grassroots to the Pinnacle of Power 官场：从基层到权力巅峰 [Traditional political drama + power plays + comeback + a beautiful wife] After his leader’s downfall implicates him, Li Chao believes his political career is over. Little does he know that his father, a military man, has left him an extraordinary network of connections. He is then transferred to a grassroots township post to gain experience and build a record of achievement, where he also rescues a journalist with a special background. See how Li Chao navigates the corridors of power, makes his 97Reads—Score—14d adds
- 152 Reborn into the Political World 官途重生 In the intensive care unit, the indicator lights on the various machines blinked in the darkness. Lu Beichen lay in bed, barely breathing. His stomach cancer was terminal and had spread throughout his body. There was no hope of a cure. “She waited for you for ten years,” the old man said at last. “From that rainy night in Qingping to this hospital room. Ten years.” The monitor let out a continuous beep. Lu Beichen’s consciousness slowly faded, and one final thought crossed his mind: If he coul 315Reads6.5Score11414d adds
- 153 Huang Zhichen's Tenth Book 黄智宸第10本书 My new work is here! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 154 Officialdom: The Ladder to Success 官场：青云梯 In 1995, Chen Mo, a top student in the Water Conservancy Department at Heyang University, resolutely gives up a job at the provincial newspaper and heads to Qingshi Village to serve as a clerk. But a land requisition compensation notice sets off a string of bizarre incidents: villager Wang the Lame sets himself on fire, a granary vanishes, and a bloodstained Jun porcelain vase appears... From the village to the provincial government, Chen Mo spends twenty years walking a political tightrope. Tem 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 155 The Road to Shared Prosperity 共富之路 Jianzhou City in Hannan Province actively answered the national call to revitalize rural areas and established the Jianzhou Rural Revitalization Group. After three years in business, however, poor investment decisions left it deeply in the red and on the verge of bankruptcy. Wu Mingdao, the protagonist, is pushed aside by his colleagues and reluctantly takes over the failing state-owned enterprise. Through strategic repositioning, a cultural overhaul, and business-model innovation, he perseveres 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 156 The Ups and Downs of the System 体制风云 Wang Yibo had passed the provincial civil service selection exam and expected to serve in a prosperous township. By a twist of fate, however, he was sent to impoverished Shanling Township as a full-time deputy Party secretary. When his career ambitions clash with his belief in serving the people, what will he choose? 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 157 In the World of Officialdom, One Wrong Move Can Get You Promoted 官场，不小心就升官了 Qin Mo, a 50-year-old, low-ranking employee at the Archives Bureau, wakes up one morning having traveled from 2025 back to the night before the 1995 civil service exam. After a miserable, bullied life in his previous life, all he wants this time is to make money and chase women, staying well clear of the troubles of government service. 36Reads—Score—14d adds
- 158 After College, I Went to Work on an Assembly Line 大专毕业后我进厂打螺丝 After graduating from a vocational college, I went to work tightening screws in a factory. 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 159 The Pinnacle of Power, Starting from the Grassroots 权力巅峰，从基层开始 Li Zhenhua has been reborn! Though he treads carefully, as if walking on thin ice, he still fails to escape the schemes of his old nemesis. Demoted from the county Party committee to the poorest, most remote township, he faces a hellish start. Just as he's at a loss, an unexpected car accident completely changes the course of his life. Watch as I rise from the grassroots level of the civil service, climbing step by step and enjoying life! 787Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 160 Reborn: I Make Waves in Officialdom 重生：我在官场呼风唤雨 [Politics + powerful connections + no doormat hero + clever + turns the tide] [The appeal: turbulent political winds, deceit and intrigue between people, and life-or-death struggles for power] The road to power is treacherous, with a new storm at every step. There are ten ranks in the official hierarchy, each separated by a vast gulf. The victor becomes king, the loser is forgotten. Who will command the world? Song Hualun, a scion of a fallen noble family, is reborn into the family's finest hour 349Reads8.0Score10814d adds
- 161 The Political Arena: Starting as the Youngest County Magistrate 官场风云：从最年轻县长开始 From a senior leader’s chief secretary to the province’s youngest county magistrate, Zhang Yi had barely taken office when he was hit by a once-in-a-century downpour. A reservoir holding nearly a hundred million cubic meters of water was on the verge of bursting its dam, threatening the lives and property of thousands downstream, and he had not a single soldier at his disposal! Then a highly daring plan suddenly came to mind... 531Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 162 The Righteous Path of Officialdom 官道正途 Li Wei has just entered officialdom. Though he faces countless twists and hardships along the way, he never shows fear or the slightest inclination to back down. Confronted with tangled relationships and all manner of thorny problems, he patiently untangles each one, relying on his exceptional intelligence and courage to respond with composure. The wetland in Xiaohe Village, rich in rare mineral resources, attracts covetous attention from local factions and outside forces alike, drawing people f 64Reads—Score—14d adds
- 163 To the Peak of the Azure Clouds, Starting with My Ex-Girlfriend 青云之巅，从前女友开始 Now that you’ve been reborn, do you still have to be timid and submissive? Gu Yang will tell you: life is precious, so why not live it a little more freely... Good and evil in human nature are all here. See the story for a look at the twists and turns of officialdom. 1.5kReads7.4Score15014d adds
- 164 Hao Yunlai in the Political Arena 官场郝运来 [Powerful political fantasy, mind games, political intrigue, multiple heroines] Some characters and settings draw on the author's own experiences, recreated in an appropriate way for readers. Stick with it and every chapter will deliver. See how the protagonist, Hao Yunlai, lucks his way through officialdom... 13.1kReads8.1Score1.5k14d adds
- 165 From Fresh Graduate to Power Broker 从毕业新生到官道大佬 Chen Yang, a graduate of a prestigious university, should have been on the path to success, but his boss undermined and framed him. A twist of fate set him on the road to an extraordinary life. Colorful characters make their entrances, and one thrilling battle of wits follows another. With exceptional courage and intelligence, he navigates the turbulent political world, overcoming every obstacle until he finally reaches the pinnacle of power! 514Reads9.0Score—14d adds
- 166 Reborn: From Live-in Son-in-Law to Ruler of the World 重生从赘婿到权倾天下 Cheng Li, a poor-born young man, is reborn on the day his life takes a decisive turn. Faced with an offer of a contractual marriage from the cool and beautiful senior student Liu Xu, he signs without hesitation. In this life, he casts aside pointless pride, relying on the Liu family’s influence while staying true to himself. He starts out in one of the poorest townships in western Hunan. Building roads, developing cities, alleviating poverty, and breaking through deadlocks, he stands firm agains 30.8kReads7.6Score3k14d adds
- 167 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 1.9kReads8.9Score26514d adds
- 168 The Wins and Losses of a Workplace Fox 职场狐狸的输赢人生 The workplace is a strange place. After years of clawing his way up the corporate ladder, Lin Qi had no idea how many rivals he had taken down, how much he had gained, or how many people he had offended. Those who knew Lin Qi had given him a nickname: the Workplace Fox. To Lin Qi, the workplace was a zero-sum game, where there could only be winners and losers, never a tie. In the end, only Lin Qi himself could know whether he had won or lost, in the lonely darkness of the night. 156Reads—Score—14d adds
- 169 A Political Prodigy: From Parachuted-In Boss to a Meteoric Rise 官场怪才：从空降上司一路狂飙 Officialdom is merciless. The rules of the political game are made by none other than the strong! An anonymous tip-off case is tangled and complicated, with human relationships and worldly affairs woven through it... Shrouded in layers of mystery. After suffering a double blow to his career and marriage, Xu Zijie is drawn, without even realizing it, into a shocking conspiracy... But when it comes to love and family, who can remain unmoved? This blurb doesn't do the story justice. Read the novel 20.9kReads8.6Score1.5k14d adds
- 170 The Throne of Power: Reborn as a County Official from the Start 权力王座：开局重生县城公务员 [Satisfying Political Drama] [Solid Logic] Senior Leader: Chen Donglai is a good kid. Make him a bureau chief! Organization Department: Chen Donglai, the senior leadership has decided to appoint you as bureau chief. Would you accept a position as head of a police station? Chen Donglai: My combat ability is too low. I’m afraid I can’t handle criminals. I refuse. Organization Department: How about becoming head of a research institute? You could work on lithography machines and nanoscale chips 485Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 171 Political Circles: The Road to Chasing Dreams 官场风云之逐梦征程 After graduating from a prestigious university, Li Shucheng chooses to return to the familiar land of his hometown. Determined to realize his ideals, he works hard to pass the civil service exam and join the County Party Committee Organization Department. Faced with the complicated rules and unseen challenges of officialdom, he sheds his youthful naivety as he struggles on the front lines. Guided always by his original aspirations, every step in his career reflects the convictions of a young man 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 172 A Romantic Career in Officialdom 浪漫仕途 After graduating with a master’s degree, Leng Yu took the civil service exam and landed a post in a poor mountain region, determined to do more good for the people and deliver real results. But while his ideals were lofty, reality dealt him a face-slapping blow. Facing pressure from all sides, he stubbornly fought his way forward and gradually came to understand that to accomplish great things, he would first have to become a high-ranking official. 100Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 173 Rising and Falling in the Sea of Officialdom 宦海纵横 A poor country boy in his previous life, he makes a stunning comeback in this one and becomes a rising star in officialdom! A meek junior official in his previous life, he climbs the ranks step by step in this one, reaching heights most people can only dream of! A hopelessly nice guy who was dumped by his girlfriend in his previous life, he now finds himself surrounded by beautiful women, dazzling everyone! See how Zhou Yiming takes the worlds of politics, business, and romance by storm. With th 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 174 The Road to Officialdom: Starting at the Grassroots 官道：从基层做起 [Officialdom + Power + Romance + Workplace] Once you figure out how the system works, it’s like activating a cheat code. It’s an exciting ride from the start. This realistic novel about officialdom follows Lin Yaodong’s step-by-step rise from the grassroots to the heights of power. 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 175 The Road to Prosperity 青云得路 [Traditional Political Intrigue, No System, No Rebirth, No Harem, Adapted from Real Events, Logic-Driven] Li Feibing leaves the special forces and enters politics. After two years of patiently biding his time, he finally gets the chance to take charge of Jinzhou. But his vision and ideals face secret obstruction from Lao Tang. The clash between two generations' values becomes entangled in the power games of tycoons such as Dongxing Company, forming an apparently intractable deadlock. With help f 30Reads—Score—14d adds
- 176 Debts of the Lustful Sea 欲海孽债 Desire is half angel, half devil. Jian Ting is a police officer not yet thirty. Loyal and righteous, he dares to take responsibility for his actions. He has repeatedly distinguished himself in major cases involving stolen cultural relics and corruption in Hedong. In just three years, he has made a remarkable leap forward in his career. In a world awash with materialism and rampant selfishness, cause and effect always catch up with you. Debts must be repaid! The truth behind the cases is shrouded 2kReads7.5Score19114d adds
- 177 Gamalang Terrace 噶玛兰台 A realistic look at the limits of what an ordinary person can achieve! The protagonist, Li Li, goes from being a demobilized soldier to a schoolteacher, then, by a twist of fate, leaves the public education system to enter the administrative ranks. Driven forward by the tide of the times, and through events that seem accidental but are in fact inevitable, he grows step by step into a towering tree. Spring snow, the moon in a well, wine at the mountain pass, flowers in a mirror: the secret lies w —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 178 The Abyss of Power: Reborn to Clear My Upright Father's Name! 权力深渊：重生为清廉老爸平反！ [Cunning Political Maneuvering + Serving the People at His Own Expense + Honest Governance + Breakneck Pacing + No Tragic Suffering for the Protagonist] In his previous life, his father was falsely accused. To prove his innocence, he chose to jump to his death. But no one expected that this would set off a butterfly effect, changing the fates of many people. Reborn in this life, he stops his father from jumping and retraces the path he took before. Those who belong in heaven will go to heaven, a 417Reads7.4Score10114d adds
- 179 A Big-Mouthed Official 碎嘴子当官 No ridiculous drama, no infighting, no schemes, no framing others. Relaxing and stress-free from start to finish, with down-to-earth dialogue and laughs in every chapter. The only highly irreverent yet exceptionally realistic and hilarious light political comedy on the whole internet. Written by Lao Mudao. 5.7kReads7.1Score63214d adds
- 180 I'm Just an Ordinary Guy. Do I Really Have to Get Promoted This Fast? 我就一俗人，不要升职那么快吗 (Contemporary, urban, political drama, no rebirth, multiple heroines.) This novel is simply a dramatized take on the everyday affairs of political life. If you see yourself in it, please don’t take it personally. Let me make this clear first: the political story is entirely fictional. This is urban life, so don’t read too much into it. Please be kind. Thank you. 108Reads6.3Score10514d adds
- 181 Surveying the Eight Directions from the Officialdom 官途观四海八荒 By 2018, Wang Chenyu had become the richest Chinese person in the world. When a global financial crisis swept through the markets, one bad call sent him into a downward spiral. Then his business partners swindled him, and he was forced to jump from a building to protect his wife and children at home...! As he hit the ground from the top floor of his company headquarters, his head split open and time and space went haywire. He returned to the days before he went into business, when he was serving 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 182 Climbing the Ladder: I Really Want to Get Ahead 步步高升：我真是太想进步了 Gao Sheng majored in Chinese Language and Literature. In college, he was a class officer, presented a polished image, earned excellent grades, and joined the Communist Party. During the 2010 graduation season, he landed a job at Bingzhou Industrial Investment Group, a state-owned enterprise under the provincial capital in his hometown. Coming from a rural background, he thought that joining a state-owned enterprise would let him put his outstanding abilities to use and build a brilliant future. 131Reads—Score—14d adds
- 183 Book 3 by Yu Bi Shutong 于彼疏桐的第3本书 My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy it. Your support is what keeps me writing, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 184 The Eighth Book by Yan Hai Qiong Tu 沿海穷途的第8本书 My new work is out! You can 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! 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 185 The Ups and Downs of the Official Road 官道起伏 When money, power, beautiful women, darkness, and light become intertwined, when Liu Fusheng is brought back to life by a spring dream, and steps once more into the familiar world of officialdom, will he be able to break free from the invisible web woven around him and embrace a different fate? Welcome to this urban political novel. This is a different kind of rise and fall in the world of officialdom, pure and classic, taking you on a different journey through political life. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 186 From the Countryside to the Seat of Power 从乡野到中枢 A college graduate serving as a village official steadily rises through the ranks... a true incorruptible official. He takes on corrupt officials in a battle of wits, moving from the countryside to the township, then from the township to the county seat. Each time, his outstanding record earns him another promotion. 100Reads—Score—14d adds
- 187 Officialdom: From a Small Town to the Pinnacle of Power 官场：从小镇走上权力巅峰 Overnight, everything changed. Like a dragon trapped in a shallow stream, Tang Peng saw his bleak world brighten after a mysterious stranger called him. Watch how he rises from a low-level civil servant to the pinnacle of power! 118Reads9.1Score11814d adds
- 188 Just Dumped, I Turn Around and Pass the Civil Service Exam to Work in Her Hometown 刚被分手，转身选调上岸去她老家 A new work is out! You can read my stories on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy them. Your support is what keeps me writing, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 16.3kReads7.7Score1.4k14d adds
- 189 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—14d adds
- 190 Still Waters Run Deep 静水流深 Can money really fall from the sky? Almost everyone says no. Li Wentao, a deputy director at the municipal government office with no connections or powerful backers, had given up hope of getting anywhere in his career. Then, unexpectedly, a windfall really did fall into his lap: he was appointed director of the municipal government office. By Li Wentao's own reckoning, it was a pretty minor post. But as soon as he took office, he was sidelined. His appointment was merely a compromise in a power 14.4kReads9.3Score1.8k14d adds
- 191 Officialdom: A Smooth Rise to Success 官场：平步青云 After his superior suddenly dies and his wife betrays him, Ji Ping'an angrily divorces her and drinks himself silly at a bar, only to be dragged off by a big shot's daughter to put out a fire. Should he help or not? That is the question. When life hits rock bottom, the only way is up... 4.4kReads8.7Score45514d adds
- 192 Climbing the Ladder to Success 拾级而上青云 Blow after blow in his previous life left Ye Zifeng trapped in years of self-doubt. He drifted through decades of mediocrity in a grassroots post. Just as he was about to retire, he fell gravely ill and had little time left to live. On the brink of death, Ye Zifeng was unexpectedly reborn, returning to the eve of his college graduation. In this life, watch him break free from his predicament, seize his chance, enter government with confidence, and climb step by step toward the top. 530Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 193 From the Start, I Took the Blame, Then Climbed to the Top 开局背黑锅，我步步登青云 Crisis is opportunity. Seize it, and you can rise to the top. Facing the desperate predicament of being made a scapegoat, Zhao Guodong throws himself into the game, takes aim at entrenched corruption, and pushes his way toward the center of power, plunging into the eye of the storm of political infighting. 64Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 194 After the Breakup, I Became the Ideal Man of Every Glamorous Woman in Town 分手后，我成为全城艳女的男神 At thirty, his career has hit a dead end, and his marriage is on the verge of collapse! Who would have thought that one dangerous encounter would bring him into the company of a powerful man's woman, setting off a series of thrilling struggles for power... Watch as Lin Bo turns his luck around, rises from the depths of despair, climbs steadily to success, avenges himself, and sweeps through the city. He'll become the number one rising star whom everyone curries favor with, marry a beautiful, wea 339Reads—Score—14d adds
- 195 The Number One Rising Star 头号红人 Ye Xingsheng is widely recognized at the office as a model worker. He works diligently and delivers outstanding results, yet never earns his leaders' favor. When the company builds subsidized housing, Ye Xingsheng visits a leader bearing gifts, hoping to secure an apartment. Unexpectedly, that gift changes his fate forever… 5.6kReads8.1Score52814d adds
- 196 Storm in the Officialdom 官场风暴 At eight years old, is he like the sun at eight or nine in the morning? Yet Su Xing pleads, “Mom, I don’t want to die.” But illness becomes the heaviest straw to break a mother and her son. As lowly as ants, simply staying alive is a luxury. Life is too bitter. It is not worth it. Mother and son leap from a cliff. In that moment, is it the despair of life, or release from it? Who can say? Is it really so hard just to live? If you are as lowly as an ant, are you not allowed to have ambitions? See 23Reads—Score—14d adds
- 197 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… 1.2kReads8.5Score16014d adds
- 198 With the Backing Stone’s Power, Who Could Stop Me in Officialdom? 靠山石附体，官场横行我怕谁？ I’m not reborn, but I have a magical backer stone to guide me and reveal what’s to come. I may not be reborn, but I might as well be! Starting as a township clerk, I fight my way through the political arena, rise steadily through the ranks, and crush my rivals, becoming a fierce anti-corruption champion of the new era! (P.S. Apart from the golden finger, this is a traditional political novel with a realistic storyline, but it’s also a wish-fulfillment story. The author is a veteran of political 726Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 199 The Knockout: The Pinnacle of Power 狂飙之权力巅峰 Wang Tai is reborn at the point when he has just transferred to the municipal government, where he works as a driver for the leadership team. In his previous life, he missed his chances and spent his days accomplishing nothing. His girlfriend ruined his opportunity, then deliberately picked a fight with him half a month later and got together with a low-ranking official. Wang Tai lost both his money and his girl. Reborn, he decides he won’t indulge his girlfriend anymore. They’re breaking up. Ab 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 200 Twenty Years in the Political Arena 官场二十年 The ordinary experiences of an ordinary young man in officialdom. There is no expert to guide him and no benefactor to help him, only the authenticity of the little things he has experienced, the loneliness that follows the bustle, and the uncertainty of knowing he still has to keep moving forward. Xiao Heli in this story perseveres, and luck is on his side. He seems to have achieved a little success and looks impressive on the surface, but inside he is in pain. He cannot tell whether the road h 126Reads6.4Score—14d adds
