Novels like Those Years I Spent Running with the Wrong Crowd
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Those Years I Spent Running with the Wrong Crowd, best match first.
- 51 Day One of College: I Start Running with the Underworld! 大学第一天，从混黑道开始！ A powerful underworld boss is reborn as a college student. With the System’s help, he rises once more to the pinnacle of the underworld. [Feel-Good Revenge + Urban + Underworld + Boss + School] Starting out as a college student, the male lead Lin Ao works his way to the top of the underworld, dominating both the criminal and legitimate worlds. He has powerful backing and influence that reaches everywhere. Dear readers, please be patient as you read. The story starts off ordinary, but the excitin 898Reads6.9Score102Shelves
- 52 Thirty Years in the Jianghu (Seven-Volume Set) 江湖三十年（全七册） Dai Gou spent his life roaming the martial world. Over several decades, he witnessed all kinds of scams and cons. In his later years, he gave up that life and revealed its tricks and rules to the world, hoping to keep future generations from being swindled. These scams include human trafficking, fortune-telling, artificially aging antiques, theft, card sharping, beggar gangs, cheating at games, confidence schemes, and honey traps... After decades of hard knocks, Dai Gou finally became the boss o 4.3kReads9.6Score727Shelves
- 53 Underworld Saga: My Big Sister in the Capital 黑道风云：我的京城姐姐 [Not for Young Readers] [Hot-Blooded Underworld] [Brutal Underworld Battles] [The Many Faces of Officialdom] [Face-Slapping Comeback] [Clever, Satisfying Read] He began cultivating at nine and went to prison at thirteen. In jail, Chu He mastered an arsenal of extraordinary skills. With nowhere to turn after his release, he headed for the capital and entered the underworld, winning the support of the capital's most captivating women. With ruthless methods, Chu He outmaneuvered every faction. Sta 4.6kReads7.9Score515Shelves
- 54 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 19.6kReads9.3Score2kShelves
- 55 Tales of a Con Artist 老千故事 Su Qing challenges the legendary gambler Mei Luo, hoping to avoid falling into someone else's trap. But her actions lead to her father's tragic death, and Su Qing herself is left in grave danger. After repeatedly risking her life, she sees the good and evil, and the injustices, in the world. To survive and avenge her father, Su Qing pushes herself to the limit again and again, ultimately escaping death by a hair. 146Reads—Score—Shelves
- 56 Making Money on the Side! 捞偏门！ [After graduating from college, I went from a shady fortune-teller to a political fixer] This book pulls back the curtain on political fixers, giving you an in-depth look at the scams hidden from view in both the underworld and the corridors of power. “Do you think officials are all fools? They know I’m a con artist. They just happen to need a con artist like me to do things for them.” 10.3kReads8.9Score1.6kShelves
- 57 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. 30.7kReads9.1Score2.6kShelves
- 58 The Storms of Beicheng 北城风云 Synopsis: (This story is entirely fictional. Its original title was Northern City’s Turmoil.) What is the jianghu? Wherever there are people, there is a jianghu, and wherever there is a jianghu, there is conflict! The jianghu is about fighting, killing, and the law of the jungle, but it’s also about human relationships and social conventions. This book will take you back to the jianghu of the 1980s and 1990s, where you’ll witness the extraordinary path of Chen Yanan, a generation’s ruthless hero 12.7kReads9.4Score1.1kShelves
- 59 Iron Cavalry in a Chaotic World 乱世铁骑 A nation's decline is never caused by foreign peoples; chaos in the court is the true root of a country's troubles. A top special forces soldier from Huaxia dies in a foreign land, only to transmigrate to another world and become the sixth prince of the Great Wu Empire. Yet this illustrious identity makes him the laughingstock of the entire Great Wu dynasty, mocked and ridiculed by all. 10.5kReads8.6Score965Shelves
- 60 Five Years of Cultivation in a Cave, Now I'm Invincible 山洞修仙五年，下山已无敌 Urban cultivation + immortal cultivation + genius + invincible + face-slapping + satisfying power fantasy Li Kai is barely over a year old. After wicked men murder both his parents, he is left an orphan, shivering in a cold and merciless world. But the wheels of fate quietly begin to turn. An old cultivator wandering the world discovers Li Kai on the verge of death. After carrying him to a secluded cave, the old man is shocked to find that the child possesses a “Heavenly Spirit Root,” a gift u 11.2kReads8.4Score987Shelves
- 61 The Butcher Who Walked Out of Prison 从监狱中走出的人屠 Being part of the underworld isn’t about fighting and killing. It’s about dealing with people. Su Bai had no connections, no powerful backers, and had just spent ten years in prison. After his release, he was penniless, so his older brother found him a job as a computer lab attendant. Watch him turn his life around and make his way in both the underworld and the legitimate world. In the underworld, he’s a big shot with people ready to answer his call. In the legitimate world, he has powerful fri 28.1kReads8.4Score2.3kShelves
- 62 Setting the Trap 做局 A mastermind uses the martial world as a game board and people as pawns. Those drawn into the game are at their mercy. My grandfather was a Feng Shui master and a master schemer, yet he died after a charlatan set him up. My father was killed, my mother took her own life after being humiliated, and I ended up in prison. To avenge my family, I joined the Golden Sect and became a charlatan myself, rising to become a master strategist. I’ve set countless schemes in my life. Living schemes and deadly 16.9kReads9.1Score1.8kShelves
- 63 The Gangster Tycoon Who Rose from the Hutongs 胡同里杀出来的流氓大亨 Previously published under the titles Dragon City Years and Thirty Years in a Bloodstained Underworld. This is a lawless age where every corner is ruled by a big shot. This is the story of a naive young man who turns into a bloodthirsty beast just to survive. This is an underworld tale full of thrills and passion! Welcome to the 1980s… 40.4kReads9.2Score3.8kShelves
- 64 Yellow Springs General Store 黄泉杂货铺 At the end of a street on a quiet, late-night evening stands a grocery shop with old-fashioned decor. Getting something for nothing is simple: just agree to do a ghost a favor, and it'll make it happen. 14.5kReads8.8Score1.5kShelves
- 65 The Poisonous Strategist of the Three Kingdoms: Li Ru Seizes Power 三国毒士：李儒夺权 After transmigrating to the late Han dynasty, Li Ru becomes the most underestimated schemer under Dong Zhuo. When the eighteen warlords unite to campaign against Dong Zhuo and his faction is beset by troubles both within and without, everyone believes Li Ru is merely a sinister adviser clinging to Dong Zhuo. What they don't know is that Li Ru has long memorized The Art of War and The Thirty-Six Stratagems, and is secretly plotting with the advantage of a thousand years of historical knowledge. F 6Reads—Score—Shelves
- 66 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] 16kReads8.9Score1.4kShelves
- 67 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 31.7kReads9.4Score3.1kShelves
- 68 Zeng Guofan: A Distinguished Statesman Who Revived the Late Qing 曾国藩：晚清中兴名臣 Written in an accessible style, this book recounts the remarkable life of Zeng Guofan, the foremost statesman of the late Qing revival. It begins with a baby's cries in a farming household in Xiangxiang in 1811, then follows his grueling path through the imperial examinations. He fails four times but keeps studying until, at twenty-seven, he finally enters the Hanlin Academy. As a capital official, he adheres to the principles of self-cultivation and holds fast to his convictions amid court intr 8.5kReads7.9Score371Shelves
- 69 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 2.2kReads6.9Score103Shelves
- 70 The Crooked Path 走偏门 [Adapted into the short dramas Fishing in the Shadows, Taking the Crooked Path, and The Mastermind; and the animated dramas Fishing in the Shadows: Drifting North, A Crooked Road to Comeback, A Thousand Faces in the Underworld, and Tales of a Shady Deal. Check them out if you’re interested.] What is the crooked path? Those who walk it seek a way to survive for themselves and plot certain doom for others. Once you step onto this path, it stretches as deep as the sea. You’ll roam far and wide, mix 23.5kReads9.1Score3.6kShelves
- 71 Three Kingdoms: Reborn as a Yellow Turban, I Kill Liu Bei from the Start 三国：重生黄巾，我开局杀了刘备 [Transmigration] + [No System] + [Power Struggles] + [Farming] + [Harem] + [Powerful Official] + [Overthrowing the Han] [Based on official history, not Romance of the Three Kingdoms.] Zhang Xin transmigrated to the end of the Han Dynasty and became a Yellow Turban rebel. He had planned to pack up and run, then pass his days following the script of history. Instead, he was forced to become commander of the last Yellow Turban army. From then on, a great warlord emerged from nowhere. He crushed the 68.2kReads8.7Score6.5kShelves
- 72 Stock Market God: Turning 50,000 into Enlightenment 股神：5万本金悟道 At thirty, Li Chenggang should have been settling down. But after a divorce crisis, he was also fired from his company for trading stocks during work hours. After taking a double blow to his love life and his livelihood, Li Chenggang decided to go all in. He made a decision that looked crazy to everyone else: he would trade stocks full-time! With his entire life savings of 50,000 yuan, he plunged into the stock market and began a legendary career. 61.8kReads9.2Score6kShelves
- 73 I’m Just a Delivery Guy, So How Did I Become the Savior of the World? 我只是送外卖的，怎么就成了救世主 I’m Just a Delivery Driver, So How Did I Become Humanity’s Savior? 26Reads—Score—Shelves
- 74 The True Heiress Returns with Her Metaphysical Powers, and Her Wealthy Family Begs Her to Stop Setting Up a Stall 玄学真千金归来，豪门全家跪求别摆摊 The Metaphysical True Heiress Returns, and Her Entire Wealthy Family Begs Her to Stop Setting Up a Fortune-Telling Stall 644Reads—Score—Shelves
- 75 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 42.2kReads9.1Score3.1kShelves
- 76 Reborn, I Deliberately Emptied My Storage Space 重生回来，我故意清空了空间 When I Was Reborn, I Deliberately Emptied My Storage Space 2.3kReads—Score—Shelves
- 77 In the Era of Forced Childbearing, I Received a Little Fox Cub 强制生育时代，我领到一只小狐崽 [One-on-one, both are each other's first and only, little fox cub, cross-species romance, Fox Lord, mutual protection, political intrigue among the demon clans, cool heroine, flirtatious tension] Liang Yi told Jiang He, "Let's break up. My parents can't accept that you're adopted." Jiang He didn't cling to him. She calmly let him go. But a policy announced by the civil affairs department left people no way to avoid it: Anyone who turned thirty without a child registered in their name would have 368Reads—Score125Shelves
- 78 After I Was Reborn, I Gave Up My Guaranteed Admission, and He Panicked 重生后我放弃保送，他慌了 After I Was Reborn, I Gave Up My Guaranteed Admission, and He Panicked 406Reads—Score—Shelves
- 79 The Golden Age of the Gangland: A Blood-Red Underworld 黑帮盛世：血色江湖 (Not a mindless power fantasy. Underworld, urban setting, no invincible hero, first person, tight logic, humorous writing. Read with caution if that’s not your thing!) A cursed, tragic fate. A life in the underworld that cannot be escaped. A band of brothers who stand together through life and death, and a dark life longing for redemption. You’ve never endured years of hardship, so of course you can’t understand the underworld in my heart. My story begins after I get out of prison in Ice Cit 108kReads9.3Score8.1kShelves
- 80 The Drifter's Road Home 混子的归途 With my brothers by my side and guns in our hands, let’s see who gets to call the shots in this underworld! I may stay out of the underworld, but once I step in, I’ll make every thug submit and every boss get out of my way. I’ll become the... king of this underworld! New book: Underworld Boss: Starting as a Veteran. Now serializing to great acclaim! 29.5kReads9.2Score2.2kShelves
- 81 Thunderous Crackdown on Black Crime in the Political Arena 官场之雷霆扫黑 The chessboard of power, every move calculated, every step taken on thin ice. No matter how cautious you are, you can never guard against everything. Li Yan, a community officer at a local police station, starts from the very bottom. He refuses to buckle under pressure and fears no powerful figures. With thunderous force, he uproots every criminal gang and underworld faction. Step by step, he rises to the pinnacle of power! 89.1kReads8.1Score6.7kShelves
- 82 The First Day After I Was Reborn, My Whole Family Wanted Me Dead 重生后第一天，全家想让我死 On the First Day After I Was Reborn, My Family Wanted Me Dead 125Reads—Score—Shelves
- 83 Wolves and Brothers 狼与兄弟 The wolf may look cold and ruthless, but beneath that exterior lies boundless tenderness. He is willing to sacrifice himself for his family and brothers! Just like Wang Ying, the protagonist, his heart isn't cold. It's the way he looks down on worldly conventions that makes him seem that way! Like a wolf king, he can become the heart of any team, leading his brothers through life-or-death trials, never abandoning them! From the awkwardness of college days to the hardships of entering the working 7.4kReads9.3Score490Shelves
- 84 Li Hongzhang: The Plasterer of the Qing Empire 李鸿章：大清帝国的裱糊匠 This is a sweeping historical portrait of Li Hongzhang's life, built around the metaphor of “learning to steer on a broken ship.” Beginning with a newborn's cries in the Li family home in Luzhou in 1823 and ending with his lonely final days at Xianliang Temple in 1901, the book follows the course of time to recreate the turbulent life of this high-ranking official of the late Qing. He was an ambitious scholar pursuing success in the imperial examinations, who honed his character under Zeng Guofa 3.4kReads7.9Score217Shelves
- 85 Crouching Tiger 卧虎 A hidden dragon rises from the depths and devours all things; a crouching tiger commands the mountains and guards a thousand frontiers! When I was little, the strange older girl next door always asked me to help wash her. When I got a little older, she taught me how to be a real man! Twenty years of flashing blades, eighteen years of changing seasons. The black throne may change hands, but true kingship belongs only to madmen who dare to dance with the devil! 14.6kReads7.7Score2.9kShelves
- 86 I Rule the Archives of Life and Death on the Other Shore 我在彼岸执掌生死档案 "Chen Mo, would you be willing to work for the Underworld?" "That lousy place? Not even a dog would go!" "A monthly salary of fifty thousand." "If even dogs won't go, then I'll go!" "Triple overtime pay, and if anything goes wrong on a mission, we'll make sure you get a good next life." "Big Brothers Hei and Bai Wuchang, you can count me as clocked in today." "Lord Yama, you're paying me so much, it's got me worried." 56Reads—Score—Shelves
- 87 My Years Catching Cheaters at Cards 我抓老千的那些年 In gambling, deception, conflict, and traps cost more than just money. They can take away time, family bonds, humanity, and all the beautiful things we mourn losing. 210Reads8.3Score—Shelves
- 88 Zuo Zongtang: The Late Qing Dynasty's Last Hawk 左宗棠：晚清最后的鹰派 At its heart, this book is about a practical-minded reformer amid the upheavals of the late Qing dynasty. Spanning the years from 1812 to 1885, it vividly portrays the extraordinary life of Zuo Zongtang, from a poor scholar in Xiangyin to a high-ranking provincial official. The book recounts his early studies of statecraft and his years of obscurity after failing the metropolitan examination three times. It also details his military career: raising the Chu Army to suppress the Taiping Rebellion 14.6kReads8.6Score817Shelves
- 89 My Dad's on the Straight and Narrow, I'm in the Underworld 白道爹，黑道我 [Not invincible! Not invincible! Not invincible!] The martial world is a road of no return, and its people are pawns that have crossed the river! Where will the drifting ship in this forbidden zone finally end up? Watch as this wandering youth stirs up a storm! Black side: I've got countless brothers! White side: My backing is powerful beyond belief! Money is just something you can't bring with you when you die! [Entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!] 100.3kReads9.0Score7.3kShelves
- 90 Rising Through the Official Ranks, Starting as a Secretary 官场从秘书开始 When hardship reaches its limit, good fortune follows. With a pure and earnest heart, Zhang Jun gets his lucky break and begins his career on the bench at an institute of traditional Chinese medicine. Skillfully navigating political maneuvering, officialdom, and human relationships, he wins allies at every turn and steadily rises through the ranks. 343.3kReads9.2Score16.9kShelves
- 91 The Day I Went to Prison: She Blazed a Trail Alone and Smashed My Shackles 入狱当天：她单枪铺路，为我砸镣 [Not Reborn]+ [No System]+ [One Female Lead] The last big sister of the underworld! The day I went to prison, she broke into the jail and smashed my shackles, clearing a path for me with a gun in hand! If the rest of my life is destined to be without light, at least in this moment, she is by my side! Some even call her the last big sister of Southeast Asia! Truth is, she was just forced to take charge in a crisis, with no other choice! Since we're already fugitives, then let's take our dark love 174Reads7.9Score—Shelves
- 92 Reborn, I Won’t Let Anyone Bully My Guard 重生后，谁都不能欺负我的侍卫 After Being Reborn, No One Can Bully My Guard 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 93 Ten Years Forgotten: CEO Lu Kneels and Begs Me to Donate My Liver 遗忘十年：陆总跪求我捐肝救命 Ten Years Forgotten: Mr. Lu Begs Me to Donate My Liver to Save His Life 56Reads—Score—Shelves
- 94 The Cat-Cat Star from Above 天降喵喵星 A Cat Star Falls from the Sky —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 95 Record of Raising an Otherworldly Supreme 异界至尊养成记录 In another world, with cards that blot out the sky, speak my true name and my magic knows no bounds. This is the story of a young man from Blue Star who transmigrates to another world, using summoning cards to earn money, raise a child, and stir up all kinds of trouble. 17Reads—Score—Shelves
- 96 The Gods Bow Low, While the Wind God Shines Alone 诸神折腰，风神独美 The Gods Bow, but the Wind God Stands Alone 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 97 When an Honest Man Picks Up a Knife 当老实人拿起刀 This is a straight-up crime-world novel! It does start with the protagonist being reborn, but after that, the story has nothing to do with being reborn! In short, the plot is ruthless, satisfying, and wild... The underworld here is all about fighting and killing, but also about human relationships and social rules! 22.1kReads9.1Score1.8kShelves
- 98 The Underworld's Turbulent Road 黑道风云江湖路 What is the Dao? It does not arise because of one person's goodness, nor perish because of one person's evil. Good and evil are determined by people; rise and fall are determined by fate. The people of the world think they are fighting for money, power, or pride. Only in the end do they understand that they were fighting for nothing but illusion. The Dao knows no black or white. All living beings are within the game. (Note: This book is extremely realistic and even somewhat oppressive. Re 136.5kReads9.2Score9.4kShelves
- 99 Black Desires of Youth 黑欲青春 (Not a wish-fulfillment story, and the hero isn't invincible. Enter at your own risk.) A youth stained with blood, vows made without regret, inexperienced love, sincere friendship, the cruelty of society, and the complexity of human nature. An unforgettable, turbulent era! A piece of underworld lore passed down to this day! A band of brothers who shared honor and disgrace, life and death! An unmatched era, with a flag-bearer standing at its peak! Laughing as we watch the tides of fortune, marchi 47.6kReads9.4Score4.2kShelves
- 100 Fortunes Rise in Macau, but the Road to Wealth Is a Little Rocky 风起澳门，暴富的道路有点坑 I was doing all right in the human world. Then, out of nowhere, I was dragged up to heaven, only to be kicked straight down into hell. Now I'm in hell, but my heart is in heaven. Going back to the human world is nothing but a distant dream... Gamblers want to win, but casinos don't want to lose either. In this vast world, people of every kind are busy, all scheming and calculating. A mountain is a mountain, and water is water. Then a mountain is no longer a mountain, and water is no longer water 6.8kReads8.9Score383Shelves
