Novels like From Odd Jobs to the Top of a Small Town
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as From Odd Jobs to the Top of a Small Town, best match first.
- 1 Battle of the Heart 心争 Just before graduating, university student Cui Dongshan gets dumped by his girlfriend. His parents have already arranged a better career path for him, but he no longer has any desire to compete for one. Going against his family’s wishes, he becomes a village official in Yaxi Village. As he learns from life in the countryside, he also meets Li Xi. He wants to do practical work with both feet on the ground and climb the ranks one step at a time. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 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 342Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Self-Cultivation of a Minor Bureaucrat 小官僚的自我修养 What exactly is the system in China? It seeps into every aspect of society and people's hearts, reaching every corner. It is ever-present, like a shadow. This book is a guide to surviving within the system, and can also serve as a case study to learn from. With penetrating thought, firsthand insight, and delicate prose, the author recreates the true story of an ordinary man growing into a minor bureaucrat. The petty rivalries, wine, women, wealth, and power of local officialdom; the humiliation 494Reads8.7Score11814d adds
- 4 My Wild Life 我的狂野人生 Just how wild and crazy can it get when you're trying to make your way in the world? When Zhou Yang, frustrated in his political career, catches his fiancée and his rival working together behind his back, he finally reaches his breaking point! But then he gets drunk by accident and meets the general manager's woman, setting off a series of breathtaking clashes... Watch as he turns his fortunes around, triumphs against all odds, rises to the top, gets his revenge, and sweeps across the city, beco 88Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 5 Reborn in 1988: A Small-Town Cadre's Defiance of Fate 重生1988小镇干部的逆天改命 In his previous life, Lin Chen’s life plunged into darkness after he was framed. Reborn, he faces the impoverished countryside and undercurrents of officialdom once more. Watch him use his past-life experience to navigate policy and people’s hearts; See how he rises from a suppressed newcomer at the grassroots level to a ruthless force stirring the tide of reform, forging a path to wealth and success in officialdom in the 1980s! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Officialdom: Power in Interwoven Hands 官场：权利交织 Shang Quancai never expected that simply bragging would let two women turn the tables on him. He didn't want to lose face in front of them, so if he bragged to the point where nobody could prove him wrong, then it wouldn't count as bragging, right? Wasn't there a saying in official circles that nothing is impossible, only people who can't get things done? Besides, once you've taken a dump, can you really sit back down in it? 219Reads6.1Score10814d adds
- 7 The Day We Broke Up, My Life of Power and Desire Went into Overdrive 分手当天，我的权色人生狂飙了 [Urban workplace + thrilling legend + romantic fireworks + intensely satisfying realism] An unexpected demotion: could it be that power, sex, and ambition are stirring beneath the surface? At thirty, Zhao Yi is being pushed around by his beautiful boss, dumped arrogantly by his fiancée, and shamelessly provoked by his romantic rival. It’s all almost too much to bear! Just when he seems destined to hit rock bottom, he unexpectedly inherits an extraordinary cultivation technique! From then on, his 466Reads6.4Score4714d adds
- 8 A Working Man’s Business Empire 打工仔的商业帝国 Gu Fan, a poor young migrant worker born in a remote mountain village, suddenly receives word that his only family, his gravely ill mother, is dying. But he has no money at all. His meager wages have been withheld by his boss, and when he asks for his pay, he is met with humiliation instead. Huddled in a cramped, rundown rental room, hungry and cold, Gu Fan drifts into a dream. An old man in white brings him the money needed to save his mother and installs a supernatural device in his mind, inst 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 A Modern-Era People’s Official 当代民吏 This is a modern novel about an ordinary person navigating a career in government. It does feature a “System,” but it isn’t a wish-fulfillment fantasy. It’s more like a guidebook to working within the system, with the “System” serving only as a voice-over that explains things. For ordinary readers, it offers a look at how people work and live within the system. For those already working within it, it offers a deeper understanding of how to conduct yourself and get things done. WTF? He gets hit b 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 The Cold and Warmth of the Halls of Power 官场冷暖 Zhang Ming is an ordinary grassroots civil servant. Navigating the gap between personal relationships and the rules, he climbs step by step to the pinnacle of power. This is a story of political maneuvering, difficult choices, and personal redemption. The protagonist, Zhang Ming, starts out as a low-ranking township clerk. After demonstrating extraordinary courage and ability during an unexpected incident, he catches the attention of his superiors. In the treacherous world of officialdom, he 25Reads6.8Score10014d adds
- 11 Reborn in the Political Arena: Turning the Tide 重生官场：扭转乾坤 My latest 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! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 I Want to Be Wild 我欲狂野 How wild and explosive can a man's transformation through power and desire really be? He was once a promising young official. At thirty, he found himself trapped in the purgatory of officialdom and business. Stripped of his position and betrayed by both his beautiful wife and his best friend, he thought he was doomed to become a disposable pawn. But then, by chance, he met the most stunning beauty in the entire city, setting off one breathtaking battle after another over power and desire... From 497Reads6.2Score10014d adds
- 13 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! 17.5kReads7.7Score1.5k14d adds
- 14 The Number One Figure 一号人物 The road to promotion winds through eighteen twists and bends, and every turn conceals a mystery. The Number One Figure is the first novel in Tang Datian’s “Leaders” trilogy. It marks a different approach to fiction for the author, as well as a new experiment. Who is the number one figure? How do they control the big picture? How do they master the situation? A career-defining work by renowned political fiction author Tang Datian, it combines political intrigue, suspense, and detective fiction, 1.8kReads9.4Score31314d adds
- 15 A Sinful Romance in the Halls of Power 宦海孽缘 Lin Yuan graduated from a prestigious university specializing in political science and law, full of ambition and ready to join the city government. But his blunt nature got him on the wrong side of petty people, and he was assigned to a peripheral post, where he stayed for three years. Then a project in the south of the city ran into trouble. Drawing on his remarkable memory, sharp judgment, and solid professional expertise, he began with a property rights dispute and gradually untangled the pro 997Reads7.5Score10814d adds
- 16 Officialdom: Reborn to Reach the Pinnacle of Power 官场：重生问鼎权力巅峰 Who will rise above the struggle for power in government, and how can one climb the ladder of power? Trial after trial of human nature, one secret contest after another: who will make it to the end and break through the crowd? A nobody is reborn. A newcomer who has never set foot in government: what kind of storm will they stir up? 725Reads7.4Score11014d adds
- 17 The Wind Rises: The Deer Call 大风起兮：呦呦鹿鸣 The Scales Tip Left, the People Turn Right Also known as "The Political Arena: Don't Mess with the Village Secretary" Ordered to take up a village post at his engagement banquet, he plans to build roads and help the villagers escape poverty, only to get caught up in the undercurrents of the political arena. He dares to talk back to leaders, take on the well-connected, and tackle the toughest challenges. Decisive and ruthless, he rises from a lowly village secretary to the very heart of power. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Reborn: Notes from the New Officialdom 重生之新官场笔记 A friendly warning: readers who like mindless power fantasies can move along. You won't be able to get through this book! The officialdom has never been a place where you can charge in on sheer passion, and power is no game of settling scores on a whim. Authority and high office are never won through sheer courage alone. Only by knowing how to weigh your options can you hold fast to the limits of when to advance and when to retreat. 1kReads8.1Score10814d adds
- 19 The Pinnacle of Power: A Rising Career in Government 权利巅峰：官场之青云仕途 One day, he was implicated in a scandal and demoted from the county committee to a remote border town. Former colleagues turned a cold shoulder, his girlfriend abandoned him, and his future was in ruins. No one knew that, at the lowest point of his life, he would meet a blue-robed old Taoist in the streets and receive guidance from a master. From then on, he would break deadlocks with strategy and navigate the political arena with intelligence, using his deep cunning and far-reaching vision to 13.3kReads7.6Score1.1k14d adds
- 20 Winds Rise Over Jiangxia 风起江夏 Tang Xiaofei and Zhang Quanlong are entrusted with a mission in a time of crisis. Working together in earnest, they face risks without flinching, firmly follow a practical, truth-seeking mass line, and lead their team in forging a path to rural revitalization. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 Notes on Rising Through the Official Ranks (10 Books) 官场一路升迁笔记（全10册） This collection brings together Wang Wanyu’s disciplinary inspection and investigation stories, revealing one behind-the-scenes tale after another. The author once worked for the Zhejiang Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. A veteran disciplinary official, he took part in national anti-corruption task forces and knows the inside story behind numerous cases. His first-hand experience on the front lines of the anti-corruption campaign makes his fiction more compelling and realistic. S 3.1kReads9.5Score38814d adds
- 22 White Mountains, Black Waters 白山黑水 In a small forestry town in Northeast China, an ordinary vocational high school graduate steps into society. He starts out as a forest ranger, seizes an opportunity to transfer to a government office, and enters public service. By a stroke of luck, he gets involved in the seedling trade and becomes a profit-driven plant dealer, earning his first fortune. Gradually, he realizes that getting further in life requires the backing of power. So he earns money while cultivating his political career. A 130Reads8.8Score11914d adds
- 23 Mei Cheng Ji Shi's 16th Book 玫城纪事第16本书 Anping Town has ranked last in the county for three years running, and the Jinchang County Committee has run out of patience. An order transfers both the town’s top officials to deputy positions in county departments and appoints Fang Zhiping as a Party Committee member and secretary in Anping Town. There, Fang Zhiping embarks on a rough road: fighting evil, rallying the people, finding a way forward, laying a solid foundation, and developing industry. There are achievements and shortcomings, mi 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 A Promising Career: The Village Doctor's Meteoric Rise in Politics 官运：小村医的妖孽仕途 [Political career + No rebirth + Medical skills] A single needle and prescription can save lives, and also help you navigate the political world and rise to prominence. After making a house call in the middle of the night, village doctor Yang Xiaochuan stumbled into an opportunity to enter public service. With his outstanding medical skills and his commitment to serving the people, he writes a brilliant chapter in the worlds of medicine and politics! 9.6kReads8.1Score94014d adds
- 25 Tides of Officialdom (Officialdom's Ups and Downs) 宦海之浮沉（宦海官途） After dating for two years, his girlfriend eventually married someone else. His honest, unassuming father was suddenly taken away by the procuratorate. Just as Xu Guohua was at his wit’s end, another blow awaited him: a notice of suspension… 9.1kReads8.8Score1k14d adds
- 26 The Scepter of the Workplace 职场权杖 This story follows Wang Hao, a witty, humorous little bureaucrat with big ambitions, as he climbs the workplace ladder. With the wholehearted help of Liu Yun and Shangguan Wei, along with his own fearless determination, he advances smoothly through officialdom, earning promotion after promotion and skipping ranks along the way. He puts serving the majority first and opposes officials who shirk their duties, but in the end, he cannot overcome bureaucracy and the system. He gives up his career in 6.9kReads9.2Score69314d adds
- 27 The Path of an Upright Official 正道官途 “Ten days without going out, a year without going out, … a lifetime without going out.” The jianghu is full of deep affection! To honor a promise and repay a debt of gratitude, Xiang Nanshun unexpectedly steps into a tangled predicament. Rising from the grassroots to become mired in a whirlpool of power and desire, he thinks he will spend his life trapped in backroom dealings, yet he always holds to three principles: never betray his original commitment to the right path, never conceal even a fr 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 A Bright Political Future 官运亨通 At 28, Lin Yun Feng had a limitless future ahead of him. After the Jin Hai Bridge, which fell under his jurisdiction, suddenly collapsed, Lin Yun Feng went from a rising political star to being cast aside. His beautiful wife cheated on him. Disheartened, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol, only to stumble upon a secret... 2kReads8.8Score22814d adds
- 29 The Road Through Officialdom 宦路 The character for “official” has two mouths: if they say you're capable, then you're capable; if they say you're not, then you're not! The political arena is full of deceit and scheming, and one wrong step can leave you shattered. Zhou Yang knows this all too well. With no powerful backers, no connections, and no money, how can he survive? He has no choice but to keep going. He works hard and fights on, rising step by step to a position of power... 8.3kReads9.0Score84814d adds
- 30 Part One 局部一 The protagonist, Hu Weimin, navigates the ups and downs of officialdom while staying clearheaded, resisting all kinds of temptation, and holding fast to his principles. The everyday settings make the characters feel as if they’re right there beside you, perhaps even people just like yourself. 1.1kReads6.8Score10314d adds
- 31 On the Road to the Azure Clouds: Turmoil in the Officialdom 青云在路上之官路风云 Though no one has yet bestowed the Book of Huangshi upon him, he remains steadfast and strives to rise among the clouds. Life is a series of encounters along the road to growth, and every meeting must be treated with care. Ling Chen graduated with a degree in journalism from the Chinese Department. When he took the civil service interview, a close friend from university sabotaged him, causing him to fail. To pay for his cancer-stricken father's treatment, he gave up on graduate school and findin 71Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Reborn, I Rise to the Clouds as a Selected Cadre 重生后我以选调生身份平步青云 Liu Huaimin, a fifty-eight-year-old grassroots public servant, spent twenty-seven years in his post before reaching the end of his life with a heart full of regret. In his previous life, an unjust case tied to an engineering project brought tremendous hardship upon his family. His loved ones suffered one misfortune after another, leaving him with a lifelong burden he could never put aside. As he lay dying, he opened his eyes once more, only to find himself back in the dormitory at Beichen Univer 553Reads—Score10314d adds
- 33 The Pinnacle of Power: After Breaking Up with My Girlfriend, I Soared to Success 权势巅峰：和女朋友分手后扶摇直上 Betrayed by his girlfriend, with his patron's career hanging by a thread, Lu Xiaoyang, a secretary in the municipal government, suffered a double blow to his love life and political career. Disillusioned, he planned to leave politics for good. But the arrival of one woman completely changed his fate, helping him soar up the political ladder and reach the top of the provincial government compound. 642Reads—Score11014d adds
- 34 The Hidden Official 官藏 A hundred thousand wildflowers, like a dream; one heart as pure as ice in a jade flask. How will Ye Sansheng soar through the clouds, ride the wind and waves, and become the brother who cuts through every obstacle? 2.3kReads9.0Score26614d adds
- 35 The Pinnacle of Power: It All Began When I Woke Up in the County Magistrate's Home 权力巅峰：从县长家醒来开始 [Everyday Political Life + Secretary + Career Building + Political Infighting + One Female Lead + Slow Burn + Not Reborn + No System + Lighthearted Style] Liu Feng had always kept his family background hidden. But after a breakup and some bold words at graduation, he unexpectedly became the county magistrate's liaison in Xifeng County. Little did he know, this would be the beginning of his rise straight to the pinnacle of power. What does it mean for human nature to be treacherous? What is the t 170Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 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... 13.1kReads8.0Score1.5k14d adds
- 37 The Doctor Holds the Power 医权在握 Carrying out his dying grandfather's last wish, Li Yi sets out to uncover the background of his mother, who died long ago. Using medicine as his path into the officialdom and upholding the principle that great physicians heal the nation, he becomes a great healer to the people amid the political world. 15.7kReads8.9Score36614d adds
- 38 The True Face of Officialdom 官场本色 A new political drama is here! Welcome, everyone. I hope you enjoy my work. Your support is what keeps me writing, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 350Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Investigated from the Start! Reborn, I'm Turning the Tables in Politics! 开局被查！重生我要逆袭官场！ The little girl who used to follow her around, calling her “Sis” again and again, is now a powerful figure in her own right! How quickly time flies. Officialdom is like a chess game: one careless move can cost you everything. Officialdom is like a battlefield: there may be no clash of blades, but danger lurks around every corner. Cheng Mo is caught between power and emotion! He moves carefully, step by step, straight toward the top. That is officialdom: a war without smoke, and a journey of self 296Reads—Score11214d adds
- 40 Unparalleled Excellence 出色无边 Modern urban life... Multiple heroines... Workplace... A rise through the ranks... A feel-good story. Shen Qinglin, a low-ranking clerk in the Health Bureau's office, climbs step by step to the pinnacle of life with beautiful women at his side... and builds a bright future... 2.4kReads8.6Score21814d adds
- 41 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 62Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 Justice of Heaven’s Way 天道正义 The Way of Heaven and Justice trilogy is a political-philosophical epic that probes the nature of power. Through the trials of grassroots official Chu Feng, it embarks on a profound search for the “Way of Heaven” and reflects the sweeping changes in China's officialdom. Is there a higher justice beyond the rules? In A Gentle Breeze, characters find a way through the mire of a society governed by personal connections, exploring the balance of the Way of Heaven between “law” and “human feeling.” I 49Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 43 A Career Blessed by Fortune: A County Magistrate's Rise to Power 官运滔天：知县逆袭，权倾朝野 [Not a power fantasy! A complex tale of court intrigue and political struggle, grounded in historical research!] Li Shu, a modern-day civil service exam candidate who failed to pass, unexpectedly transmigrates to the first year of the Qianlong reign and becomes a newly appointed jinshi. Starting out as a poor county magistrate in Hengyang, he investigates the shortfall in the ever-normal granaries, exposes the dark secrets of the grain transport trade, and takes on salt smugglers in league with 34Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 A Junior Civil Servant in the County Government 县直单位的小公务员 My new work is out! You're welcome to read it 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! 77Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 The Ridgeline 山脊线 [How cruel is society? Look at how battered I am! How strong am I? Watch me rise smoothly through the ranks!] The grassroots front line is a crucible that refines the strong, a gilded stage for the average, and a sinkhole that eats away at the weak. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 Crowned by the Way of Letters: A Sage from Humble Beginnings Subdues the Heavens 文道冠冕：寒门至圣镇诸天 This is a world of literary cultivation, where poetry can slay enemies and essays can bring peace to the realm. The Holy Academy controls the ranks of literary scholars; ten kingdoms vie for power, the barbarians threaten the borders, and the demon race runs rampant. With no new Sage in a hundred years, the way of literature has fallen silent. Su Mo, an orphan from a poor family, unexpectedly binds himself to the Literary Inheritance System and unlocks the poems and timeless essays passed down t 42Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 The Commoner Chief Councillor 布衣首辅 Liu Zhengyu, a graduate of Pingxi University's economics department, steps out into the world and begins an eventful journey through life. 13.6kReads8.8Score1.8k14d adds
- 48 Secretary Chen's Notebook 陈秘书笔记 The extraordinary life of a secretary. Chen, a highly capable secretary, watches his bright future vanish in an instant. Cautious and deferential around the powerful, he keeps a low profile among his colleagues, and through his own distinctive way of handling people, gradually achieves his goals in life. His notebook is a lament for a life. 1.1kReads—Score12214d adds
- 49 A Pen That Shapes the Nation: From Township to Provincial Government 笔定山河：从乡镇到省府 Lin Chen, a talented student from a poor family in southern Hunan, brings his gift for writing to a remote township in the north and begins his career as a grassroots civil servant. The confusion of living in a strange place and the infighting at work never dim his original ideals. With his solid writing skills and practical sense of responsibility, he distinguishes himself through challenges such as flood relief and rural revitalization, earning the support of benefactors like Zhao Deshan and L 35Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 Spread Spring Breezes for Ten Thousand Miles, Walk the Path to the Azure Clouds 施万里春风，步青云之志 The greatest hero fights for his country and its people; the greatest doctor heals the nation and saves its people. Zhang Yi is a young prodigy who has studied medicine and martial arts since childhood. A star student at Yanda University, he starts a business with his classmates and amasses assets worth hundreds of billions. After graduating, he enters officialdom. With powerful connections and extraordinary abilities, he sweeps through the political arena using the way of the chivalrous healer, 37.5kReads8.4Score5.5k14d adds
