Novels like A Song for the Underworld
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as A Song for the Underworld, best match first.
- 151 King in My Youth 年少称王 We were young then, and always imagined the future would be wonderful. As it turns out, other people’s stories are only a guide… 209Reads—Score—14d adds
- 152 The Southbound Geese of That Year 那年南雁 “My name is Lu Heng. Lu as in mainland, Heng as in wielding a blade on horseback.” After an honest, unassuming student suffers extreme humiliation, will he keep silent or stand up and fight back? Young people are, by nature, reckless, rebellious, wild, and full of anger, with little thought for the consequences of their actions. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 153 A New Era: The Female Lead Is Both Badass and Fabulous 新纪元：女主她又爽又飒 After a global geological cataclysm, most regions became wasteland. Born into an era of scarce supplies, tight food shortages, and social chaos, Lin Jin understood that to survive this dark world, where people would devour you without a second thought, she had to learn to be ruthless and to seize what she needed. She went from being a black-market trader outside the district to a police officer within the system, climbing step by step to heights that had never been meant for her... Even an ordin —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 154 The Ultimate Big Brother: Awakening the Big Brother System and Recruiting Underlings 最强大哥：觉醒大哥系统收小弟 [Golden finger + System + school life + God of War + technology + comeback] He awakens the Big Brother System and can level up quickly by taking in underlings. Looking for a fight? No problem. Fire a signal arrow, and a thousand troops will come running: vagrants, migrant workers, students, and special forces all join the fray. Purple mist rises from the incense burner in the sunlight; Big Brother is my whole world! A haughty little girl, a sweet campus belle, a gentle young wife: behold the spl 61Reads—Score—14d adds
- 155 Leaving the Fortieth Parallel 离开北纬四十度 I fell from the capital to the bottom of the school food chain in a county town. Three years of humiliation forged my courage and won me brothers. I fought fire with fire. It looked like I had won, but in the end, all I could do was flee in disgrace. There are no heroes in this story, only a survivor who refused to remain a victim. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 156 The School Bad Boy 校园不良少年 First person + from weak to strong + not mindless In high school, I was the boy in class who got picked on the most. My teacher told me to look for the reasons in myself, and my parents told me to put up with it. I listened to them, but all I got was even more bullying. People who have never been bullied don't know how terrifying school violence can be, or how hard it is to summon the courage to fight back... From suffering in silence to standing up for myself, I never wanted to be the boss. 13Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 157 I Didn’t Tell You to Join the Underworld, Yet You Became the Boss 没让你混社会，你却当了大哥 [Not invincible, not brainless, no System, and full of passion] In the early 1990s, Li Luoyang was sentenced to three years in prison for accidentally killing a street thug while acting in self-defense. After his release, he chose to stay in the urban village, waiting for news of his girlfriend. Instead, he was unexpectedly drawn into one gangland feud after another. From disputes over table fees at a mahjong parlor to life-or-death fights at construction sites, he was repeatedly thrust into the 48Reads—Score—14d adds
- 158 I Just Want to Go to School, but They Chose Me to Be the Boss 我只想上学，他们却选我当话事人 [An Underdog’s Comeback + A Novel That Defies the Usual Tropes + Top-Quality Storytelling + Ensemble Cast] All I wanted was to graduate in peace. Then a plastic bottle shattered the calm of my life. My roommates trampled me and threw my luggage out of the dorm. That was when I realized that in this underworld, either it devours you, or… you learn its rules and then make new ones. If studying quietly won’t even get me a desk where I can work in peace, if this underworld only recognizes the langua 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 159 The Bad Boy’s Handsome Kirin 不良少年之麒麟帅 No System, No Transmigration This story follows Bai Long, beginning in the era of warlord conflict. It tells how Bai Long grows from a boy anyone could bully into a legendary figure. 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 160 A Blood-Red Underworld 血红色的江湖 The martial world is a blood-red place... This is not a power fantasy. Through real-life experiences, it shows everyone just how cruel the martial world is, and warns them to stay out of it. Yang Hai, a young man from somewhere in Northeast China, was determined to enter the martial world. Ten years later, his heart has turned cold. The glories of the past have vanished like smoke, and all that awaits him is judgment! 1.7kReads—Score12414d adds
- 161 Underworld Storm: Rising on Campus 黑道风云之校园崛起 The protagonist, Chen Yu, was a student whose life revolved around campus. But after a series of chance encounters, he was swept into the vortex of underworld conflicts and unexpectedly embarked on a perilous quest to uncover mysterious powers. Along the way, Chen Yu meets companions with wildly different personalities and extraordinary skills, including Ye Feng and Black Panther. He also encounters a mysterious old man who knows many secrets. Together, they struggle to survive in the underworld 56Reads—Score—14d adds
- 162 I Got Beaten Up Several Times Right After Starting School 刚开学就挨几顿打 When faced with school bullying, would you keep your head down and endure it, or fight back with all you've got? Sen Hao is beaten up several times soon after starting middle school. But he grows stronger through adversity, eventually crushing underfoot each person who once bullied him. 114Reads—Score—14d adds
- 163 The Rise of the Wind and Clouds in 1990, Starting in Niujia Village 风云1990，从牛家村开始崛起 Name’s Goudan. The only college student in the village? Bullshit! Now all I want is to be the biggest bastard around! That old lecher Wang the Lame thinks he can touch Liu Xue, the goddess I’ve had a crush on since we were kids? And he even wants to strip her naked in front of everyone? My brother gets beaten, my goddess gets humiliated. How the hell am I supposed to swallow that? The old Goudan died with that slap. Let me introduce myself again: I’m Goudan. “Dog” as in son of a bitch, “dan” as —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 164 The Years That Were 往往之年 Decisive, ruthless, and no bleeding-heart do-gooder. Hard-hearted and merciless, he's no champion of justice. He'll stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Even the dirtiest tricks are fair game if they win, including a kick to the groin. A young man steps into the underworld and climbs higher, one step at a time. Let me tell you the story through what I've seen and heard. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 165 The Thug Gets Out of Prison 暴徒出狱 Before I went to prison, I was a big shot everyone feared. After getting out, I wanted to live a different kind of life. I just wanted to be an ordinary person, live a quiet life, and work hard to make money. I was ready to let bygones be bygones. But I wanted to let them go, and they kept pushing me. So I had no choice but to fight back with everything I had. 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 166 Mad Falcon: Hell Without Escape 狂枭：地狱无间 [Mad Tyrant fan fiction] + [hot-blooded] + [underworld] + [mercenaries] + [assassins] The Heavenly Net hunts down and imprisons 108 of the world’s most ferocious criminals. The Dragon-Patterned Black List reaches for the skies, as heroes clash amid dangers on all sides. A ten-thousand-mile pursuit to hunt across the world, with a hundred kings under his command waging war on every front. The underworld, assassins, and mercenaries: supremacy belongs to these three forces. His ambition is to conqu 9Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 167 A Reckless Youth 不良年少轻狂 A fan-written sequel to The Youthful and Reckless 2. It tells the story of Wang Hao and Yu Chengfei after they reach the top of Beiyuan. In the second year of Wang Hao's seclusion in Arabia, Yu Chengfei, who should have been on the brink of conquering the underworld, mysteriously disappears... 41.2kReads7.3Score2.7k14d adds
- 168 Tales of the Southern Underworld 南方黑道往事 A highly realistic and utterly authentic autobiographical story about the underworld. Many readers who have started reading have already been drawn deep into it. Open this book, and you'll see a real underworld: helplessness and betrayal, a deeply immersive world of bloodshed and brotherhood. 5.7kReads8.9Score44114d adds
- 169 Southwest Storm: Turmoil on the Black Sea 西南风云：黑海沉浮 When I was eighteen, I met someone who led me down a certain path. Some describe this path with the idealistic word “jianghu.” But the jianghu you actually find yourself in is better summed up by a rather funny saying: “After all this time, I’ve made no friends, only learned lessons.” My name is Lin Dongxia, and I’ve learned my fair share of lessons. 33kReads9.3Score3.2k14d adds
- 170 After I Got Out of Prison, My Sister Forced Me to Inherit a Billion-Dollar Fortune 出狱后，姐姐逼我继承亿万家产 Food delivery rider + Sanhe drifter + brotherhood in the underworld + rise to the pinnacle of power. Revenge and face-slapping + unexpected fortune + underdog's rise + tight, logical plotting. A Southeast Asian power struggle + fierce mercenary battles + leading your brothers to the top. My ex-girlfriend clings to a rich man and mocks me: “All you'll ever be in this life is a garbage picker!” Late one night, three sexy older women corner me beneath a bridge. “Your parents left you hundreds of mi 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 171 The Path of an Ordinary Person 小人物的路 A person has to make many choices in life. Everyone has choices of their own. Everyone has their own path. As for whether a path is right or wrong, no one has a definitive answer. (The story spans quite a lot.) 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 172 Underworld Storm: Southeast Asia 黑道风云之东南风云录！ In the 1990s, the southeastern provinces were a chaotic mix, with criminal gangs flourishing everywhere. They controlled the underworld, disregarded the law and morality, and kept crime rates high… In Min City, Minzhou Province, Li Tianju is forced back onto the road of no return after getting out of prison. He rises like a storm, crushing all challengers until he becomes a crime boss in his own right! (This book has no harem, no formulaic tropes, no invincible protagonist, and no filler. It’s h 140Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 173 The Days We Spent Together 在一起的日子 Young and reckless, we chase our dreams. Full of passion, we strive to make our mark. Come on, let's all shout it out: “Guys, let's hit the road!” 56Reads7.7Score—14d adds
- 174 The Actor and the Pawn 戏子与棋子 Passion, the martial world, ambition, the line between black and white: these were all words that once seemed far removed from my life. A chance confrontation pushed an ordinary student like me to a crossroads. Life is like a vast chessboard, with everyone playing a different role. This is my story, and it could be yours, or theirs... 2Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 175 My Years in the Underworld: Three Fingers 混黑道的那些年：三根手指 (Period Setting + Underworld + Urban + Satisfying Read + Passion + Mockumentary Style + Brotherhood + No Harem) This novel may touch on real underworld events. Any similarities are purely coincidental! The audiobook is officially out now! It's a real thrill! Brothers, dive right in! Northeast China, 1994. A young man cuts off three fingers with a knife and flees to the northwest. His parents are divorced and his family is well-off, but he insists on making his way through sheer ruthlessness. Fol 94.8kReads9.2Score10.2k14d adds
- 176 King of the Underworld: I Rule with Unmatched Power 黑道之王：权势滔天我为王 [Urban + underworld + feel-good power fantasy + big shot + no System + two heroines + mildly risqué] This novel is also known as "After Storming the Prison, I Became the Underworld Emperor" and "The Underworld King Who Rose from the Dark Zone", the first part. This is the second part and can be read on its own. Two chapters are all it takes to get your fix. Qin Shiyi came from the Dark Zone. He brought his brothers to Pearl City in District Two, hoping to make something of themselves. By fightin 833Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 177 I Said I'd Just Be a Nobody, but You Became the King of the Underworld 说好当混子，你却成江湖天花板 In bloody times, the underworld is a world of its own. Do you choose loyalty or profit? The passion we felt back then was all for standing shoulder to shoulder with our brothers, blades in hand, singing at the top of our lungs! We once swore we would build a glorious future together! But time flies by in the blink of an eye. How many people still dare to shout those bold slogans from back then? Do people change society, or does society change people? Perhaps some will forget what they set out to 893Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 178 My Sister-in-Law Is Too Beautiful. Sorry, I Can't Hold Back! 嫂子太漂亮,抱歉,我顶不住了! Yang Long was reborn in the year 2000. His brother, who had been mixed up in the underworld, died a brutal death, leaving him all alone. After graduation, Yang Long went to Shen City, where Erhu, his brother's good friend, formally led him into the underworld of Northeast China. “Xiaolong, you need to understand that the underworld isn't just about fighting and killing. It's about human relationships and social rules.” “The moment you take your first step into the underworld, there's no turning 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 179 Oh No, This Mob Boss Can Tank a Nuclear Bomb 坏了，这黑老大能硬抗核弹 [Gangsters + No Goody-Two-Shoes + No Mindless Protagonist + Invincible in the Later Stages] Qin Dong transmigrates to the year 2004 in a parallel world, taking over the body of a small-time gangster who has done every evil imaginable and is hated by everyone. He also awakens a System that makes him stronger every time he kills someone. He can increase his strength just by devouring evil people! Infinite toughness! Infinite heat resistance! Infinite bone strength! ... Gangsters hunting him down: 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 180 Underworld Storm: The Uncrowned King 黑道风云：无冕王侯 (First person, period setting, underworld) A big brother? A big brother isn't some glamorous, all-powerful emperor who does whatever he pleases. A big brother is just the guy who picks up the tab. The underworld? It's brotherly loyalty, deceit and betrayal. It's a place that strips the tenderness from gentle-hearted men and hardens them, and turns green young boys into grizzled old gangsters. My name is Zhao Qingfeng. I've been around the underworld, and I was once a big brother! 37.3kReads9.2Score3.9k14d adds
- 181 The Underworld King of Campus: The Campus Belle Falls for Me 高校黑道枭雄，校花为我倾倒 Qin Ling should have grown up happily under his parents' protection, but they were brutally murdered. Qin Ling had a rough childhood and even spent three years in prison after being framed. By the time he left prison, he had grown into a young man standing 194 centimeters tall. He also happened to find his way onto a university campus. [Violence?]“Sorry! I like it too.” [Stealing?]“My bad! I'll pay you back double.” [Loan sharks?]“Isn't this basically free money?” [Human traffickers?]“Prepare to 712Reads5.8Score—14d adds
- 182 Twenty Years of Gangland Turmoil 黑道风云二十年 I had just gone to prison when my girlfriend got together with my big brother. My name is Wang Chao, a street punk who takes loyalty seriously. The passion of the 1990s is my dream. And the youth an entire generation can never get back. With my story, I’ll look back on the glorious years we shared! 507Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 183 My Days of Being Bullied at School 校园被欺负的日子 The main characters are Wu Ming, Zhang Qiang, and Zhou Yao. This isn’t a brainless power fantasy, but a bumpy story of growing up. When my brothers fight, I run; I’d never touch a friend’s wife, but if my friend’s away, anything goes. A life of gaming on credit and gambling for tokens in the arcade. 11kReads8.2Score67114d adds
- 184 The Underworld: A Life in the Jianghu 黑道：人在江湖 What is the underworld? No one can really say. To me, the underworld is the jianghu. The jianghu has its own rules and its own stories. It’s not all fighting and killing. More than anything, it’s about human relationships and navigating the ways of the world. In 1996, a film about young gangsters influenced countless young people, leading them down a path of no return... That same year, after four years in prison, I walked out through those heavy doors and regained my freedom. My name is Fang We 206Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 185 Bandit City 匪城 [Not a wish-fulfillment power fantasy, and the protagonist isn't invincible: a comeback story + underworld conflict + a rock-bottom start + personality reversal + ruthless decisiveness + brains and brawn + ruthless bandits and war criminals abound] I'm Shen Liu. Ever since my father was imprisoned for seriously injuring someone when I was seven, I've endured humiliation at every turn. Then a girl appeared, and my life began to change... Once again, they knocked me down. As they unzipped their —Reads—Score2.2k14d adds
- 186 Selfish Desires: Tales of the Underworld 私欲：江湖往事 [This book is based on a true story] Three years ago, I was convicted of intentional assault and sent to prison. After getting out, I wanted to live an ordinary life. But then my younger sister went down a path of no return. For her sake, I had no choice but to return to the underworld! This book is packed with thrilling action and satisfying moments! 1.1kReads7.5Score11114d adds
- 187 Neither Black nor White? A Quack Doctor Twice Over 亦黑亦白？双料庸医 I'm a clinic owner. One act of justice made me enemies with the underworld, and from then on I began walking a path where I could operate in both the criminal and legitimate worlds. The world isn't simply black or white. It's both black and white. This isn't exactly a power fantasy. There are gangs, passion, and humor, as well as brotherhood between men who support one another and rise to the top together. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 188 Hong Kong Crossover: Starting in Tsuen Wan, Rebuilding a Money Empire 港综：从荃湾开始，重铸金钱帝国 “Big D, you're a big shot now. Stop going around hacking people up, and try to be a little more level-headed.” White smoke rose from the cigarette between Zhang Zhen's fingers as he spoke with a hint of teasing. “Out here, if you don't hack people up or fight for territory, how are you supposed to make money? Ah Zhen, didn't you say there were three things you needed to make it big: people, money, and the guts to take risks?” Big D said from the sofa, holding a glass of liquor. “Remember this, B 43.3kReads5.6Score2.5k14d adds
- 189 Black, White, and Gray? How Can You Get Ahead Without Getting Your Hands Dirty? 黑白灰？不涉灰怎么出人头地 Brotherhood + slow-burn ensemble cast + one female lead + not overpowered + first-person perspective Some people say black is black and white is white, and anyone who falls into the underworld is a bad person. I wanted to be a good person. I never wanted to fall into the underworld. But does being a good person mean being looked down on? Does it mean being powerless when trouble strikes? Only later did I realize that society isn’t simply black or white. The world’s true colors are black, white, 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 190 I Chopped Until My Blade Chipped, and You Say I Hit the Wrong Person? 刀都砍崩了，你说我砍错了人 [Underworld + passionate jianghu + ruthless and decisive + a true kingpin] To stand up for the girl I loved, I blinded the village bully in one eye and spent three years in prison. When I got out, the goddess never came to greet me. Instead, I received an invitation to her wedding to the village bully... The jianghu is colorful and exciting, but it’s also rife with bloodshed, schemes, and deception. Brothers may share life and death, but there’s no shortage of betrayal, infighting, and estrangem 16.3kReads7.8Score1.1k14d adds
- 191 Dongguan: Starting by Conquering a Powerful Woman 东莞：从征服女大佬开始 [Guan City fiction + urban underworld + period drama + passionate + ultimate wish fulfillment] A man must have courage and grit. When his cousin was carried back to Niulan Village, crippled, Chen Xiaolong accompanied his cousin's wife south to Dongguan the next day. Dongguan in 2008 was a chaotic place, crowded with all kinds of people and gangs. To protect his cousin's wife, Chen Xiaolong stepped onto a blood-soaked path through the underworld. The worlds of black, gray, and white were turbulen 30.9kReads7.8Score1.7k14d adds
- 192 The Underworld: From Low-Level Thug to Godfather 黑手：从沙场小弟到江湖教父 [Modern city + underworld + multiple heroines + business rivalry + romance + powerful protagonist] Born at the bottom of society, his only choice is to defy fate and change his destiny. From the day he first wielded the butcher's knife, he could only kill gods when he met them and slay demons when they crossed his path. Then two beautiful women from Xiguan appeared: one wanted his heart, the other wanted him… [Urban power struggles + hard-core business warfare + fated romance] is a novel weaving 92Reads—Score—14d adds
- 193 The Heavenly Gate of the Jianghu 江湖天门 The martial world is awash in blood and turmoil. Who will shape the course of history? What is the true reason for Ming Jia's return? A hidden dynasty emerges once more, the sinister Yamaguchi-gumi refuses to stay buried, and the powerful Xiao clan is shrouded in mystery. As the struggle for supremacy looms, the story of Tianmen continues... 117Reads—Score—14d adds
- 194 I Transferred to a Gangster School, and No One Dares Call Themselves King Anymore 我转校到黑道校园，没人再敢称王 My new work is here! 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! 222Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 195 Every Delinquent Knows Yucheng Fei 不良无人不识宇城飞 This story isn't just about Chen Fei's time at vocational college. It also follows the difficulties Wang Hao faces after returning from the United Arab Emirates. Another storm of blood and violence is brewing, but Heaven won't favor them again. The success they've achieved is already an incredible stroke of luck. During that clash between Yucheng Fei and Longcheng, Yucheng Fei suffered devastating losses. His brothers were killed, wounded, forced to retire, or scattered. That operation nearly co 275Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 196 Underworld Storm: The Iron-Blooded Road of the Martial World 黑道风云：铁血江湖路 [I'm Ma Tiejun. I'm a man of few words, but if you cross me, I'll take you on.] To make it in the underworld, you have to build up your business and earn plenty of money in the early days; shift into legitimate industries and establish yourself in the middle; then gradually clean up your act so you can walk away unscathed. The road through the underworld is hard, and few make it out alive, but I have no choice. I can only grit my teeth and keep going... Now that I'm on this ship, I'll be the fie 7.8kReads7.8Score68514d adds
- 197 Underworld Youth: The Rise of a Nobody 黑道少年：无名小辈崛起 (Jianghu) (Romance) (Brotherhood) (Feel-Good Power Fantasy) (Coming of Age) [This book tells the story of an unknown young man who grows into a major underworld boss.] How does Jiang Cheng, an insignificant nobody, become a top underworld boss in such a short time? What does he go through? How does he go from being all alone to having hundreds of brothers by his side? What does it take to make it in the jianghu? Is it about fighting, or about how you treat people and handle things? Can clevernes 76Reads—Score—14d adds
- 198 A Hero in Turbulent Times 乱世枭雄 "Dark clouds loom over the city, threatening to crush it; golden scales gleam on armor beneath the sun." I was just an ordinary student, but one upheaval after another gradually dragged me into an abyss of crime and punishment, and drew me into a world where I had no say in my own fate... 150Reads—Score—14d adds
- 199 A World of Scoundrels 渣混的世界 What is a hero? In truth, everyone is a hero. Those who face reality and still live earnestly instead of letting themselves go are heroes. Under the laws of survival, everyone makes different choices. Those who hold fast to what’s in their hearts are all brave souls. Watch as the winds shift. 315Reads8.4Score10414d adds
- 200 Defying Youth: From Street Punk to Untouchable King! 逆青春：从混子到一手遮天！ My new work is out! You can find my stories on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy them. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 1.3kReads8.1Score17514d adds
