Novels like The Person in the Mirror: Rising to Power at College
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Person in the Mirror: Rising to Power at College, best match first.
- 1 Northeast Storm: A Gangster Legend 东北风云之黑道传奇 With my brothers by my side and blades and guns in hand, I’d like to see who in this underworld gets to call himself the boss! If we don’t enter the underworld, so be it. But once we do, every thug will bow to us and every boss will clear the way. We’ll become the... heavens of this underworld. 122Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Beyond the Mirror 镜面之后 There is no light beyond the mirror... From the moment the first mistake was made, every punishment that followed had already been laid out... He Feng’s four-year-old daughter, He Wenwen, fell to her death three months ago. His wife, Yan Fei, suffered a mental breakdown after their daughter’s tragic death and died in a car accident a week later. He Feng’s life plunged to rock bottom, but it seemed his misfortune was far from over... A faucet turned on in the middle of the night, a breakfast that —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Ruthless Thug 悍徒 [Passionate action + no goody-two-shoes + decisive and ruthless + you can read without thinking too hard + wish-fulfillment story] I know plenty of big shots, but they all call me Boss. I have connections everywhere, and I rule the underworld. I hold the entire criminal world in the palm of my hand! Let me tell you about my years in the underworld! 31Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 4 How the Bad Guy Was Made 2: The New Generation 坏蛋是怎样炼成的2:新世代 Ten years ago, Xie Wendong led the Wendong Association in sweeping through the underworld, bringing both the black and white worlds to heel. A decade later, the times have changed. Guns and blades have given way to capital, technology, and the dark web as the new battlegrounds. Just as the Wendong Association was going all-in on its transformation, Jiang Sen was assassinated, dark web forces began lurking in the city, and old allies suddenly returned. Under the surging undercurrents, a new gener 6.2kReads6.9Score59714d adds
- 5 Underworld Chronicles: The Road Through the Gangland 黑道往事:黑道风云路 This book tells the story of Liu Yong, the Northeast underworld boss, and his years of turmoil in the jianghu. It blends fact and fiction, hearsay and rumor, with a touch of artful historical embellishment. Told as a novel, the story is entertaining and gripping, giving you something to pass the time with after a meal while offering a glimpse of what the real jianghu is like, and how complicated human nature can be. This book is a real thrill to read! Liu Yong is a name that carries weight. Whet 469Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Apocalypse: Sweet Days with My Best Friend 末世:和好兄弟的甜蜜日常 [Two Male Leads! Straight readers, steer clear!] Apocalypse + Two Powerful Leads + Both Inexperienced + Building a Settlement and Farming + Power Fantasy + Switch + Happy Ending A cool, outwardly aloof guy who's warm inside and a little socially awkward & a sunny, cheerful sweetheart Lin Xingye's feelings for Su Muyang were hidden in countless days and nights spent together in their dorm. From the moment they first met, he fell at a glance, quietly burying his affection and staying by his side u 161Reads8.1Score13814d adds
- 7 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
- 8 The Road of No Return 明知不归路 [A passionate story + decisive and ruthless action + unexpected twists + brotherhood] A group of children driven to the brink by evil forces are brought together by the King of Assassins. They endure hellish training every day, all so they can rise to the top and wipe out their enemies! They've lost their youth and their families. All they have left is a heart full of rage! The heavens cannot contain the myriad paths of the Dao, My fate is mine to control, not Heaven's! 485Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 9 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
- 10 After Prison, I Became the King of the Underworld 出狱后,我成了地下王者 One accidental assault completely turned the wheel of my fate! By the time I returned from prison, a path to kingship lay before me! It seemed to have been waiting for me all along, awaiting my awakening! I set out on the journey to the very top... 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 The Toughest Man in Yunnan 云滇第一狠人 {Urban Fiction + Power Fantasy + Nonstop Action} In high school, an accident landed me in prison for five years. Thanks to the guidance of a benefactor, I got out and worked my way up from nothing. Build big! Rise again! Rule Yunnan! 441Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 12 Two Souls in One Body: Lord Demon Venerable, Please Calm Down 一体双魂:魔尊大人请息怒 She was a good-for-nothing who couldn't cultivate. After an accident, she found a stalk of immortal poria, and a lonely spirit possessed her. From then on, two souls coexisted in one body. She was reborn carrying hatred, her body steeped in murderous intent and her eyes full of vengeance. Blood stained her from head to toe, and she became a ruthless killer. If they called her a demon, then a demon she would be. If the gods rejected her, she would kill the gods. If the Dao stood in her way, she w 25Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 The Reckless Youth: A Passionate Heart 不良之热血方刚 Underworld + school life + passion + brotherhood + supremacy struggles + multiple heroines One day, I’ll rise like a dragon and conquer the underworld in a river of blood. Through flashing blades and piles of bones, I’ll stand at the front to shield my brothers. Shen Xiao, a freshman in high school, looked so frail that on his first day, a teacher made an example of him in front of the whole class. After class, he went to the restroom. As soon as he stepped out of a stall, he was kicked to the f 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 The Jianghu: A True Account of Half a Life in the Underworld 江湖:混社会的半生真实经历 A chaotic age, filled with flashing blades and clashing steel! The martial world is like a cup of tea. Everyone tastes it differently. My name is Zhao Long. Back then, most people called me Long Si, Brother Si, or Fourth Master! I'm not exaggerating when I say my reputation back then was almost as great as that of the famous Fourth Master Qiao up north! I was a poor kid who couldn't afford a meal. Through sheer grit and ruthl 4.7kReads7.1Score20114d adds
- 15 Wolf Hunt 狼狩 Lin Qiwen watches his honest, hardworking parents get beaten right before his eyes. As a boy, he’s falsely accused and sent to juvenile detention. Five years later, he walks out and stirs up the underworld. Revenge is only the beginning. He wants far more than that. Watch Lin Qiwen climb step by step to the very peak of power! 624Reads6.6Score10214d adds
- 16 Li Ran’s Road Through the Underworld 李燃的江湖路 At the notice board of Longcheng No. 1 High School, Li Ran's name had sat at the top of the honor roll for years. With a pen and an exam admission ticket, he could open the door to another world. Until one evening, on a street lined with food stalls, Zhao Tianyu tore it all apart with the roar of his Porsche. His girlfriend, Ding Xiaoxi, was harassed, and his brothers were beaten. When Li Ran charged forward with a beer bottle in his hand, he never imagined that the cut across his skin would bec 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 Seventeen That Year: The Winner Takes All 那年十七之胜者为王 (Ensemble cast, passionate urban drama, school and underworld, sensible characters, major players in the later story) The bonds of youth are worth more than gold. Ride through the underworld, free to go wherever I please! What is youth? It's a byword for passion, growing up, and loyalty. I was bullied in middle school just because I was honest, well-behaved, and kindhearted. I thought it would all be behind me when I got into the best high school in the county. But on the first day of school, I 123Reads—Score10214d adds
- 18 I Tore Open the City's Dark Curtain 我撕开了都市黑幕 [Ensemble cast + underworld] This isn’t a power fantasy or a mindless story. Every character is fleshed out, and there are no absolute heroes or villains. People can be good and evil alike. All that matters is human nature and self-interest. If that bothers you, don’t read. A seemingly ordinary workplace dispute pushes a group of everyday people into the eye of the storm. Caught in the depths of this vast, dark whirlpool, where will they go from here? —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 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
- 20 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
- 21 From Rags to the Top of the Underworld 白手起家,干到黑道之巅 [Crime syndicate fiction + brotherhood + passion + shocking twists!] Beneath the gods and Buddhas, all are believers. First, crush the Azure Dragon, then wipe out the Divine Gang. I! Will become the one and only peerless gangster! 351Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 22 Zhang San, the Top Dog of Jiamusi 佳木斯张三一霸 This story does not glorify criminals. It is meant to warn readers not to break the law, or they will surely face severe punishment. Justice may be delayed, but it will come. When the time comes, no one can escape the law! 1.1kReads8.4Score13114d adds
- 23 Everyone Else Has Transmigrated and Stands Unrivaled. Why Haven’t You Changed? 都穿越谁与争锋了,你还不改变? A feel-good story with a slow pace and no soap-opera drama. It won't change the direction of the five-man group. After the protagonist meets them, the story focuses on him in another district, with the city's development revolving around him. My name is Xiang Yun, and I'm someone even a dog can kick around. I'm an orphan, and at school the school bully would often demand money from me and pick on me. Then one day, I couldn't take it anymore. I beat him so badly he ended up in the hospital. I tho 330Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Urban: From Nobody to Kingpin 都市:从小人物到大枭雄 There are many ways to live in this world. My way is simple: let your fists do the talking! 9Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 25 He and His Thousand Brothers 他和他的一千个兄弟 A sweeping crackdown on organized crime by the municipal Party committee and government brought Kangcheng ten years of peace. But after a decade, criminal forces sprang up like mushrooms after rain and returned in force. A breakup, having his identity stolen in the college entrance exam, and a construction boss’s schemes led Chen Li’an to give up on making an honest living. In the end, he went down a path of no return, turning against society. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 The Evil Lord Descends into the Abyss 邪主临渊 [Underworld] [Brotherhood] [Passionate] [The author is also a fan of Uncle Qin] I was bullied all through middle school. I thought things would get better in high school, but I was still bullied. Little by little, those people led me down a road of no return... My name is Mo Daoxie. Dao as in “principle,” and Xie as in “evil.” 5Reads—Score114d adds
- 27 Underworld Tales: From Prisoner to Underworld Legend! 黑道往事:从劳改犯到黑道传奇! Bai Zimo was once a mighty special forces champion, but after being framed by a villain, he was wrongfully imprisoned for ten years. Three years into his sentence, a mysterious woman appeared and exposed a shocking conspiracy. She also made him a harsh offer: bring down and kill a crime boss within three months, and he could get out and take his revenge. No one expected Bai Zimo’s first targets after his release to be his own brother and sister-in-law! A thrilling battle in the shadows begins! 20Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 28 Storm over Binhai 滨海风云 The jianghu isn't about fighting and killing. It's about human relationships and worldly wisdom. The underworld isn't about fighting and killing either. It's just a way for people to make a living by going down a dark path. Chen Mu, an orphan, was just an ordinary food delivery driver. One late-night delivery brought him together with Chu Wanyin, who had been hurt by love. At the same time, his biological father came looking for him. Liu Xie, also an orphan, chose a path entirely different from 32Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 Transformation: From Class Monitor to Gang Boss 蜕变:从班长到帮派头子 A 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! A former top student turns into a delinquent, and even becomes a gang leader... 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 From Top Gaokao Scorer to Underworld Boss 从高考状元到黑道霸主 Those who hate me call me cold-blooded and heartless, Those who love me cry out for justice on my behalf, All this is destined on the road to success, No one can change it, this is a king’s fate. Destined, I will stand against this world, I will shock this world, I will change this world, I will conquer this world… 138Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 31 The Dragon City Kingpin 龙城枭雄 At the end of the last century, Longcheng was a haven for countless criminal gangs, and most of its people were driven onto a path of no return... In that era of flashing blades and bloody battles, a man named Yao Chutian unleashed a storm of bloodshed and chaos. 5Reads—Score114d adds
- 32 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
- 33 A Song for the Underworld 混子的挽歌 [Raise our cups and toast the rugged road through the underworld.] [Through blood and fury, a brotherhood that lasts a lifetime.] A naive, timid young man, to keep from losing the brothers at his side again, chooses to take up a three-foot steel blade and step into a world stained red with blood. Behind the brotherly bravado and drunken revelry of the underworld, the only things that never change are ruthless exploitation and cold reality. The people he meets make him sick. And little by little, 2.4kReads7.3Score23914d adds
- 34 Shan Jin Underworld: I Took Down the Whole Jianghu 山晋黑道,我打爆了江湖 [Underworld, passionate, multiple heroines, first-person] My name is Xu Haoqiang. I live in Longcheng, Shan Jin, a coal-producing region. In 1997, at the age of twenty, I joined the underworld. I let money do the talking, and even the truth has to bow its head. I let the rules of the underworld do the talking, and both the legitimate and criminal worlds have to make way. From there, my influence spread across Shan Jin and beyond… 861Reads6.4Score10314d adds
- 35 The Underworld: I Make the Rules 黑道:我才是规矩 Two years in prison, and nothing is as it was. Wherever there are people, there are rivalries and power struggles. Schemes and betrayals are everywhere, and one careless move can destroy an entire family. No matter what, the strong can turn the tables against the odds. Starting today, I make the rules in Philadelphia! 2.4kReads—Score10414d adds
- 36 Heading South in 1996: I Take My Young Aunt and Conquer the Underworld 九六南下:我带小姑奶闯江湖 [Period] [Fleeing an arranged marriage] [Heading south for work] [Passionate underworld] [Multiple heroines] New Year’s Day, 1996. Chen Yaozu, a poor lad from southeastern Henan, flees south overnight with his young grandaunt, who is being forced into marriage. As soon as they arrive in the Pearl River Delta, his classmate’s cousin kicks him out of her rental, leaving him homeless. He steps in to help someone, only to be hunted by gangsters. At the factory, he’s bullied, and people even set thei 802Reads—Score10114d adds
- 37 The Boys: After Homelander Turned Evil, He Only Listens to Me 黑袍:祖国人黑化后他只听我的 The Boys fanfiction + Plot Simulation + Childhood Raising + Obsessive Loyal Puppy + Power Balance Through Contrasts + No Combat-Focused Plot After transmigrating as the lowest-ranking experimental records clerk at Vought International, Ji Yan thinks all he has to do is keep his head down and hang on until retirement. Then he binds to the [Plot Simulation System]. The System gives him no superpowers and no Compound V. It gives him just one ability: To simulate every emotional breakdown and moment 1.5kReads8.6Score20014d adds
- 38 Let the Young Be Wild 任少年轻狂 Multiple heroines + brotherhood + no System + a little cathartic wish fulfillment Lin Chen is beaten up by the school beauty’s thug of a brother just for looking at her one too many times in class. I will never give in. Push an honest man too far, and he becomes even more terrifying. 45Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 This Is a Transmigration Diary 这是一編穿越日记 [Plot-driven] System + secret identities + superpowers + forum + cheat = pure fun A sweet little HE romance! Ji Ning is inexplicably swept into another world crawling with wolves, tigers, and leopards. He somehow loses one of his lives, then gets “asked” by the System to follow the plot and save the worldline, with a high chance of dying in the process. Ji Ning: “?” “What do you mean, you made me lose a life, and now you want me to lose another one for you?” So he fought back. He just never expe —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 The Pinnacle of Dark Martial Arts 黑武之巅 Sorry, everyone, for posting the prologue so late. You can skip ahead to the beginning of Chapter 102 first, then come back and start reading from Chapter 1. Apologies. A novel featuring the underworld, supernatural abilities, the city, and campus life. He and his friends will rise together to the pinnacle of the Black Martial Path. This is the story of his growth... People are often at their most brash and carefree when they are young. That’s what it means to be young and reckless. This is an e 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 Bloodstained Memories 血染的往事 (This story is entirely fictional. The places, people, events, and everything else in it are not real.) In the early 1990s, on a silent winter night, two muffled gunshots rang out beneath the darkness over an old neighborhood. A five-shot hunting rifle with a sawed-off barrel brought more than a scene of underworld vendetta. It also laid bare a hidden storm of bloodshed. Some say he was a loyal and righteous brother. Some say he was an ambitious kingpin. Others say he was a vicious monster, crue 37Reads7.5Score—14d adds
- 42 Seriously! Whose Little Omega Is Pretending to Be So Delicate Again? 离谱!谁家小O又在装柔弱 [ABO + two male leads + marriage first, love later] [Cunning, powerful, tragic Omega who plays dumb × sharp-tongued but soft-hearted Alpha general of the Federation] The Federation’s top general, Lu Yanming, accidentally injured his glands on a mission. To “treat” him, his butler brought five Omegas back from the underground market. Lu Yanming was scathing. “I told you to find an Omega at the underground market, not to play savior in the underground city. Are you sure you didn’t drag these Ome 281Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 The Absolute Kingpin 绝对枭雄 After transferring schools, I find out my beautiful desk mate is actually my former enemy. And then... New book: Call Me a Con Artist. I hope you’ll check it out and show it some support! 279Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 44 Fighting Extremist Groups Starts with Entertainment 打击极端组织,从文娱做起 [Urban fantasy + supernatural powers + literary adaptations + System + showbiz, music only + singing + crime + everyday life + feel-good power fantasy] [The crime plot takes center stage, with the showbiz plot as a supporting thread. The secondary plot follows the two leads’ amusing interactions. Female-oriented, no romance pairing, with plenty of tension between them. The early chapters mainly lay the groundwork; the main story properly begins later.] Luo Ling was thrilled to join the ranks of 95Reads8.2Score11214d adds
- 45 Even a Delivery Guy Can Go Crazy 外卖小弟也疯狂 [Fair-Skinned, Muscular-Chested Boss Bottom × Dark-Skinned, Tall, Curly-Blond, Lovable Fool Top] [They Pursue Each Other + Heal Each Other + The Top Starts Out as a Good-for-Nothing, but Gradually Transforms] Zhou Jiawen is a hardworking food delivery guy. One day, after finishing a late-night delivery, he finds a gorgeous homeless man and takes him home. Only after bringing the man back does Zhou Jiawen realize that the person he picked up is a big shot! Wait, since when could someone so hands 47Reads6.7Score514d adds
- 46 I Awakened the Underworld System, but I Really Don’t Want to Be the Boss 觉醒黑道系统,但我真不想做大哥 Lu Hong is the heir to a crime family, but the family comes under investigation. From then on, Lu Hong’s life goes downhill. He goes from an overpowered, swaggering protagonist to a defeated nobody, bullied at every turn. After being beaten up one last time, Lu Hong is badly injured and ends up in the hospital. Just as he’s preparing to start his life over, he unexpectedly awakens the [Game Life System]! At that moment, he swears to grind everyone who bullied him beneath his feet! 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 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
- 48 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
- 49 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
- 50 Those Were the Days: My Life in the Underworld 那些年,混过的日子 Sleeping rough and braving the elements are just part of life. Clashing blades and exchanging blows can put old grudges to rest. Brothers are heaven, brothers are earth. With brothers, you can stand tall between heaven and earth. Brothers are the wind, brothers are the rain. With brothers, you can summon the wind and call down the rain. Based on real events, this novel commemorates the years we spent getting into trouble together and pays tribute to the youth of those born in the 1980s. End 1.3kReads6.4Score10914d adds

















































