Novels like Be the Cruelest One
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Be the Cruelest One, best match first.
- 101 Blood-Crazed Boy 狂血少年 Brotherhood comes first. We were reckless young punks, fists harder than reason. Blood and sweat mingled with the smell of cigarettes and booze as we made our names beneath the neon lights. We never knew the price of this road had already been set. .. 64Reads—Score—14d adds
- 102 Flame City: The Pinnacle, Memories of No. 4 Middle School 焰城顶点之四中往事 The Past of No. 4 Middle School, at the Top of Yancheng 21Reads—Score—14d adds
- 103 The Bloody Underworld: Thirty Years of Organized Crime in North China 血色江湖：华北黑道三十年 [Underworld + First Person + Period Setting] What is the underworld? It’s a place where even if you win in the end, you still feel like you’ve lost. No matter how much you gain, it can never make up for what you’ve lost. My name is Jiang Qiyao. I witnessed thirty years of the underworld’s rise and fall across North China, watching one boss after another rise to power, then fall. After thirty years in that world, I can’t call myself a good person, but at least I haven’t become completely rotten. 3kReads6.7Score13314d adds
- 104 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 2.2kReads6.9Score10314d adds
- 105 Bad Boy: King of the Streets 坏小子：街道之上，我为王 Li Yizhen was an ordinary student at Jiangchuan No. 1 High School. But the school bully, He Min, singled him out, teasing and tormenting him as she pleased. Too timid to fight back, he endured group beatings and was even forced to eat ice pops mixed with dirt. She also led him astray, getting him to smoke and drink. Day after day, year after year… Then, when Li Yizhen finally confessed his feelings to the school belle, she mocked him in front of the whole class. He Min joined in, too. Overcome w 285Reads—Score—14d adds
- 106 My Bad Teacher 我的不良教师 [Nonsensical Humor] [play the pig to eat the tiger] [No System] [No Superpowers] [Urban] [No Female Lead] [Lighthearted Humor] [Teacher] Class 2, Year 2 has gone through five teachers in a single month, earning a citywide reputation as the “Class of Death.” No homeroom teacher assigned to the class has ever lasted more than a week... They drug teachers, plant maggots, and even use violence to force them into submission. Their pranks have no limits, and they keep coming up with new tricks... The 969Reads8.2Score10214d adds
- 107 Jinbei Storm: A Black-Market Outlaw 晋北风云：黑道狂徒 Yanbei City is known as the Coal Capital, and coal is also called black gold. Crowds of gold seekers pour into Yanbei City, hoping to get a share of the coal industry. The various factions stop at nothing to achieve their goals. In their eyes, everything has a price, including human life. What is the underworld? The underworld is face. The underworld is brotherhood. The underworld is money. They say the coal of northern Shanxi is black, but few realize that human hearts are blacker still. After 4.2kReads9.0Score22614d adds
- 108 I’m No Punk: Three of Us Together 我不是小混混之三人行 Determined not to become a thug, he knows that those who walk different paths cannot work together. Brotherhood, and the revival of the Eight Gates of the underworld. Is a sinister force behind it all, or is something far worse on the horizon...? 307Reads—Score—14d adds
- 109 The Swindler: Through Fire and Water for You, Uncle! 老千：赴汤蹈火啊，二叔！ If you learn the art of cheating, you’ll see me as a mayfly sees the heavens. My name is Feng Shiqi, a veteran swindler who came out of the mountains. PS: The best quit-gambling novel on the whole internet, and the most wholesome swindler story online. ⚠️ Don’t open it at night, or you won’t be able to sleep. 18.5kReads8.4Score1.6k14d adds
- 110 The Peerless Young Master 公子无双 Lin Qi seems like an ordinary delivery driver, but in this city, whether they are business tycoons, renowned doctors, or underworld bosses, everyone treats him with the utmost respect and calls him, "Young Master!" 334Reads9.1Score—14d adds
- 111 The Pinnacle of Nowhere 1 无人之巅1 I went into the underworld because I didn’t want to be bullied... I stepped into the darkness so I’d never have to turn my back on it again. I cast aside my conscience and sharpened my claws, trampling underfoot each person who had once humiliated me. 240Reads—Score—14d adds
- 112 The Pawn Who Crosses the River: Beyond Forgiveness 过河卒：罪无可恕 People who make money through shady dealings need to learn to burn incense and pray to Buddha. Those who move in the underworld have to believe that good things come to those who wait. After the turn of the millennium, Jiang Xinze was kicked off the police force for saving someone. He led his brothers into a world of guns and blades, with blood on their military daggers, riding the winds of a turbulent era to forge a dazzling legacy. If you’ve got a score to settle, settle it. If you won’t back 10.6kReads8.5Score89614d adds
- 113 The Bad Guys: The Storm Rises Again 2 坏蛋之风云再起2 [People have names, and trees have shadows. Who is Xie Wendong? Everyone knows.] As the scorching sun slowly sinks away and the half moon hangs high, as neon lights begin to flicker and night descends, what can we use to prove that we exist? 12kReads9.0Score78814d adds
- 114 A Young Man's Years in the Jianghu 少年之江湖岁月 The jianghu is a road with no return, a maze, an abyss. Some manipulate events from the shadows, while others struggle for their lives in the mire. Watch who rises above them all, and who comes crashing down. 19.7kReads9.0Score1.4k14d adds
- 115 Godfather of the Underworld: From Prison Dragon to the Pinnacle of Power! 黑道教父：从狱中龙到权势巅峰！ [Urban + Underworld + One Female Lead + Powerful Boss + All-Controlling + Influence] “If kindness is useless, then from now on, I'll cast it aside!” After three years in prison for a crime he was framed for, Zhou Ye is released and sees the light of day once more. Betrayed by his brother and his girlfriend, and devastated by his parents' mysterious deaths, he resolutely sets out on the path of revenge. To avenge his parents and achieve his goals, he vows, “If a god stands in my way, I'll slay 2.9kReads7.7Score23614d adds
- 116 The Jianghu: I Am the Kingpin 江湖：我即为枭 [Underworld] [Brothers United] [Mind-Bending] [Passionate and Thrilling] Three years in prison couldn't dull my edge. My name is Wang Xiao. I spent three years behind bars for offending a powerful figure. After my release, I returned to my old stomping grounds with my brothers and the skills my master taught me. Some want to trample me underfoot. Some want to stab me in the back. And my enemies, lurking in the shadows, are watching me like hawks. But my life is no longer something just anyone ca 114Reads—Score—14d adds
- 117 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 214Reads7.9Score—14d adds
- 118 The Era After the Martial World 后江湖時代 [Underworld + Passionate + Satisfying + Ensemble Cast + Jianghu + Big Shots + School + Comedy] “After midnight, we call the shots on this land, whether you’re on the right side of the law or the wrong one!” Jiang Nan stood proudly at the summit like a solitary eagle, looking down at the young generation shining like stars across the jianghu below. “The Su District...” “The tragedy from ten years ago will never happen again in our generation!” “I’ll make sure everyone knows that this era belongs 24.8kReads8.9Score1.6k14d adds
- 119 The Legend of Lu Laoqi 陆老七传奇 In the province of Rehe during the Republican era, a catchy rhyme circulated through the martial world: “Lu Laoqi, Li Changjiu, undefeated throughout Rehe; the Beggar, Detective, and Master Shang; Dalong, Qingshan, and Zheng the Crooked; the Driver, Drunkard, and Wang Chaojie; Pockmark, Du Wu, and Liu Minghu; the Twin Fiends, Kou Haiyang, and Yu Xingba.” It vividly described the eighteen peerless fighters of Rehe at the time. Ranked first was Lu Yishan, a boy from a poor family in the province. 27Reads—Score—14d adds
- 120 When Daylight Ends, the Killing Begins 昼尽而杀 Hong Kong, 1994. Three kingpins, two gangs, police officers, wealthy businessmen, officials, the media, hostesses, assassins, and ordinary people are all caught up in power struggles amid the surging tides of the times. No one can escape, and no one can hide. Fate is never in our own hands. Whether your eyes are open or shut, when night falls, people die. 33Reads—Score—14d adds
- 121 I'll Write My Own Youth 青春我来写 Synopsis: When I was very, very young, I had a beautiful older sister. My parents were always incredibly busy and often had to leave home to work in other places. So one day, they brought home an older sister they had adopted for me. She treated me wonderfully and took care of me in every way. But Dad was exceptionally cruel to her. Then one day in middle school, my sister left. I studied as hard as I could, and by the time I reached high school, I finally got into a school in the city and foun 234Reads—Score—14d adds
- 122 Be the Fiercest One 做最凶的那个 Lin Yu had always been troubled by a question: Why must good people endure eighty-one trials to become Buddhas, while bad people only need to lay down their butcher's knives? Fairness has never been something the poor get to talk about. If you want fairness, there's only one way: make yourself strong enough to create it. This world has both light and darkness. It won't treat you well just because you're kind. His father was unable to repay his debts and eventually took his own life. The creditor 778Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 123 Underworld: The Kirin Crown Prince 黑道之麒麟太子 When the Qilin appears, all evil flees. The young lord wields his blade and reigns supreme in the martial world. On this path of revenge sweeping across the globe, he will crush the ambitions of every foreign power and ascend to the highest throne in the martial world. 626Reads—Score—14d adds
- 124 The Alpha Wolf, Who Can Stand Against Me? 头狼，谁与争锋 In the depths of winter, my birth parents abandoned me. Luckily, my adoptive mother took me in and named me Yang Dong. My sister dropped out of school to support my education and went to work in the city. I went to find her with my university acceptance letter, only to witness her being abused to death! Blinded by rage, I took a knife to avenge her, but I was framed and sent to prison instead. Six years behind bars, and my hatred never faded! After getting out, I set off on the road to revenge w 14.5kReads8.9Score1.6k14d adds
- 125 Big Brother 大哥 At the end of the last century, before the rules were fully established, all sorts of people emerged in great numbers. They exploited loopholes, ran gray-market businesses, and moved between the worlds of crime and respectability. A young man returned from military service, only to be dragged into the underworld. More than a decade of life on the fringes followed: wine and laughter with friends in spring, late-night talks beneath the lamplight; hardship at first, then glory at last. He had walke 4.1kReads9.0Score29214d adds
- 126 My Years as a Gangster 我当混子的那些年 The underworld is an endless wilderness, and every gang member is a man prepared to die! The underworld is a narrow path, and every gang member risks his life just to make it through! The underworld is a pure arena of beasts: the winners become kings, and the losers are crushed! Forced onto this path, the young Jiang Liang must now show how he can rule the world with one hand! 112Reads—Score—14d adds
- 127 Wasteland Kingpin: Leizi, Fresh Out of the Undesignated Zone 废土枭雄，从待规划区出来的雷子 [Now available with multi-character narration and a live-action voice cast version! The animated series is now streaming on Hongguo!] [Wasteland underworld + no stockpiling + not invincible + no System + tough guy + ensemble power struggles + two strong leads + urban] In a wasteland where order has collapsed and warlords carve up the land, Jiang Ye leaves the three Chinese districts and arrives in District Ten, the "City of Sin." The rules here are simple: endure, get ruthless, or get out! Since 60.7kReads8.8Score7.9k14d adds
- 128 I Started High School as a Good Girl and Became a Crime Boss 上了高中，我从乖乖女变成黑老大 When I started high school, I went from a good girl to a crime boss. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 129 The Man Who Reached the Top of the Underworld 黑道触顶之徒 The underworld is shallow waters teeming with big shots. Thousands shout my name: Brother Tian. Xia Tian, a young man from the bottom of society in Northeast China, gets caught up by chance in the feud between two underworld bosses. From then on, he sets out to climb to the top of the criminal world. Benefactors, moles, bandits, desperados… all sorts of characters take the stage, and the action is heart-pounding. Watch as he leads his brothers from small-time nobodies to become the biggest kin 3.7kReads8.8Score25114d adds
- 130 [The Underworld: The Storm Rises Again] 【黑道，风云再起】 “Once you’ve drawn the bow, there’s no turning back.” “When I chose the path of the underworld,” “I’d already passed the point of no return.” “Then I’ll stand at the very top of the underworld,” “so the world can only look up to me, and everyone will know my name: Lin Mo...” 162Reads—Score—14d adds
- 131 Sons and Daughters of the Jianghu: That Midnight Sun 江湖儿女：那一轮午夜的太阳 The rules of midnight are a way of life much like the law of the jungle. At midnight, what you see may be the moon, but in their eyes, it is their sun. Set against the real-life underworld of the 1990s, this story follows Zhou Shenghua's life in the jianghu. 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 132 I'm a Locksmith, and You Want Me to Exorcise Demons and Ferry Souls? 我一个开锁匠，你让我摆妖渡魂？ Guo Cheng is a master locksmith who has never failed. Until one day, he opens a “lock” and unlocks the door to another world. From then on, his clients are no longer limited to people with security doors. They include the demon spirits that wander among the living. He picks locks to “lock” away danger, and ferries spirits so they can depart in peace. In the shadows of the city, demons and ghosts run rampant. Watch as a locksmith uses his skills to forge his own path as a ferryman between the wor 49Reads—Score—14d adds
- 133 Underworld King: From the Detention Center to a Black-Gold Empire 黑道枭雄：从拘留所到黑金帝国 During the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty, Li Sheng, leader of the underworld gang known as the Four Seas Gang, is betrayed by his subordinates. As he lies dying, his resentment forms a soul, and he unexpectedly travels through time to the modern day. On the day he arrives, Li Sheng is locked up in a detention center. Amid the center’s motley mix of people, he realizes that no matter how times change, human nature and desire remain eternal. The underworld will never disappear. The gang boss fro 89Reads—Score—14d adds
- 134 Dongguan, I Am King! 莞市，我为王！ What kind of legendary path will Li Feng carve out after leaving martial arts school and arriving in Dongguan? In the bright days of youth, ride proud and true. Make the most of your time, and know where you’re headed. May you roam the world for half your life, then return still young at heart... (The original cast of strongmen who rose from vocational school reunites. A new story, a fresh start!) 393Reads7.3Score—14d adds
- 135 Hong Kong Films: You Told Me to Shoplift for Free, Now I've Gone Legit and Become a Boss 港片：让你零元购，你洗白当大佬 Ye Tianlong transmigrates into the world of Hong Kong action movies set in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a mainland-born robber! By chance, he gets a Spend-Nothing System that rewards him whenever he gets things for free. At last, his skills have found the perfect use! From the start, he's handed an AK, sweeping across Hong Kong Island and setting off on a path to conquer the world. Ghost Brother, the masked man with an AK, the Dragon Gate leader, the King of Electricity, a glory to the Chinese 14.6kReads7.1Score58914d adds
- 136 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 13.1kReads9.4Score1.1k14d adds
- 137 The Underworld: My Dongguan Girlfriend 黑道：我的东莞女友 At the turn of the millennium, I headed south to Dongguan with just 800 yuan in my pocket. Someone stole my wallet on the train, and I staggered into town after going hungry for three meals. I planned to keep my head down and work on an assembly line, but on my very first day, the team leader told me to take off my pants. I beat him up. Then I beat up the fourteen guys who came after me with machetes. Then I took on the whole street. The female owner of a nightclub handed me a gun and a stack of 590Reads6.3Score10914d adds
- 138 Tales of Shanghai’s Underworld 沪上黑道往事 My new novel is here! You’re welcome to read my work 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! The male lead of this book loses his father at a young age and depends on his mother. To avenge his father, he goes up a mountain to study martial arts under a master. After completing his training, he comes down and succeeds in taking revenge. To escape the authorities’ pursuit, he brings his mother to Shanghai. By chance —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 139 The Thirteen Hawks of the Underworld 黑道十三鹰 He was once a shining star in the military, rising to prominence through his fearlessness. But fate took a sudden turn during a brutal battle with drug traffickers. In the midst of a fight to the death, he had no choice but to kill a captured drug lord, a decision that forced him to leave the military. From then on, he entered the underworld, burying his former glory and sense of duty deep within. Like a lone wolf, he roamed the world of darkness and began a life in the criminal underworld that 878Reads—Score—14d adds
- 140 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 3kReads7.9Score33014d adds
- 141 The Women I Met in Dongguan Back in the Day 那些年，我在东莞遇到的女人们 [Urban underworld + no System + nostalgia + beauties + power struggles + ruthless action + pure wish fulfillment, no self-torture] Back in Dongguan in 2004, he rises from bodyguard to nightclub beauties to the godfather of Dongguan's underworld. Li Zhan moves to Dongguan for work and meets A-Zhen, who works at a nightclub. After an unexpected incident, Li Zhan drives away a customer harassing A-Zhen, only to find himself at odds with the local underworld. To survive, he's forced into the crimina 21kReads8.6Score1.5k14d adds
- 142 Who Cares About Being Young and Reckless? Only the Victor Reigns Supreme 什么年少轻狂？我只知道胜者为王 [Campus Drama]+ [Street Toughs]+ [School Beauty]+ [Underworld]+ [No System]+ [One Heroine]+ [Not a wish-fulfillment story] Original title: Those Wild Years of Youth at School My name is Chen Qing. I never thought I’d end up going down this road after all… Disclaimer: This story is entirely fictional and is not intended to encourage anything improper. Please do not relate it to real life! Reproduction without permission is prohibited and will be prosecuted. New book: "After Getting Out of Prison, 5.7kReads8.4Score36914d adds
- 143 Reborn: Forcing My Underworld Boss Dad to Go Straight! 重生：逼着黑道老爸金盆洗手！ [Reborn] [Underworld] [Turning over a new leaf] [Leaving the life behind] In his previous life, Qin Ye and Qin Su were the top leaders of the Fierce Dragon Gang. They had done so much evil that they were executed by firing squad. When Qin Ye opens his eyes again, he has returned to twenty years earlier. In this life, the Fierce Dragon Gang, led by Qin Su, has only just started down the path of organized crime. Everything can still be put right! Qin Su: “Son, we’re already this rich. It’d be a wa 441Reads7.5Score10914d adds
- 144 Underworld Tales: One Hand Shrouds the Heavens 黑道往事之只手遮天 [Realistic, not overpowered, no harem, no System, not reborn] A novel about the southern underworld, telling the story of several young men who avenge their brother and gradually rise to become crime bosses. Whether it is the underworld or organized crime, it is all just a game of chess, a set of rules, fraught with danger and human cunning, and driven by power and desire. Behind the bustling city lies a shadowy underworld filled with darkness and desire, where power and money intertwine, and te 413Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 145 Evil Emperor: Sinful Inferno 邪皇：罪恶无间 [Black X Evil Emperor]+ [Passionate]+ [Reborn Big Shot] Nine death-row prisons across the country. Thirty-six top death-row fighters are selected to dominate the underworld. Reborn in the world of the Evil Emperor, he faces Blood Eagle and fights Lone Dragon. What has he to fear from the life-taking Azure Darkness? The strongest gladiator in the country, Chen Zui is the one and only! 8.5kReads9.1Score50814d adds
- 146 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. 31.2kReads9.1Score2.7k14d adds
- 147 The Underworld Heiress Makes a Fierce Bodyguard 黑道千金猛保镖 [Underworld] + [Urban] + [Multiple Female Leads] + [Power Fantasy] [Not for readers under 18] Wang Meng rose from bodyguard to godfather of the underworld, unifying both the criminal and legitimate worlds. His was a life of power and grandeur. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 148 Cast Aside in Desperation: Returning in Glory 绝境弃子：归来荣耀 For ten years he kept his head down, enduring every sneer. The world saw him as a discarded nobody from the bottom rung, lowly as mud and fair game for anyone to bully. But Jiang Mu is the last heir of Jiang City’s most powerful hidden clan, and a dragon-patterned jade pendant conceals an immense force. A hidden dragon in the deep will one day reclaim its place. When he gives the word, armies will gather. Those who oppress me will see their graves overturned; those who have shown me kindness wil 48Reads—Score—14d adds
- 149 Making a Living on the Side in Australia 我在澳洲捞偏门 This story is based on real events. I came to Australia with a dream of studying abroad, only to be driven to the brink by reality. From a lowly street-level smuggler to a force to be reckoned with, commanding the underworld and crossing the world, I paved my way to power with cunning and bloodshed. Only when I stood at the summit and looked back did I realize that the most dangerous gamble of all is the one you make with human nature. This is a road with no turning back, but who knows which cor 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 150 Lone Wolf of the Underworld: I Came from Hell 黑道孤枭：我从地狱来 Orphaned at eight, I spent eight years keeping my head down. I came from hell, and I came for revenge. When the lone wolf strikes, the underworld runs red with blood. Those who owe me will repay me tenfold. Those who wrong me will be ground to dust! 201Reads—Score—14d adds
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