Novels like Be the Cruelest One
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Be the Cruelest One, best match first.
- 151 Destined for a Life in the Underworld from Birth 从出生开始就注定混黑道 No System! No brainless antics! Packed with thrilling, iconic moments from beginning to end! My big brother told me to go to school and protect the campus belle, but I ended up reading her a love letter in front of the whole school? The son of the boss of a rival gang wants to be my underling? A gorgeous, wealthy woman wants me to marry her? It's gotten to the point where I don't even want to run with the gang anymore. I'm surrounded by gorgeous, wealthy women. I really don't want to work hard a 1.2kReads7.2Score—14d adds
- 152 Brazilian Godfather: Starting by Saving a Hot Girl 巴西教父，从拯救辣妹开始 [Body transmigration + the underworld rules everything + ruthless decisiveness + no goody-two-shoes hero + multiple women, no main heroine + pictures of beauties + pictures of weapons + smart protagonist + System + both sides of the law + pocket dimension] “First published on Tomato Novel” Bad news: I transmigrated completely naked. Good news: There’s a naked Brazilian girl beside me. Bad news: The gangsters are hunting me. Good news: The System has arrived. With nothing but his bare hands, Lock 54.8kReads8.4Score7.1k14d adds
- 153 The Endless Underworld 黑道无尽 (Period setting, underworld, gritty realism, high-octane) A savage era. An unconventional underworld boss. A story of the jianghu written in blood and tears. So much happened in those years. You can only see it clearly through blood-tinted glasses... 2.8kReads7.7Score28314d adds
- 154 Number One Under Heaven 天下第一 No money to give you, but you can take my life. I’m the best in the world! Looking at his disheveled reflection in the mirror, Chen Dong slammed a fist into it, his eyes bloodshot. “From today on, no one will ever walk all over you again!” 15.2kReads8.9Score1.2k14d adds
- 155 The Drifter's Road Home 混子的归途 With my brothers by my side and guns in our hands, let’s see who gets to call the shots in this underworld! I may stay out of the underworld, but once I step in, I’ll make every thug submit and every boss get out of my way. I’ll become the... king of this underworld! New book: Underworld Boss: Starting as a Veteran. Now serializing to great acclaim! 30.1kReads9.2Score2.2k14d adds
- 156 Tiger Husband 虎夫 [Born to be somebody, just going through a rough patch for now!!!] 3.9kReads8.8Score27914d adds
- 157 The Tiger Roars Across the Central Plains 虎啸中州 Three cups of wine for the mortal world, one pot of tea for a legacy that lasts a thousand years. What does it mean to truly live? Let me tell you what it means to unleash a ferocious tiger. Some ride horses, some sit in sedan chairs, while others push carts and shoulder their loads. I’ve never admitted defeat. You can beat me a thousand times, but I still won’t cry!!! 187Reads—Score—14d adds
- 158 Reborn in the Great Heist, the Black Gold Tycoon Strikes Back 重生大劫案，黑金大佬逆袭记 [Urban rebirth + System + underworld boss + ruthless + scheming] A down-and-out middle-aged man unexpectedly reborn 28 years into the past. Caught in a shocking bank heist, he activates the “Black Gold System.” “Go ahead and make more money. It'll all become my fortune sooner or later anyway. Hahaha!” … Notorious bandit Ye Zhihuan: “Who's tougher than me in the underworld? Lin Dong? Never mind, then.” King of Thieves Zhang Ziqiang: “I once stole 1.2 billion from Li, the richest man in the coun 11.2kReads7.9Score52814d adds
- 159 Jianghu Dragon: Underworld Storm in the Northeast 江湖枭龙：东北黑道风云 Three years in prison, and everything had changed. After his release, Lu Tao found himself at a crossroads in life. The snowstorm that year was so fierce it bent Lu Tao’s back. The friendship that year was so warm it helped him emerge reborn and fight his way upstream. Watch as a close-knit group of friends stand shoulder to shoulder, stride through a turbulent era, and build something magnificent! 19.1kReads9.1Score1.1k14d adds
- 160 A Life of Dark Desires 黑欲人生 Keep your hands ruthless, your mind sharp, and your nerve strong. The martial world is a place where people devour one another. Talk about honor and reason? You'll end up without a bone left! [Blood-Soaked Martial World] [Love and Hate] [Powerful Background] [All the Right Ingredients] 16.3kReads8.9Score1.4k14d adds
- 161 Day One of College: I Start Running with the Underworld! 大学第一天，从混黑道开始！ A powerful underworld boss is reborn as a college student. With the System’s help, he rises once more to the pinnacle of the underworld. [Feel-Good Revenge + Urban + Underworld + Boss + School] Starting out as a college student, the male lead Lin Ao works his way to the top of the underworld, dominating both the criminal and legitimate worlds. He has powerful backing and influence that reaches everywhere. Dear readers, please be patient as you read. The story starts off ordinary, but the excitin 902Reads6.9Score10214d adds
- 162 My Dad's on the Straight and Narrow, I'm in the Underworld 白道爹，黑道我 [Not invincible! Not invincible! Not invincible!] The martial world is a road of no return, and its people are pawns that have crossed the river! Where will the drifting ship in this forbidden zone finally end up? Watch as this wandering youth stirs up a storm! Black side: I've got countless brothers! White side: My backing is powerful beyond belief! Money is just something you can't bring with you when you die! [Entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!] 100.1kReads9.0Score7.3k14d adds
- 163 The Underworld: The Jianghu Big Shots I Brought to Heel Over the Years 黑道：我那些年收服的江湖大佬 The underworld is a road of no return. It's a last chance for those with nowhere else to turn to make a comeback. Win, and you reach the height of power and become fabulously wealthy. Lose, and at best you die; at worst, you become a cripple. This road takes three parts vision, six parts luck, and one part relying on yourself. By some stroke of luck, I won. When I got out of prison, I didn't have a penny to my name. Now I'm surrounded by beautiful women and rule this whole territory. This road w 6.7kReads8.6Score55614d adds
- 164 I'm No Little Punk: The Shorties' Hero Squad 我不是小混混之矮子英雄队 I'm determined not to become a hoodlum. Even a short person can stand tall. Not every hero is tall, but every passionate heart deserves to be seen. I won't go along with the ways of the world. I'll walk my own path through the jianghu. The road is long, so may we meet again at the summit... 77Reads—Score—14d adds
- 165 The Butcher Who Walked Out of Prison 从监狱中走出的人屠 Being part of the underworld isn’t about fighting and killing. It’s about dealing with people. Su Bai had no connections, no powerful backers, and had just spent ten years in prison. After his release, he was penniless, so his older brother found him a job as a computer lab attendant. Watch him turn his life around and make his way in both the underworld and the legitimate world. In the underworld, he’s a big shot with people ready to answer his call. In the legitimate world, he has powerful fri 28.4kReads8.5Score2.3k14d adds
- 166 Godfather of Lancheng: Starting Out Hauling Cargo at the Docks 岚城教父：从码头杠包开始 [Underworld power plays + passion + no System + battles of wits + multiple heroines + unconventional twists] P.S. This is neither a mindless power fantasy nor a story about an invincible protagonist!!! Jiang Liechen arrives in Lanzhou and becomes the new leader of a gang. On day one, he punishes the wicked and beats a traitor to death. On day two, he wins over the gang leader’s wife and takes control of the gang. On day three, he purges both the underworld and the authorities, leaving his enemie —Reads9.2Score—14d adds
- 167 Godfather of the Underworld: Planting My Flag in Mong Kok 黑道教父：从旺角插旗开始 Hong Kong is in turmoil, and crime lords rise on every side! Chen Kun is a low-ranking 49er in the 14K triad, with no power or influence. But he's both clever and brave, fearless, and full of brotherly loyalty. With the New World and Wo Shing Wo watching him like tigers, and the ruthless, bloodthirsty Big Circle Gang closing in, he's caught in the maelstrom of a chaotic era. His only way to survive is to risk his life. He rises through bloody underworld battles and makes a name for himself on th 299Reads8.3Score—14d adds
- 168 When an Honest Man Picks Up a Knife 当老实人拿起刀 This is a straight-up crime-world novel! It does start with the protagonist being reborn, but after that, the story has nothing to do with being reborn! In short, the plot is ruthless, satisfying, and wild... The underworld here is all about fighting and killing, but also about human relationships and social rules! 22.4kReads9.1Score1.8k14d adds
- 169 Within Canglan 苍兰之中 After the planet Qingmu Huanhai was unified by Huangfu Shou, the Canglan Kingdom was founded. The former kingdoms of Bailong, Hei, Lushu, and Xingji rose in rebellion, hoping to restore their old regimes. The protagonist, Liu Yicheng, was orphaned at a young age and taken in by the abbot of Shaolin Temple. He trained at the Bodhidharma Hall from childhood, mastered all of Shaolin’s martial arts, and breezed through the Eighteen Bronze Men formation. After completing his training, he descended th 27Reads—Score—14d adds
- 170 Dongguan After Dark 夜幕下的东莞 [Underworld Power Fantasy | Beauties Galore | Relentlessly Ruthless | Beauty-Protector Extraordinaire] He’s the ultimate protector of women. Anyone who lays a hand on his women, whether they’re underlings from the Shanzhu Gang, thugs from the Black Dragon Society, or big shots from the Hongxing Gang, gets taken out! He recruits followers, seizes nightclub territory, raids casinos, and roots out traitors. Armed with nothing but a steel pipe and sheer ruthlessness, he fights his way from wanted fu 108Reads6.4Score10214d adds
- 171 Storms Over the Northern Frontier 塞北风云 [Underworld Kingpin]+ [Rise to Power]+ [Take Down the Boss and Claim His Wife]+ [Multiple Female Leads]+ [Ensemble Cast]+ [Passionate Underworld Adventures]+ [Scheming and Hilarious] Be an ordinary man: greedy for money and fond of beautiful women. That was one thing I realized after getting out of prison. I used to be an underworld boss who could turn the tide with a flick of my hand. But my brothers were either locked up or gone. I used to be a pushover too, until I met that woman. She changed 41.9kReads9.1Score3.1k14d adds
- 172 Above Canglan 苍兰之上 The planet Qingmu Huanhai is home to many nations, including two great powers: Tianqiu and Lushu. Many minority tribes near Tianqiu frequently raided its border, plunging the kingdom into years of war and leaving its people in misery. Under the leadership of King Qiu Lianjie and the Eighth Prince Huangfu Shou, however, Tianqiu eventually reached its peak. Lushu, by contrast, enjoyed peace and prosperity. The kingdom favored civil officials over military ones, while powerful in-laws and a succes 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 173 The Hidden Dragon of the Righteous Path 正道潜龙 One of Wei Jie’s four-part series A shooting case. An undercover agent lies dead in the street. An investigator once swore an oath beneath the solemn national emblem. At a crossroads of fate, a twin brother makes a dramatic entrance, leading to a lonely yet passionate story... Back to 1998! Our brotherhood is still here, our youth is still here. From this point, we set sail once more and forge the next great triumph! 39.3kReads9.5Score4.7k14d adds
- 174 The Charismatic Hero 枭雄 The goddess who looked down on me back then now wants to partner with a company under my name… A golden-scaled carp is no mere pond fish. When its destined moment comes, it transforms into a dragon. I’m going to become a ruthless tycoon and make everyone who looked down on me regret ever crossing me. 594Reads8.5Score10114d adds
- 175 The Blood Dragon of Carnage 狂煞血龙 To find her, he enters this battle for power with a band of beastlike brothers at his side... After she is murdered, he raises his blade and unleashes a massacre that shocks the world... His bloodthirsty nature earns him the fearsome title of the greatest killer emperor in history... With his arrival, the underworld is shrouded in a bloody haze for decades... 1.6kReads8.9Score11814d adds
- 176 The Gray-Eyed White Cat 白猫传灰瞳 The young heir of a crime family is forced to become a beggar. With nothing but a bowl from the start, he becomes the Zhu Yuanzhang of the underworld. Fresh twists and airtight logic. Italian mixed-race, ruthless, cruel, and realistic. He kills decisively, with every punch landing hard, every blade striking true, and every bullet finding its mark. A slow burn. Trust me, it only gets better as it goes. (No saintly heroine, no System, no harem, pure underworld fiction.) —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 177 Apocalypse: The Dark Prince and Nine Dragons, One Phoenix, Cross the Wasteland 末世，暗黑太子，九龙一凤踏废土 The apocalypse descends. Order collapses, ferocious beasts run rampant, and humanity struggles to survive. Lin Mo, once the crown prince of the underworld, awakens the ultimate dark power. His father fell in battle, and his enemies hold sway. He swears to repay blood with blood! At his side are nine dragons and one phoenix, along with brothers united in heart, each possessing overwhelming strength. He slays ferocious beasts, crushes his enemies, claims territory, and sweeps across the wasteland! 2Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 178 Vulgar Stories II 粗俗故事II Just how forward can a girl be when she takes the initiative? My name is Liu Haojie. My childhood made me the kind of guy who’s no good, with no redeeming qualities to speak of. At least I get along all right with women. They all call me a player, but I just want to sample every flower under heaven and live an outrageous life. 60.7kReads9.4Score3.9k14d adds
- 179 Hunting a Movie Star: I Took Down the Underworld 围猎女星：我干翻地下江湖 [A passionate underworld saga set in the jianghu, with female celebrities, a harem, cunning scheming, power struggles, capital, and intricate, brain-burning plotting] [This is not a brainless story. If you like low-quality, mindless fiction, stop after the first three chapters. The underworld is more than gangsters, and the jianghu is more than fighting. The first thirty chapters reveal just a fraction of the picture. I’ll use my own experiences to show you what the underworld really is, and wha 192Reads—Score—14d adds
- 180 My Years in the Gang 我混社团那些年 The internet’s most authentic account of Hong Kong’s criminal gangs in the 1960s: Kowloon Walled City, the Four Great Detectives, the four major gang families, the Eighteen Tigers of Kowloon, the Twelve Beauties of Mong Kok, and the rise of influential bosses such as Crippled Ho and Fatty Kun, all revealed one by one! This story is adapted from the oral account of a senior member of a Hong Kong and Macau gang. As he is now over eighty, I recorded and adapted his story myself! For special reasons 20.3kReads9.1Score2k14d adds
- 181 Supreme Warlord 至尊战王 After ten years on the battlefield, the God of War returns. He wields power over all and is richer than a nation! But his entire family has been slaughtered, and the mastermind turns out to be his fiancée... 609Reads8.4Score10314d adds
- 182 Shen Jintang, the Madman of the Martial World 江湖狂人沈金堂 [A thrilling, action-packed tale of brotherhood and honor, where heroes command respect and ambitious leaders vie for supremacy. Handsome men and beautiful women.] The martial world isn’t just about fighting and killing. It’s also about human nature and navigating the ways of the world, all while living by the blade. Build an empire that commands half the land. Thrive in the business world and enjoy the fruits of success with a beautiful, wealthy woman... 185Reads—Score11314d adds
- 183 The Gangster Tycoon Who Rose from the Hutongs 胡同里杀出来的流氓大亨 Previously published under the titles Dragon City Years and Thirty Years in a Bloodstained Underworld. This is a lawless age where every corner is ruled by a big shot. This is the story of a naive young man who turns into a bloodthirsty beast just to survive. This is an underworld tale full of thrills and passion! Welcome to the 1980s… 40.4kReads9.2Score3.8k14d adds
- 184 Overseas Turmoil: The Path of a Crime Lord 海外风云之枭雄路途 My name is Lin Feng. I’ve encountered, witnessed, and experienced many industries and incidents that people would rather keep hidden. So many people have been lured overseas by high-paying jobs, only to die. So many have died because their desires could never be satisfied. This synopsis can’t do the story justice. Read the novel to find out more. 8kReads9.1Score65714d adds
- 185 The Legend Reborn 传奇重现 The four-part series by Wei Jie: We Were All Bad Kids, I Am Legend, Legend Reborn, and Hidden Dragon on the Right Path. A young man, still green, left his hometown in a fit of anger. Four years later, he returned, weathered and bearing the glory of success! In a city built from reinforced concrete, old friends were gone and legends had faded into retirement... Faced with his family’s reproach and his friends’ disdain, he had once wandered at a crossroads, pointing into the dark sky with his 31.7kReads9.4Score3.1k14d adds
- 186 The Peerless God of War 绝世战王 After ten years on the battlefield, the War King returns, rich enough to rival a nation! But his entire family has been slaughtered, and the culprit turns out to be his fiancée... 2.2kReads7.2Score16514d adds
- 187 I'm Just a Coolie, and You Want Me to Become the King of Shanghai? 我一个苦力，你让我当沪上王？ Original title: Republic of China: I'm a Big Tough Guy [An impassioned war of resistance! No System, no ripping Japanese soldiers apart with bare hands! Just bayonets in, blood-red blades out!] The protagonist, Lu Yin, transmigrates to Shanghai and joins the Paoge Society. With his three styles of internal martial arts and formidable skills, he takes on the Green Gang, the Hongmen, and other organizations in the glittering world of Shanghai... He navigates the underworld and battles warlords. Af 9.9kReads8.9Score75914d adds
- 188 I Am the Legend 我就是传奇 I don’t know when it happened, but a bunch of people like this came into my life, even though I’ve always been cold-hearted and a little shameless. When I got dumped, they’d say, “What’s the big deal? Lost your girl? Find another one tomorrow. If you’re really desperate, I’ll lend you myself for the night!” When I felt lost, they were always there with me in our cramped little rooms, shouting, “We give it everything we’ve got, all so we can make something of ourselves!” ... Back then, I couldn’t 19.6kReads9.3Score2k14d adds
- 189 Temptations of the Jianghu 江湖诱惑 [Underworld + Mature Beauties + Conquest + Feel-Good Action + Multiple Heroines] [The first five chapters take their time, but the story gets thrilling later. Read ten chapters, and if you’re not hooked, come chop me up!] Wang Xiaohu leaves the countryside for Jiangcheng, hoping to live a quiet life, but a clash draws him into the whirlpool of the underworld. He meets Qian Jiajia, gets close to Cui Meng, and is even forcibly h 31.8kReads8.0Score2.9k14d adds
- 190 Black Desires of Youth 黑欲青春 (Not a wish-fulfillment story, and the hero isn't invincible. Enter at your own risk.) A youth stained with blood, vows made without regret, inexperienced love, sincere friendship, the cruelty of society, and the complexity of human nature. An unforgettable, turbulent era! A piece of underworld lore passed down to this day! A band of brothers who shared honor and disgrace, life and death! An unmatched era, with a flag-bearer standing at its peak! Laughing as we watch the tides of fortune, marchi 47.7kReads9.4Score4.3k14d adds
- 191 Xu Fei's Wild Life 徐飞的浪荡人生 Just after the Lunar New Year, Xu Fei returns with a simple pack to the small northern city where he was born and raised, after three years away. He'd planned to find any wife and settle down to an ordinary life, but fate has other plans. He is pushed onto a path unlike any other, and begins a life far from ordinary. 780Reads6.7Score11114d adds
- 192 The World’s Most Terrifying Organization: Ruling the World 全球战力最恐怖组织：称霸全世界 [Assassin]+ [Mercenary]+ [Underworld] I founded the Underworld and hunted down the fiends. A hundred kings under my command wage war across the land, all to reach the pinnacle of the world. Assassins, mercenaries, the underworld, the whole wide world. My name is Zhou Du. I kill… I do not ferry souls! 84.4kReads8.8Score6.5k14d adds
- 193 Demon Slayers of the City 都市斩妖人 Have you ever heard stories about monsters? Have you ever wondered if monsters have always existed, lurking right beside you? Have you ever wondered if you're still safe because the profession of monster slayer has existed for over a thousand years? Wang Qianchen woke up one morning as a monster, only to be mercilessly hunted by monster slayers. From then on, he stepped into a bizarre and wondrous world! 4.2kReads8.7Score40414d adds
- 194 Crouching Tiger 卧虎 A hidden dragon rises from the depths and devours all things; a crouching tiger commands the mountains and guards a thousand frontiers! When I was little, the strange older girl next door always asked me to help wash her. When I got a little older, she taught me how to be a real man! Twenty years of flashing blades, eighteen years of changing seasons. The black throne may change hands, but true kingship belongs only to madmen who dare to dance with the devil! 14.6kReads7.7Score2.9k14d adds
- 195 I Saved a Stunning Beauty, and She Tried to Hack Me with a Knife by the Bed 救了绝色美女，她在床边拿刀砍我 Chu Lingtian is a legendary man known as the "Grim Reaper Wolf King." He returns to the city for a top-secret mission, never imagining that on his very first day back, he will spend the night with a beautiful woman named Liu Bingxue. Afterward, Liu Bingxue takes him home and passes him off as her boyfriend. But it turns out she has a twin sister, Liu Huohuo. The older sister is cold and aloof, while the younger is uninhibited. Sharing a room with these twin beauties is certainly thrilling. After 11.5kReads8.7Score1k14d adds
- 196 Hong Kong Dramas! I Have No Choice 港综！我没得选 Is Liang Kun my second uncle? Am I an illegitimate child of the Ni family? I want to make my own way. Someone gives me a chance? Do I even have the right to choose? When I try to turn back, I find no one behind me... 3kReads6.4Score10414d adds
- 197 Wolves and Brothers 狼与兄弟 The wolf may look cold and ruthless, but beneath that exterior lies boundless tenderness. He is willing to sacrifice himself for his family and brothers! Just like Wang Ying, the protagonist, his heart isn't cold. It's the way he looks down on worldly conventions that makes him seem that way! Like a wolf king, he can become the heart of any team, leading his brothers through life-or-death trials, never abandoning them! From the awkwardness of college days to the hardships of entering the working 7.4kReads9.3Score49014d adds
- 198 I Was Reborn, So Why Am I Still a Loser?! 都重生了，我怎么还是混子？！ [Undercover in the underworld + ruthless and decisive + no sanctimonious do-gooding + sharp as a tack] Brothers, this book once had over 500,000 readers following it, and kept that readership for several months. Quite a few people have adapted it into absurd animated videos and AI short dramas. I’m not a touchy person. You can post videos without my permission, but shouldn’t you at least show me a little respect? Couldn’t you include the original book title and the author’s name? Using Foqin’s n 25.7kReads9.1Score2.7k14d adds
- 199 The Underworld's Turbulent Road 黑道风云江湖路 What is the Dao? It does not arise because of one person's goodness, nor perish because of one person's evil. Good and evil are determined by people; rise and fall are determined by fate. The people of the world think they are fighting for money, power, or pride. Only in the end do they understand that they were fighting for nothing but illusion. The Dao knows no black or white. All living beings are within the game. (Note: This book is extremely realistic and even somewhat oppressive. Re 136.5kReads9.2Score9.4k14d adds
- 200 Buddha's Son of Heaven 佛子天 [No System, no golden finger, an underdog's comeback, a grim early story and a thrilling later one! Anti-drug operations + counterespionage + a brutal start + underworld conflicts + love of country and family] With a mysterious background, a strange family, and a vast shadow lurking behind him, a student with a tragic past is driven to become a madman feared by both the underworld and the legitimate world! A madman who wants to turn the entire world upside down! He crushes the demons and monster 15kReads9.4Score2.5k14d adds
