Novels like The Women I Met in Dongguan Back in the Day
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Women I Met in Dongguan Back in the Day, best match first.
- 1 Xie Wenyuan: Rise of the Underworld 谢文渊：黑道崛起 [Violent Underworld] [Suit-Wearing Thug] [Cultured Scum] “Adjusting my glasses is a habit. Slitting throats is my profession.” Xie Wenyuan has always believed himself to be a reasonable, respectable man. Even when issuing an order to wipe out an entire family, he would still gently push up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, a harmless smile playing at the corners of his mouth. It began in a dark, damp alley in H City, reeking of rot; It began with a ballpoint pen piercing a local gangster’s pa 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Conquering the Abyss 深渊问鼎 He Wen is down on his luck after a romantic disappointment. His girlfriend of four years ended their relationship over the gap between her demand for 188,000 yuan in betrothal gifts and the realities of buying a home and a car. Heartbroken, he goes to a KTV to drink and shout his sorrows away, but a small mishap with an open door leads to a clash with three men in the next room. He Wen has trained in martial arts for a few years and works out regularly. Fueled by alcohol and resentment, he grabs —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Gray Zone: Embers 灰域：余烬 A school-set gang story with one female lead. Not a wish-fulfillment power fantasy. No absolute good or evil. Set in a parallel world with no connection to reality. The world has never been simply black and white. Most people live somewhere in the middle, neither thriving nor dying, in a gray zone. We hold knives in our hands and softness in our hearts. We can be neither saints nor demons, only struggle to live in endless gray until we're reduced to ashes. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 The Years I Wandered the Jianghu 我走过的江湖岁月 The day I went to the city with the 3,000 yuan the whole village had scraped together to seek help from my cousin, I caught him kneeling and kowtowing in his rented room, calling a burly man with a fierce face “Boss.” My first lesson in society: I thought my cousin was a respectable man who'd made it in the city. Turns out he was a thug who acted like a dog for others, and he wanted me to serve them tea and water too? I thought the city meant factory assembly lines and shared dormitories, a stab —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Memoirs of a Bad Kid 坏孩子回忆录 A true story I made up, told in an ordinary tone. A boy's coming-of-age story, a record of a group of teenagers' youth. I dedicate this book to my wild and reckless youth. (A new author with a new book. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 My Years in the Gray Market 我干灰产那几年 After spending two years in prison for illegal business dealings, I picked up my pen in 2025 and wrote about my own experiences. After only two chapters, I went back in for another six months. Now, speaking as someone who’s been through it, I want to lay out the truth about how I went astray and make clear the hard lessons I learned from falling twice. I hope my personal experience can serve as a warning to others: know your limits and stay on the right path. Don’t let greed or wishful thinking —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Tales of South City: A Furious Stand for Love 城南往事：冲冠一怒为红颜 It’s a matter of the underworld, so let it stay in the underworld. Don’t let the trouble reach your family! What does it mean to understand how the world works? Is that the underworld? Have you ever seen the real underworld? The underworld is treacherous, riddled with traps and dangers. The underworld is a chess game. One wrong move, and every move after it is wrong. You and I are all just pieces. Money? Money? More money? Power? None of that is what I want. I want fairness. I’ll tell you from p 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 The Legend of Lin Chusheng 林楚生的传奇 A fortune-teller once predicted that he would be a doormat. Then, on one rainy night, he chose a path of no return and carved a road to greatness through blood and fire. The price was his brothers and his own name. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 A Pot of Liquor in Dongguan, Jimei, Come with Me 东莞一壶酒，集美跟我走 [Passionate Wuxia] [Love and Romance] [Humorous and Funny] Chen Hao’s wife died young, and he was so consumed by grief that he couldn’t pull himself out of it. Seeing how much he was suffering, his parents-in-law urged him to head south to Dongguan and seek help from his sister-in-law. But when he arrived in Dongguan, he discovered the shocking reason she had always been single... To save her from this living hell, Chen Hao had no choice but to raise his fists. After spending a while here, h 8.3kReads8.8Score1.4k14d adds
- 10 Tales of Qingdao: The Jia'ao Brothers 青岛往事：胶澳兄弟连 Nine young men with nothing to their names risked their lives to uphold one word, loyalty, amid an era of upheaval. They lost brothers, lovers, and their health. In the end, some became tombstones, some became legends, and some became ordinary people. But the words they spoke at Xiaogang Wharf in the early hours of the third day of the Lunar New Year in 1998, facing fifty men with machetes, carried more weight than any underworld code: “What the hell is there to be afraid of?” 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 Tales of Longcheng’s Underworld: My Years in Black Gold 龙城黑道往事之我的黑金岁月 In the 1990s, Longcheng had seven major criminal gangs. The locals came up with this couplet: First came Ding, then Wei, Cao the Third was Fat; Mao the Fourth, Guai the Fifth, and Monk the Sixth; The banner line: Manlin rules them all. But not one of these utterly wicked people met a good end. This book will unveil that dark and chaotic era, and the bloody turmoil that once unfolded across Longcheng. (All names and places in this story are fictional. Any resemblance to real people or places is p 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 Underworld: Making a Name for Myself 黑道：扬名立万 [Underworld swindlers + smart characters + both sides of the law + big shots + neither wholly good nor evil + double undercover agents + Part Two of the Northern Frontier Storm] For a man… what does it mean to be alive? To drift through life accomplishing nothing? That just means you’ve lived. It seems that for a man, making something of himself, bringing honor to his family, and making a name for himself… That’s what it means to be alive! My name is Han Yangming. I used to be a top student, but 365Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 13 I’m Just a College Student. So What If I Become a Red Pole? 我一大学生，当个红棍怎么了 Qin Yu thought passing the police academy entrance exam would let him escape the harm caused by his family. Instead, his parents framed him and made him take the blame for his younger brother. He met a benefactor in prison, but after his release, how will he rise step by step to become the underworld's overlord? Stay tuned. The coming-of-age story of a college student in the criminal underworld: a classic, blood-pumping power fantasy with no System, astronomical combat power, and a young man who 130Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 My Years in Shenzhen 我在深圳那些年 Li Dayong, a young man from the countryside, wants to go to Shenzhen for work but can’t afford the fare. With no other choice, he asks Wang Erha, the village bully, for a loan. Wang not only refuses, but mocks him as well. While brooding over the encounter, Li Dayong discovers that Wang Erha has a pretty young woman imprisoned. Driven by a sense of justice, he rescues her. She sells her jewelry and takes Li Dayong with her on a train to Shenzhen. But halfway there, she abandons him, leaving him 58Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 15 Northeast China in Turmoil: Black Blood Floods the Songhua River 东北风云：黑血漫过松花江 Every ordinary fish can shed its scales and bones, then ride the wind and transform into a dragon. A young man, hardened by surviving near death, returns to his hometown carrying his brother’s ashes for burial, only to find his brother’s family enduring abuse and fighting for their lives. In that moment, he chooses to take up arms and crush every insult and injustice. When everything is wiped clean, he starts over. The first thing he learns is to bow his head. The last thing he learns is how to 1.8kReads7.1Score10514d adds
- 16 Those Days on the Assembly Line in Dongguan 那些年，在东莞流水线上的日子 Other people go to the factory to work. I went there to survive a trial by fire. I didn't make much money, but romance was blooming everywhere! The factory girl's innocence made my heart flutter, the assistant's favoritism drew envious looks, the female boss's offer was tempting, and my female neighbor's concern crossed the line... For the first time, I realized that being too handsome could count as an occupational injury on the assembly line. 23.7kReads7.7Score2.2k14d adds
- 17 A Working Life in the 1990s 90年代打工人生 The story of a group of people born in the 1970s, who left home in the 1990s to make a living as migrant workers. They choose different paths and carve out different lives. At six in the morning, a faint glimmer of dawn filtered through the curtains. Zhao Xiaoming was no longer drunk, only parched. He turned his head and saw Sister Xie resting her head on his shoulder. She looked like a sweet, youthful girl, curled up with one small leg draped over him. They lay on a bamboo mat in a room half-li 57Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Mad Tyrant Fanfiction: The Blood Dragon Conquers the Heavens 狂枭同人：血龙伐天 [Mad Tyrant Fan Fiction] + [Underworld] + [Ancient Martial Arts] The world descends into chaos, heroes contend for supremacy, and the Heavenly Net sets its plan in motion!! The Blood Dragon descends upon the world, subdues the wicked, establishes the Heavenly Dao, and reigns supreme!! 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 Judgment on a Rainy Night in the City 都市之雨夜裁决 Judgment on a Rainy Night in the City 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 Twenty Years on the Edge of a Blade in Southwest Shandong 刀口之鲁西南二十载春秋 (First person, period setting, not a wish-fulfillment story, underworld) When I was young, I couldn't accept things as they were, so I resolutely set out on the path of the underworld. I thought the road ahead would be smooth, never realizing it would be even more treacherous. I witnessed countless big brothers rise to glory, then fade into decline. All that brotherhood and bravado in the underworld was nothing but an illusion! My name is Zhang Hui, and I'm a man who refuses to accept his l 437Reads—Score10014d adds
- 21 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
- 22 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
- 23 The Abyss Beyond the Ashes 烬余深渊 He was once a spirited young man, but his closest family and sworn enemy joined forces to frame him, destroying his home and leaving him disgraced and on the run. In the depths of despair, he sheds his rough edges and tempers himself into someone ruthless, living under an assumed name and plotting every step. From struggling to survive at the very bottom to fighting his way through blood and violence, he uses cunning to shape the game and ruthlessness to make his name, settling every betrayal an —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 The Jianghu Never Sleeps: Song of a Madman 江湖不熄：狂人歌 [Not a power fantasy, not invincible] [Passionate] [Brotherhood] [Youth] A jack can’t hold up a shattered home, and a wrench can’t stop a gang’s blade. The days spent with fingertips stained by grease come to a bloody end! Brothers stand together with burning hearts, enemies tremble at their name. Bai Hao’s dictionary has no word for forgiveness, only the laws of iron and blood! Anyone who stands in his way will be crushed beneath a boulder. No mercy! 428Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 An Age of Turmoil: The Gangster Who Rose from a Village 混乱年代：从村走出来的枭雄 After leaving the military, Wu Wenjun drifted around the village, looking for a trade to take up. Just then, the village was holding an election for village chief. His Third Uncle, the former chief, was provoked at a banquet. Enough was enough: if you can dish it out, you can take it. How could he stand by while someone bullied a man in his own village? He stepped forward at once, and so began his life in the underworld. When he looked back, he had become a famous young boss in the criminal worl 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 Honor Among Gangsters 黑道有义 My new work is out! Come 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! 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 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
- 28 I Took the Place of a Big Shot’s Most Loyal Lackey 我顶替了大佬的死忠小弟 Urban action + one female lead + the underdog rises among his brothers + power plays + personal growth + not invincible Because his face is identical to that of a missing underworld boss, he's forced to take the place of the boss's right-hand man. Alone and posing as a villain, he has no choice but to become one. Standing at the boundary between black and white, what should I choose? And who's pulling the strings? Who's really whose pawn? Stick with it for ten chapters, and things are su —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 The Martial World: The Wild Heavenly Fragrance 江湖：混世天香 The martial world is about both fighting and human relationships. If you know how to get by, you can live in luxury, surrounded by beauty. I always thought I was an honest kid. People bullied me from elementary school all the way through vocational school. A guy who was five feet two inches tall had me, at six feet one inch, pinned to the ground and rubbing my face in it. It wasn’t until my biological father came to take me home that I found out how much power and how many connections I had behi 13.8kReads8.4Score1.8k14d adds
- 30 The Boy Gangster 少年的黑道 In this world, who is the blade, and who wields it? I don't know, and neither do you. We're just ordinary people, muddling through life. This book is written in the first person so you handsome readers can put yourselves in the story more easily. It might not be very well written, so please leave your comments and constructive criticism. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 Black Ice 黑冰 In 1993, in Shenyang’s Tiexi District, mechanic Xu Mo is an honest man, until local gangster Zhao Hu comes knocking and one of his men slaps Xu Mo in the face in front of everyone. His master told him to stay on the straight and narrow before he died, but this world won’t let him live that way. He turns to four brothers: an orphan, a veteran, a laid-off worker, and a petty crook. Five men crushed to the very bottom of society stack their hands together in a rundown repair shop. “Hurt one of us, 448Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Tales of the Underworld in Dongguan 莞城江湖往事 The jianghu isn’t a world of free-spirited heroes, revenge, and fine clothes atop spirited steeds. It’s a filthy, chaotic reality twisted by darkness! I, Zhang Xingheng, entered the jianghu to play the game of schemes and use my brains. Everything in the world was part of my calculations, including myself! So, you ask why I succeeded? Because every big shot in the jianghu fell victim to my schemes! They fell amid blades, guns, and blood! From the moment I stepped into the jianghu, every big shot 11.4kReads6.8Score65114d adds
- 33 Black and White Rule: Overseas Storms 2 黑白为王2海外风云 (No brainless antics + Urban + Underworld + Passionate + Brotherhood + No Harem + Faux-Realism + Feel-Good Power Fantasy + Overseas Gang Life) The official sequel to the hard-hitting, realistic underworld epic Three Fingers! Black and White Rule 2: Overseas Storm is now underway! Leaving the underworld of their homeland behind, they set foot on unfamiliar foreign soil. Beneath the surface, the Mekong River region seethes with undercurrents, while cross-border forces from Hong Kong and Macau are 19Reads—Score10714d adds
- 34 The Cool Goddess Who Took Me into the Underworld Is Actually an Undercover Agent? 带我混江湖的冷艳女神，竟是卧底？ Two years in prison for a crime he didn't commit taught him the ways of all walks of life: one hand appraises antiques, the other picks pockets. Once a young laborer on a construction site, now Lord Bai of the Rongmen! Money debts are hard to repay, but debts of love can be even deadlier. The icy beauty Sister Jing, the haughty A Hui... There are unseen clashes of blades and shadows, and women of every kind... 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 My Thirty Years 我这三十年 You can take this seriously, or just read it for fun. From one era to the next, the world has changed many times over. We can leave the public upheavals aside for now. How much of what happens in the city after dark can ordinary people like us really know? After the 1979 self-defense counterattack ended, Qichao's father, Qilin, took advantage of the call to support local economic development and volunteered to leave the military and return to civilian life. He brought along Qijing, who was alrea 11Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 36 Legend of the Black Flag 黑旗传说 A bloody journey through the underworld, alongside a band of passionate young men who live for vengeance and loyalty. Who says the modern city has no underworld? When Wei Tianyi was born, strange signs appeared in the heavens, and his mother died in childbirth. A wandering fortune-teller declared that he was born with the Three Extinctions fate. His father feared being dragged down by him and fled to another land. Wei Tianyi was raised by his grandmother, and after she died, he and the brothers 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 Hong Kong Films: All My Disabled Underlings Are SSS-Rank 港片：我的残废小弟全是SSS级 Chu Feng transmigrates into the most miserable enforcer in the Hongxing Society. From the start, Chen Haonan treats him like a dog, and his underlings are all either blind or lame, missing arms or legs! He activates the “Pay-to-Enhance System”... 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 The Gangster Heiress 黑帮名媛 In a dog-eat-dog world, only the capable rise to the top, whether man or woman. When self-interest is at stake, family ties are the most likely defense to hold until the end. Every member of the Song family is a fine actor. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Hong Kong Films: The Eternal Family, Raising an Army of Gao Jin from the Start 港片：永恒家族，开局爆兵高晋 Ye Fan is reborn in a world where Hong Kong movies have merged, becoming the nephew of Da Sha, the owner of a car dealership in Sai Kung. He activates the Eternal Family System, grows stronger through daily sign-ins, and summons the fearsome Gao Jin! He originally plans to build up the family in peace, but gets dragged into the scandal over Chen Haonan's missing MR2. When Da Sha is surrounded by the Hung Hing Five, Ye Fan and Gao Jin charge in without hesitation! “You want to lecture me about Hu 501Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 40 Blue Flame and a White Shirt 青焰与白衬衫 My new work is out! Come read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support is what motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 Forever Young: My Days as a Migrant Worker in Shenzhen 青春无敌：我在深圳打工的日子 [Manhua-Style Urban Novel] In my senior year of high school, I came to Shenzhen alone to work. Whose youth was never lost? Whose youth was never wild? Those events, those people, and those girls who once appeared in my life! 320Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 42 A Man of the Jianghu 江湖混的人 What kind of people are these? They’re a rowdy bunch, a bunch who think they’re better than everyone else. The brothers we ran wild with back in the day. When our youth had passed and we looked back, some familiar faces were nowhere to be seen. Some had gone far away, some had faded into silence, and some were still eating from the same communal pot. Why? Because the road we took was one we could never turn back from. 1.4kReads8.2Score—14d adds
- 43 Reborn God of War: Going Undercover to Stop Scams and Save My Girlfriend 重生男神：卧底反诈救女友 In his previous life, Guan Yuncheng’s cover was blown while he was undercover at a telecom fraud compound, and he was thrown from a thirtieth-floor rooftop. Before he hit the ground, he saw with his own eyes as his girlfriend, Yin Ningning, was tricked into going overseas and tortured. When he opened his eyes again, he was back one year earlier. His girlfriend was still the same innocent college student, and the fraud ring had yet to target her. A mysterious anti-fraud System activated in his —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 The Pinnacle of Power: Tales of the Border City 权利巅峰：边城往事 My boss promised that if I served eight years in his place, he’d give me three million to start a new life. But I got out early for good behavior, only to find that the boss was a lying bastard who even wanted to take my wife for himself. At last, the hidden dragon awoke. I’ll kill anyone who stands in my way, be they god or Buddha. Big shots beg me to let them off. I became the brightest new star in the underworld. Here is the story, in the words of a legendary crime boss: “Do little people des 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 Reborn: Turmoil on the Frontier 重生之边境风云 Reborn with vengeance, Lin Zhennan returns to the frontier and carves his way forward with ruthless resolve. He recruits vicious dogs, studies under a martial arts master, gathers loyal brothers, and takes on crooked merchants, turning the timber and jewelry empires into his chance to defy fate. This time, he won't settle for merely surviving. He'll protect those who deserve it and rise to the heights he was meant to reach. 120Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 Reckless Years, 轻狂岁月， The little brother I used to look down on has suddenly become the big boss... Chase the campus belle, take down the school bully! A legend in the west of the city is still a legend in the east! I, Chen Han, never hold a grudge, because I get my revenge the very same day! I charge across the battlefield for no reason but to live out my wild, reckless youth! —Reads—Score114d adds
- 47 The Power of the World 天下势 The martial world stirs, and heroes gather at the Chan Monastery! Blades and spears in hand, they show their mettle, every stance and seat exuding grace. Before the Tianlong Chan Monastery, let us chase the dream of a life of adventure in the martial world. Witness this clash of heroic figures as we continue our own legend of passion and courage! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 Undercover: If I Don’t Close the Net Soon, I’ll Really Become a Godfather 卧底：再不收网，我真成教父了 [Underworld|Undercover|Ruthless|Revenge|Gang-on-Gang Warfare|Anti-Drug] The Lone Wolf undercover operation ended in disaster. Jiang Chen was betrayed and shot dead. When he opened his eyes, he had been reborn in 2015, on the very day the Lone Wolf Plan was launched! This time, he had five years of memories from the future. Crush the drug lords, expose the dark secrets, clean up the underworld, and root out the moles! From a low-level street thug, he would fight his way to becoming the godfather —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 Reborn as the Boss of the Underworld 魔帝重生之我在黑道当老大 During a battle between the Demon Emperor and the Immortal Emperor, the Demon Emperor was stabbed in the back by the brother he trusted most, and perished. He thought this would be the end for him, but who could have guessed? His soul was reborn in the body of a young man. Just as he was trying to make sense of it all, he discovered he had become the boss of an underworld gang. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 My First Steps into the Real World! 初闯社会！ A mischievous little punk back in his school days, he somehow ends up getting into police academy through a twist of fate. During his time there, he transforms from a rebellious teenager into a mature, steady, hardworking cadet. Then, by chance, he is sent undercover to infiltrate a criminal organization, gradually building up his own influence... 11Reads—Score—14d adds
