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.
- 151 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
- 152 No One in the Underworld Hasn't Heard of Yu Chengfei 不良之无人不识宇城飞 [Bad Boys: The Reckless Years] [Passionate] [Underworld] [Youth] [First Person] [Yu Chengfei] [Wang Hao] Everyone wants to get the better of me? They say outsiders have a hard time at the vocational college? I’ll show you what a legend looks like! What secrets did my father and Uncle Wang once share? Why am I so drawn to the underworld? It turns out the blood running through my veins has always destined me for greatness. The king of the underworld in Beiyuan City? That’s only the beginning of my 9.2kReads—Score45414d adds
- 153 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
- 154 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
- 155 The Underworld’s Top Scholar, Raised in an Orphanage 孤儿院走出的黑道状元 The Underworld's Top Student, Raised in an Orphanage 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 156 The Thug Gets Out of Prison 暴徒出狱 Before I went to prison, I was a big shot everyone feared. After getting out, I wanted to live a different kind of life. I just wanted to be an ordinary person, live a quiet life, and work hard to make money. I was ready to let bygones be bygones. But I wanted to let them go, and they kept pushing me. So I had no choice but to fight back with everything I had. 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 157 Underworld King: From Fool to Tycoon 江湖枭雄：从傻子到首富 “No jumping into the river here. Violators will be fined 500 yuan!” From that moment on, Li Dongliang’s fate changes completely... [High-spirited Martial World] + [Decisive and Ruthless] + [Genius-Level Intellect] + [Fast-Paced] 47Reads—Score214d adds
- 158 Breaking Into Pengcheng at the Millennium: I Rule the World with the Eight Unorthodox Schools 千禧闯鹏城，我靠外八门只手遮天 [Urban Underworld] [Period Setting] [Outsider Sects] [Traditional Occult Arts] [Wish Fulfillment] [No Protagonist Abuse] [Consistent Updates] In the spring of 2000, Wu Jiuchuan arrives in Pengcheng, a city overflowing with gold, carrying the secret skills of the Eight Outsider Traditions. Back then, Pengcheng was overflowing with opportunities, but also with rules. For an outsider hoping to find his footing, it was harder than scaling the heavens. But no one could have guessed that this young ma 83Reads—Score10614d adds
- 159 Wang Hao, the Inverse Scale King 逆鳞王皓 A comeback, a defiance of fate. Bullied for years because of his weight, he finally reaches his breaking point and vows never to be weak again. He fights back, step by step descending into hell, and soon dominates the campus... 116Reads—Score—14d adds
- 160 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
- 161 Tales of the Southern Underworld 南方黑道往事 A highly realistic and utterly authentic autobiographical story about the underworld. Many readers who have started reading have already been drawn deep into it. Open this book, and you'll see a real underworld: helplessness and betrayal, a deeply immersive world of bloodshed and brotherhood. 5.7kReads8.9Score44114d adds
- 162 The Thirteen Guardians of Tang City 唐市十三太保 The Tang City Underworld Duology, Part One: The Thirteen Guardians The bigwigs of Tang City’s martial world fell one by one during the 1983 crackdown. But wherever there are people, there will always be a martial world, and new forces are already stirring! Who will become Tang City’s next underworld boss? The story of the Thirteen Guardians of Tang City begins after Qin San, Wang Wu, and Ma Liu witness their father’s execution by firing squad! 965Reads—Score—14d adds
- 163 I'm a Goodfella, but a Gangster in the Underworld 白道哥，黑道我 My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy it. Your support is what keeps me writing, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 35Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 164 We’ve Been Around the Block Too 哥几个也混过 We navigate society with feeling, And live our lives by loyalty. When feeling and loyalty conflict, We choose loyalty first. We walked side by side, reveling in the wild abandon of youth through those passionate years. You’re my brother, so we’ll face life and death together. 160Reads—Score—14d adds
- 165 The Godfather of the Underworld 黑道教皇 Brothers for a day, brothers for a lifetime. Their vow of loyalty rings out amid the fanfare of youth: impulsive days, blazing passions, love that lasts until death, and brothers who stand together for life. Whose youth isn't filled with fire? “What do they call you?” “Long.” “I asked for your name.” “People like me don't have names.” “But one day, the world will tell you mine.” “People today don't recognize a tree that will reach the clouds, only praising it once it has grown that tall!” 648Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 166 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 2.9kReads7.7Score23514d adds
- 167 King of the Underworld: I Rule with Unmatched Power 黑道之王：权势滔天我为王 [Urban + underworld + feel-good power fantasy + big shot + no System + two heroines + mildly risqué] This novel is also known as "After Storming the Prison, I Became the Underworld Emperor" and "The Underworld King Who Rose from the Dark Zone", the first part. This is the second part and can be read on its own. Two chapters are all it takes to get your fix. Qin Shiyi came from the Dark Zone. He brought his brothers to Pearl City in District Two, hoping to make something of themselves. By fightin 833Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 168 The Arrogant Bad Boy 不良之嚣张 His name is Xiao Zhangyu, but beneath his brash name lies nothing but silence. Xiao Zhangyu is a rural transfer student whose flashy name belies his quiet nature. At his new school in an unfamiliar city, he fades into the background like a transparent shadow. Introverted, sensitive, and poor with words, he is an outsider on the fringes of the class. Even his humble crush on his deskmate, the school beauty Tan Feifei, is something he can only bury deep in his heart. A clash at an internet cafe ma 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 169 The Underworld: A Fight for the Blood Road 黑社会：血路争锋 In the late 1990s, the waters of the Hai River in Jinmen City carried a stench that wouldn't wash away. They lapped over the dock's bluestone slabs and soaked the mud-caked trousers of Lin Shen. The sixteen-year-old boy huddled in the shadow of a shipping container, clutching a brown paper bag. Inside were three packs of cigarettes he'd managed to “borrow” from a cargo ship that day. They were tribute for Brother Hu, the third-in-command of the Shunfa Gang, and his only bargaining chip for survi 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 170 Rising Through the Underworld with My Mommy 黑道从带妈咪开始 Underworld action with supernatural powers, no saintly protagonist, no System, no invincibility, multiple heroines, and an urban setting! The characters grow and develop over time; they aren't perfect. He starts out as a street punk, and a series of events leads him to fully enter the underworld. He rises to the top step by step! If you like it, please recommend it to your friends! I'd be incredibly grateful! 1Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 171 Dark Glory: Twenty Years in the Underworld of Northeast China 黑暗荣耀：东北江湖二十年 1.3kReads8.8Score10614d adds
- 172 1998: My Bloody Era! 1998：我的血色年代！ When I hit the streets, I rely on just three things! Being ruthless, having money, and having tough brothers! These are passionate, fiery times! These are times when tough guys are everywhere! The moment I picked up a three-edged military dagger, I was destined to spend my life battling through the underworld! Don't talk to me about big shots in the underworld. That won't work on me! Welcome to my story of life on the streets! 6.3kReads8.5Score45314d adds
- 173 The Underworld! 黑道！ [Gangland, realistic, no wish fulfillment, no mindless plot, no System, frequent updates] Five years ago, Lin Jun enlisted in the military. During those five years, he earned countless military honors. Five years later, Lin Jun returns home after leaving the military, only to find not a happy life awaiting him, but his mother's cold corpse. To avenge his mother, Lin Jun has no choice but to embark on a path of no return, stirring up countless waves in the underworld! 34.9kReads8.5Score2.6k14d adds
- 174 The Gray Years 灰色岁月 He walks the edge of the law, yet never crosses the line of his conscience. This is the story of a generation’s wild rise, and of one man’s redemption amid the era’s towering waves. A gritty business-war novel about the entrepreneurial boom in Pengcheng in the 1990s, it follows an ordinary man driven to desperation by fate as he defies the odds and changes his destiny in the tides of the times. 2.8kReads7.7Score24114d adds
- 175 The Bad Boy of the City 都市坏少年 “When a righteous bloodline flows through the veins of darkness, how should a person choose their path?” This dark realist novel blends coming-of-age, family ethics, power struggles, and an epic tale of the underworld. Its central conflict is that of a delinquent student who rises to become an underworld king, yet comes from the most righteous of families. The story explores fractured identity, the paradoxes of fate, and the possibility of redemption. At its heart is the coexistence of light and 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 176 The Underworld Boss Through My Eyes 我眼中的江湖大哥 When Zheng Hao stood up for his ex-girlfriend, Gu Xin, he took down Chengbei Laosi, a small-time thug with a bit of a reputation, twice. His own name soon began to rise. Later, he became enemies with Jin Changxu, a Korean-Chinese gangster, and beat up Chen Jianjun, an old-time thug who had just gotten out of prison. One brutal fight after another turned Zheng Hao into the big brother everyone talked about. But the arrival of Zhou Yunkang, son of veteran boss Zhou Wandai, presents Zheng Hao and h 13Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 177 Who Rules the Changing Tides of the Martial World? 江湖之谁主浮沉 “Northeastern Gangland,” “No Mindless Shenanigans,” “Based on Real Cases” A group of young people, driven by a moment of recklessness, set out on a path unlike any they had taken before... From Xiao Yao's days of loafing around to gradually growing up and setting off down the point of no return, making a living in the underworld... Family, friendship, and love all become entangled... Some die... some go to prison... and others... A new story, a new beginning. Come witness the rise of a true crim 248Reads—Score—14d adds
- 178 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
- 179 Underworld: Blue Skies 黑道：青天 At a class reunion, I kept a low profile and was mocked and sneered at by my former classmates and teachers. Just as I was about to leave, the class beauty from back then suddenly stood up to defend me. 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 180 The Underworld: A Life in the Jianghu 黑道：人在江湖 What is the underworld? No one can really say. To me, the underworld is the jianghu. The jianghu has its own rules and its own stories. It’s not all fighting and killing. More than anything, it’s about human relationships and navigating the ways of the world. In 1996, a film about young gangsters influenced countless young people, leading them down a path of no return... That same year, after four years in prison, I walked out through those heavy doors and regained my freedom. My name is Fang We 206Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 181 Northeast China Underworld: The Autobiography of a Crime Boss 东北黑道：一位黑道大哥的自传 [Urban] [Underworld] [Outlaws] [A Cast of Villains] [Justice Served] [An Unvarnished Northeastern Chinese Gangster Story] The underworld rises and falls, settling old scores in blood. To others, the jianghu is about loyalty, passion, and settling scores with a thrilling flourish. The jianghu I’ve seen is nothing but deceit and betrayal. There are no bonds of brotherhood, only greed. There is no mercy, only merciless extermination. On this road, a knife is leverage, blood is the price, and a cons 31.3kReads8.8Score1.7k14d adds
- 182 Forced to Reveal I Transmigrated, I Broke Zhu Yuanzhang 被迫自爆穿越后，朱元璋破防了 Yang Qu transmigrates to the Ming dynasty, only to find himself about to be taken away for execution. In desperation, he has no choice but to reveal his transmigrator identity to Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang: “You’re really a transmigrator? How can you prove it?” Yang Qu: “Your wife will die this year!” Zhu Yuanzhang: “!!!” Yang Qu: “Your son will die of illness ten years from now, before he can ascend the throne!” Zhu Yuanzhang: “!!!” Yang Qu: “Your grandson will inherit the throne and launch a 158Reads5.9Score—14d adds
- 183 Hong Kong Crossover: A New Force in the Underworld, Starting with Chung Yee Sin 港综：江湖新势力，从忠义信开始 The protagonist transmigrates from the twenty-first century into a combined Hong Kong film universe set in the 1980s, embarking on a life of passion and adventure in the underworld. With the help of a golden finger, he rises from a low-level gang member. As this new force rises, the entire underworld will once again be swept up in bloodshed and chaos!!! 1.6kReads5.5Score10214d adds
- 184 The Jiangnan Undertaker 江南送葬人 (No clichés, no invincibility, no System, no brainless characters) After the 1990s, the jianghu in the eyes of people from Jiangnan was very different from that of other places. People from Jiangnan weren’t tall, nor did they have powerful physiques. They hardly ever swore, and they didn’t roam the streets, fighting without restraint. Their jianghu was no longer about blades flashing in plain sight. They preferred ruthless schemes and power plays behind the scenes. If someone hit you, would you 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 185 Hong Kong Crossover: Reborn as Big B, I'll Have Both Money and Power! 港综：重生大B，钱权我都要！ The rating has just been posted, so feel free to dive in. If you want to lecture me about morals or guilt-trip me, go read a female-oriented novel or watch the news. You can read the Analects, too. This book has no morals. Reborn big shot B. The character was originally named Deng Bin! He has a simple proficiency System with a few skills. Once they reach mastery, the System gradually fades into the background. A full-on revamp of Hong Kong crime dramas' Big B: a true crime boss who does whatever 734Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 186 The Boss 老大 After I accidentally saw my stepmother, Zhang Xiaohong, looking alluring in the nude, my father sent me back to the countryside. I spent ten years studying hard, hoping to make something of myself, only to be framed and thrown in the police station on the day of the college entrance exam. With fate against me, I kicked open the door to the underworld and left behind a miraculous legend in the city of Zhongjiang. [Not a mindless power fantasy + romance and career advance side by side + gripping p 154Reads7.4Score—14d adds
- 187 The Starlet Pretends to Be Drunk and Begs Me for a Chance! 明星大嫂装醉，求着我给机会！ [Urban, underworld, multiple heroines, outrageously satisfying!] [Not for readers under eighteen.] Zhao Xu was pushed into a river by his wife. After dying, he was reborn in the body of a thug with the same name. A gentleman’s revenge may take ten years, but Zhao Xu takes revenge from morning till night. Reborn for a second life, he won’t let any grudge go unsettled overnight! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 188 Desire for Black Gold 欲黑金 [Underworld, Passion and Strategy, Multiple Heroines] Six years ago, Cao Zhishuang broke into the room of the campus belle, a teacher, and ended up behind bars. Now that he’s just been released, an invisible hand has already closed around him. Cao Zhishuang resolutely steps into the game, vowing to uncover the true cause of his father’s death and kill his enemies with his own hands. From then on, he sets out on a one-way road paved with desire and dirty money… 6.4kReads8.1Score67914d adds
- 189 Searching the Underworld for My Missing Son, I Clean Up Crime and Clear My Father's Name 失子入江湖扫黑恶，父冤得伸 (Passionate urban action, a comeback! Multiple female leads!) Also known as "Lost Son Enters the Underworld to Fight Crime, Father’s Wrongful Conviction Finally Overturned" I am the son of a soldier. After getting lost during a sorrowful journey, I was raised to adulthood by a kind rural couple surnamed Ye. I thought it was pure chance that my master taught me peerless martial arts. From then on, I became the greatest martial artist in Nan Yue! Later, to improve my family’s financial situation, 5.8kReads8.8Score38414d adds
- 190 The Forbidden City's Ultimate Playboy: Du Zhicheng 紫禁城最强纨绔：杜之城 A story set in a parallel world. Not real, yet real. He was born a top-tier second-generation rich kid. He united the powerful second-generation crowd across the river. He traveled far and wide, face-slapping all kinds of powerful figures. At a young age, he stood at the very top. The story of Zheng Ge and Xiao Cheng still lives on in the underworld. 11.2kReads7.4Score55214d adds
- 191 The Days We Spent Running Wild Together 那些年我们一起混的日子 Those were the days we spent together. I want to say that no matter what happened, we were brothers. Later, some of us went our separate ways, and some of us died. Only then did we understand that we were true brothers. The wind carries the words we never got to finish. “Either win on your feet or die lying down. That’s our rule.” “Hello, everyone. I’m one of those guys from back in the day.” 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 192 The Underworld Boss Who Came Out of a Martial Arts Academy 从武校走出来的黑道大佬 [Youthful passion + Ruthless + Absolutely no saintly do-gooder] What kind of legendary life will Gu Feng write for himself after returning from martial arts school? A young man in fine clothes, riding a spirited horse: may he make the most of his youth and live without regrets! May you wander far and wide, yet return still young at heart! 15Reads6.5Score314d adds
- 193 A Gangster's Son Enters the Police Academy and Goes on a Rampage! 黑二代上警校，杀疯了！ Human nature is neither good nor evil; one thought is all it takes for others to pass judgment. [Savagery] [Greed] [Desire] [Power] [A refined and elegant heiress] [A proud and spoiled noblewoman] [A sexy, scheming green tea] [A teacher who stirs up trouble] [A mature, perceptive bathhouse owner] [A sweet, innocent, insecure girl] Violence can't solve everything! But for extreme situations, it's a splendid way to handle things! [Su Hu]: “I want both my brothers and the gold!” (The story begins a 308Reads—Score—14d adds
- 194 Brilliant Darkness 璀璨的灰暗 Life stretches on, one wrong turn after another. But with the future still unwritten, how can you know the road beneath your feet is the wrong one? A nobody from the bottom of society carves out a brilliant and extraordinary life with his own flesh and blood! 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 195 Drifting in Shenzhen 深漂 The brash young Lin Qiang comes to Shenzhen for the first time and happens upon Huaqiangbei. The gears of fate begin to turn for Zhang Ruoying, a female business owner… At the end of 2003, college student Lin Qiang and his girlfriend were facing their graduation internships. She went to Dongguan, while Lin Qiang headed to Shenzhen to build a career, and they gradually drifted apart. After their breakup, Lin Qiang gained a whole new understanding of relationships between men and women. In Shenz 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 196 Shenzhen: The Wave Breaker 深圳，破浪者 This story pays tribute to the grand vision of “Made in China 2025,” with its plans for breakthroughs in new energy, smart cockpits, chips, and other fields. It also salutes all the brave souls on the road to starting their own businesses! 🫡🫡🫡 The sequel to "Shenzhen Drifter", "Riding the Waves": In 2010 Shenzhen, Gao'e Capital invests in Yingke Navigation Group, which has only just emerged from the financial crisis. Founder Lin Qiang feels that capital has stripped him of his power, so he reso 57Reads—Score—14d adds
- 197 Bright Darkness 明媚黯黑 Jiang Dapeng leaves the army with a pair of iron fists and goes undercover, but a sudden turn of events completely changes the course of his life. Faced with the lure of enormous profits and mounting pressure, when humanity is put to the test, who will prove human, and who will turn out to be a monster? Caught in the maelstrom, Jiang Dapeng repeatedly finds himself at the eye of the storm and at crossroads of fate. Will he sink into the shadows, join forces with the tiger, and share in its riche —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 198 I Took Beating After Beating Until I Had Every Block Under My Thumb 一直挨打的我，打服了所有的街区 (Hot-blooded gangland action, lots of fights, no harem, no female lead, no System, no invincibility, the protagonist isn’t a saint and shows no mercy.) After three years of being bullied in middle school, Lu Jinnian spent the summer training until he had incredible stamina and could take a beating. After getting into Qingfeng High, all he wanted was to live a quiet life. But the school was practically a collection of warring territories, with each grade staking out its own turf and fists decid —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 199 After Prison, I Just Want to Live a Quiet Life 出狱后，我只想平平安安过日子 [The world is too deep for me. I just want to make something of myself.] My name is Ma Tengfei. I had just finished the college entrance exams when I got into a fight and was sent to prison for three years, missing my chance to go to college. A death-row inmate named Uncle Ming told me there were three kinds of people in this world: those above everyone else, courted by the masses and living lives others envy; those in the middle, scurrying around like ants and fighting one another just to survi 6.2kReads7.5Score42814d adds
- 200 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
