Novels like The Underworld: I Make the Rules
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Underworld: I Make the Rules, 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 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 From Prisoner to Undercover: Playing Both Sides 从囚徒到卧底之黑白通吃 Wang Hao is a fourth-year student at the Law Enforcement Academy. His father was killed on a mission two years ago. His mother, the only family he had left, was buried when gangsters forcibly demolished their home. With justice nowhere to be found, Wang Hao accidentally left someone crippled and was sent to prison. By a twist of fate, law enforcement officials selected him and promoted him to undercover agent. Walking the line between black and white, he gradually became a major figure in both w —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Madman of the Martial World: Power Without Limits 江湖狂枭：权势滔天 Gao Wen has only one rule for life in the underworld: anything can be fake, but survival is always real. Gao Wen fought his way to a place in the underworld with his fists, only to be stabbed eight times while collecting a debt. His cousin Gao Lin is thrust into the role at a critical moment, and every faction is ready to make its move. There is the authority of the hospital security department, the interests surrounding the Second-Floor Restaurant, and enemies threatening to take his life... In 167Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 My Life in the Underworld 我的江湖人生 I, Li Qiang, have made my way in the underworld on three things: being ruthless, being loyal, and having plenty of brothers… The jianghu is a world full of legends and strife, where blades flash and chivalry meets tenderness. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 The Inner Game of the Underworld 黑道风云局中局 On a stormy night in an unfinished building, Long Xiao, once the crime boss whose every footstep could make an entire street tremble, falls into the hands of the brother he trusted most! After a gangland betrayal, he goes from a king who could command the winds and rain to a hunted fugitive. The iron bars of the holding cell can lock him up, but they can't extinguish the fire in his eyes. His former underlings scatter like birds and beasts, while his enemies' spies are everywhere. No matter! Whe 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Gusu's Dark Day: We Are the Kings of No. 15 High School 姑苏黑昼：我们才是十五中的天 Overnight, my family was slaughtered by the mysterious organization Ba Tian Pavilion. I transferred to Gusu No. 15 High School alone, wanting nothing more than to stay alive. But after I knocked out the so-called freshman-year bully with one punch at the dorm entrance, I was dragged into the whirlpool of the school’s hidden power struggles. At death’s door, my second brother, who was supposed to have died in Jinling, appeared before me as a sophomore and became the “cold-faced demon” feared by —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 The Evil Lord Descends into the Abyss 邪主临渊 [Underworld] [Brotherhood] [Passionate] [The author is also a fan of Uncle Qin] I was bullied all through middle school. I thought things would get better in high school, but I was still bullied. Little by little, those people led me down a road of no return... My name is Mo Daoxie. Dao as in “principle,” and Xie as in “evil.” 5Reads—Score114d adds
- 8 Tales of the Underworld 黑道风云往事 This story is entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is coincidental. This book urges people to choose the right path and serves as a warning to those who have gone astray. At eight, backed by my uncle, I planted the seeds of violence with a kitchen knife and blood. At sixteen, yearning for the world of the underworld, I plunged headfirst into its maelstrom. I saw its filth and darkness, its betrayals and its worship of profit, with only the faintest trace of loyalty. I s 61Reads—Score214d adds
- 9 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
- 10 Reborn: The Principal of My Vocational School Calls Me Big Brother 重生，我在职高校长叫我大哥 Reborn on the first day of vocational high school, Fang Wu looked at the familiar school gates, his body trembling slightly. In his previous life, he drifted aimlessly, bullied and good for nothing, until he dropped dead at the factory from working himself to death over a twelve-year-old iPhone. This time, back at school, he would turn it into his own empire! While everyone else coasted through school, chased a diploma, or tried to make a name for themselves, Fang Wu brought the toughest stude 4.1kReads6.5Score27814d adds
- 11 Who Can Rival Me? Ruling the Four Seas 谁与争锋：纵横四海 A fan-fiction sequel to the original novel No Good: Who Can Stand Against Me, written by Fuqin de Ren. This is a new story set after Chapter 2007 of the original. All the unresolved threads in the original’s romance plot will be answered here. 21.5kReads8.3Score1.2k14d adds
- 12 A Life Gone Awry 错乱的人生路 This book tells the story of a young man from a county town in the 1990s who accidentally ends up on a path that was never meant to be his. The old days of the underworld are gone. (This story is entirely fictional. Do not take it as fact.) The book warns readers never to set foot on such a path, no matter what. Good and evil bring their own consequences, and fortune and misfortune follow one another. You must bear the consequences yourself; no one can do it for you. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 Bloodshed and the Rise of a Young Man 血染，少年崛起 (This work is set in a fictional world and contains science fiction elements.) This is a story about brotherhood and the code of the underworld... Do good people really get what they deserve? Do so-called bad people have their own reasons...? In these chaotic times, perhaps the only way forward is to join the underworld. The saying that good and evil are always repaid in the end is nothing but words meant to comfort people. Before true power, perhaps we are no more than ants. Perhaps only after 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Ten Years Later, I Became a Gang Boss One Step at a Time 十年后，我一步一步成为帮派大佬 Ten years ago, I, Lei Zhen, was nothing but a good-for-nothing whom everyone despised... But remember this: You may look down on an old man with white hair, but never look down on a young man just because he’s poor... Ten years later, a mysterious gang quietly rose from the shadows of the city. Its leader, Lei Zhen, used his exceptional leadership and iron-fisted methods to carve out a path for his men through the city. But their rise drew the covetous attention of other powers, and one bloody c —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 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
- 16 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
- 17 An Oil Peddler's Wild Ride 油贩子的狂飙之路 “You intercepted that shipment?!” “Yeah. The old man was right: intercepting one truck is no different from intercepting ten, so I figured I might as well take everything.” “…” Wang Mian is a small-time hood from a shantytown in Mengbei City. Starting out as a petty oil peddler, he matches wits with all manner of shady characters. Step by step, he grows into a major power in Mengbei. 1Reads—Score214d adds
- 18 Dark Night Turmoil 暗夜風云 Crime, love, friendship, and all-consuming passion. After Lin Yu's father lost his business and could no longer bear the burden of his debts, he jumped to his death. His family was plunged into despair overnight. His mother was bedridden with a serious illness and urgently needed an enormous sum for medical bills. With nowhere else to turn, Lin Yu was swept into a gang fight on the street. When he stepped in to save a girl who was being bullied, he displayed extraordinary courage and fighting sk —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 He and His Thousand Brothers 他和他的一千个兄弟 A sweeping crackdown on organized crime by the municipal Party committee and government brought Kangcheng ten years of peace. But after a decade, criminal forces sprang up like mushrooms after rain and returned in force. A breakup, having his identity stolen in the college entrance exam, and a construction boss’s schemes led Chen Li’an to give up on making an honest living. In the end, he went down a path of no return, turning against society. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 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! 891Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 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 6.7kReads6.9Score65814d adds
- 22 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
- 23 A 2026 New Year Gift, Delivered Exclusively to Shuyang's Deadbeats 2026新年礼专送沭阳老赖 "2026 New Year’s Gift: Specially for Shuyang’s Deadbeats", a short drama script for Hongguo My name is Zhang Yuxuan. I once treated people sincerely in Shuyang and gave them all the help I could. I lent them money, helped them through hard times, and treated them like family. But all I got in return was a pack of shameless deadbeats: “I borrowed it fair and square. Why should I pay it back?” “I’m poor, so I’m in the right. I’m not paying!” “Anyone who pays back a debt is a sucker!” Eleven court —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Leaving the Fortieth Parallel 离开北纬四十度 I fell from the capital to the bottom of the school food chain in a county town. Three years of humiliation forged my courage and won me brothers. I fought fire with fire. It looked like I had won, but in the end, all I could do was flee in disgrace. There are no heroes in this story, only a survivor who refused to remain a victim. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 Where Do the Falling Leaves Drift? 落叶飘向哪儿 (Underworld, school life, mind games, high martial arts) In middle school, a misunderstanding made Jiang Wanlin the target of a gang of petty thugs. Just when things looked desperate, Brother Hao appeared and showed him that in a dog-eat-dog society, only the strong avoid being bullied. So when he started high school, Jiang Wanlin refused to be pushed around any longer. He clenched his fists and plunged into the world of street gangs, dragging his good brother Liao Linfeng in with him. From stre 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 The Jianghu: A True Account of Half a Life in the Underworld 江湖：混社会的半生真实经历 A chaotic age, filled with flashing blades and clashing steel! The martial world is like a cup of tea. Everyone tastes it differently. My name is Zhao Long. Back then, most people called me Long Si, Brother Si, or Fourth Master! I'm not exaggerating when I say my reputation back then was almost as great as that of the famous Fourth Master Qiao up north! I was a poor kid who couldn't afford a meal. Through sheer grit and ruthl 4.7kReads7.1Score19314d adds
- 27 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. 42Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 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
- 29 Underworld Storm: The Iron-Blooded Road of the Martial World 黑道风云：铁血江湖路 [I'm Ma Tiejun. I'm a man of few words, but if you cross me, I'll take you on.] To make it in the underworld, you have to build up your business and earn plenty of money in the early days; shift into legitimate industries and establish yourself in the middle; then gradually clean up your act so you can walk away unscathed. The road through the underworld is hard, and few make it out alive, but I have no choice. I can only grit my teeth and keep going... Now that I'm on this ship, I'll be the fie 7.3kReads7.8Score62014d adds
- 30 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 155Reads7.4Score—14d adds
- 31 Flowers Blooming in the Mud Will One Day Turn Toward the Sun 泥泞里的花朵，终会向阳开 Watch an ordinary man rise step by step from a pathetic weakling to a godfather of the underworld. Feel the thrill of every bone-crunching punch and experience the ruthless art of scheming for power. There are no absolute protagonists, and no absolute supporting characters. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 After Prison, I Became the King of the Underworld 出狱后，我成了地下王者 One accidental assault completely turned the wheel of my fate! By the time I returned from prison, a path to kingship lay before me! It seemed to have been waiting for me all along, awaiting my awakening! I set out on the journey to the very top... 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 My Wild Youth: From Being Bullied to Becoming a Gang Boss 混过的青春：从被欺负到黑帮大佬 How does a timid boy who's bullied every day gradually rediscover the courage he lost in his youth? How does he finally redeem himself? And how does he rise step by step to the pinnacle of the underworld? What secrets lie behind it all? Find out in The Days We Lived Through. 5.3kReads—Score34914d adds
- 34 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 13.7kReads8.4Score1.7k14d adds
- 35 Hong Kong Films: In the East Star Gang, I Summon Lü Bu from the Start 港片：人在东星，开局召唤吕布 After transmigrating into the world of Hong Kong action movies in the 1990s, Chen Jun became a low-level gangster and joined the notorious Crow of the East Star gang. At the same time, Chen Ju unexpectedly activated a System that could summon famous generals. From then on, he began summoning renowned generals from every dynasty into the modern world! Bai Qi, the murderous general feared throughout the Qin dynasty! Lü Bu, the mightiest warrior and god of war during the Three Kingdoms period! Zhug 178Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 36 Zhang Bo, Crime Lord: Back in Place and Running the Show 枭雄张波：归位即叱咤 The Powerhouse Zhang Bo: Back in the Game, Ruling the Roost In 1998, Zhang Bo, a brash young man from the countryside near Shuyang, set foot in Taizhou. He carved out a path through bloodshed and chaos, using sheer ruthlessness and cunning to dominate the region. Casinos and territory alike fell under his control, and in Taizhou’s underworld, he was the undisputed boss. Then the law finally caught up with him. Ten years behind bars wore away his viciousness, but could never dull the edge of the 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 The Toughest Man in Yunnan 云滇第一狠人 {Urban Fiction + Power Fantasy + Nonstop Action} In high school, an accident landed me in prison for five years. Thanks to the guidance of a benefactor, I got out and worked my way up from nothing. Build big! Rise again! Rule Yunnan! 445Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 38 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
- 39 Decades in the Underworld: From Hidden Dragon to King 黑道十几年之潜蛟成王 [Not a wish-fulfillment story] [Follow a small-time student thug as he climbs step by step to the top of the underworld] [Not too serious, entertainment comes first!] In a forgotten corner of the city stood a notorious school: Municipal Third Songmu Middle School, known as “Third Songmu.” It was no ordinary academy, but a miniature jungle where hidden talents lurked and the weak were preyed upon. Beneath its peaceful facade, conflict churned like an underground current, and fighting was its eter 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 Urban Mad Dragon: A True Dragon Fears No River Crossing 都市狂龙：不是猛龙不过江 [Business Warfare + Powerhouse + Underworld + Livestreaming + No System + No Rebirth] Zhao Yichen, the undisputed king of Feicheng's underworld, is hunted by two mysterious forces… He is on the brink of death, lying in a pool of blood, when Xiao Mo, general manager of Brilliant Media, rescues him. From then on, Zhao Yichen conceals his identity and takes a job as a lowly security guard at Brilliant Media. After the Three Little Animals set them up, Brilliant Media is caught in a scandal over 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 Bloodstained Underworld 血色黑道 This novel is based on numerous real events. The author has simply used literary exaggeration to tell the story of a small group of troubled people in civilized society, exposing the filthy methods and despicable behavior hidden beneath their dazzling appearances. People from different walks of life experience different joys and sorrows, all leading to tragic endings. As the saying goes, once you enter the jianghu, its depths are unfathomable; by the time you turn back, a hundred years have pass 63Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 42 Bloodstained Memories 血染的往事 (This story is entirely fictional. The places, people, events, and everything else in it are not real.) In the early 1990s, on a silent winter night, two muffled gunshots rang out beneath the darkness over an old neighborhood. A five-shot hunting rifle with a sawed-off barrel brought more than a scene of underworld vendetta. It also laid bare a hidden storm of bloodshed. Some say he was a loyal and righteous brother. Some say he was an ambitious kingpin. Others say he was a vicious monster, crue 34Reads7.5Score—14d adds
- 43 The Great Tycoon 大枭雄 Three years ago, his enemies broke both his legs, framed him, and sent him to prison, leaving him with nowhere to turn. Three years later, he returns in force! Powerful figures bow before him, and even a God of War serves at his command. He will repay every humiliation from the past tenfold! 1.8kReads6.8Score10114d adds
- 44 The 11th Book by Qu Shen 去甚第11本书 That year, the train bound for Guancheng became the turning point that changed his life. No one could have guessed that from then on, he would set out on a road of no return, one all his own. Years later, there was only one thing he wanted to say to that city... 31Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 Those Years, Those People, Those Things in the Underworld! 黑道那些年，那些人，那些事儿！ Someone once said, “The jianghu isn’t about fighting and killing. It’s about human relationships and worldly wisdom.” Countless people have quoted this line and hailed it as a classic. I picked it up from a TV drama, and it went to my head. But without fighting and killing, is the jianghu still the jianghu? Fighting and killing are the price of admission to the jianghu. Coercion and enticement are the means of making your way in it. Human relationships and worldly wisdom are the art of ruling 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 A Journey Through Troubled Times 浊世征途 This is not a brainless power fantasy, and there is no System or golden finger. After seventeen years of writing, my specialty is fabricated reality and real fabrication! If you do not like it, please do not read it. Thank you for understanding. Those years, those brothers, those stories! Let us set sail and renew our old bonds! May all the brothers who pass by, come in, follow along, and offer their support live to be a hundred, enjoy abundant wealth, and have all their wishes come true! 41.2kReads9.4Score3k14d adds
- 47 A Ballad of Jianghu 江湖的悲歌 An accident took Man Cheng’s grandfather’s life, but it also introduced him to someone who would become very important to him. The incident changed the way he saw the world and set him on a path of no return. As more brothers joined him, ready to weather every hardship by his side, he found himself traveling farther and farther down that road. Looking back on his youth, some people are still by his side, some have ended up behind bars for good, and some he will never see again. 405Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 Reckless Youth: I'm Going to Be Number One Under Heaven! 年少轻狂：我要当天下第一！ Our youth was wild and rebellious, our lives carefree and reckless! Wang Tian transmigrates into the world of Young and Reckless and decides to unite the underworld with Wang Hao and the others... My name is Wang Tian! Wang as in “king of the world,” Tian as in “answer to no one”! 1.2kReads6.8Score10214d adds
- 49 I'm a Hoodlum: Two Strokes, One Vertical, That's How We Do Things! 老子是流氓，两横一竖就是干！ “Hello, my name is Fang Xiu. The ‘Xiu’ in ‘to the bitter end’!” In this bloody underworld where people prey on one another, Fang Xiu is swept against his will into one whirlpool after another! Only after stepping into it does he realize that the underworld is a bottomless vat of dye, filled with schemes, treachery, and betrayal! By the time he wants to turn back, he’s already sunk deep into the mire, with no way out! All he has left are the few brothers at his side, standing shoulder to shoulder 39Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 Li Ran’s Road Through the Underworld 李燃的江湖路 At the notice board of Longcheng No. 1 High School, Li Ran's name had sat at the top of the honor roll for years. With a pen and an exam admission ticket, he could open the door to another world. Until one evening, on a street lined with food stalls, Zhao Tianyu tore it all apart with the roar of his Porsche. His girlfriend, Ding Xiaoxi, was harassed, and his brothers were beaten. When Li Ran charged forward with a beer bottle in his hand, he never imagined that the cut across his skin would bec 4Reads—Score—14d adds
