Novels like The Underworld: From Low-Level Thug to Godfather
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Underworld: From Low-Level Thug to Godfather, best match first.
- 1 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
- 2 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
- 3 The Black Son of Heaven 黑天子 [Realistic Underworld + Everyone Is Smart + First-Person] An unconventional workplace in a bygone era, where people deal in social connections as well as bloodshed. This “workplace” is hidden behind two veils. One is called the world beyond the law, and the other is called the underworld. My name is Chen Chunsheng, a survivor who experienced both worlds firsthand. 30Reads7.3Score—14d adds
- 4 Central Plains Storm: Song Liugen, Godfather of the Underworld 中原风云之黑道教父宋留根 Since time immemorial, the underworld has been a bloody road forged through endless fighting. The warmth of its early days is slowly obscured by greed and sin. One slash on Youyi Road sent blood three feet high and made him famous across half the city. It also unleashed twenty years of bloodshed and terror. From a low-ranking punk collecting protection money on the street to the “underground emperor” of a vast empire built on crime and wealth. He trampled over corpses, recruited men, and swallow 3.6kReads8.4Score24214d adds
- 5 I Didn’t Tell You to Join the Underworld, Yet You Became the Boss 没让你混社会，你却当了大哥 [Not invincible, not brainless, no System, and full of passion] In the early 1990s, Li Luoyang was sentenced to three years in prison for accidentally killing a street thug while acting in self-defense. After his release, he chose to stay in the urban village, waiting for news of his girlfriend. Instead, he was unexpectedly drawn into one gangland feud after another. From disputes over table fees at a mahjong parlor to life-or-death fights at construction sites, he was repeatedly thrust into the 48Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 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
- 7 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
- 8 The Jianghu of Those Years 那些年的江湖 Quiet! Class is about to begin!!! At Uncle Two's shout, the hall and the streets packed with people fell completely silent. Just then, the young crowd parted, making way without being told. Wen Hua walked through, hearing his brothers call out to him as he passed. “Brother Hua!” “Greetings, Brother Hua.” 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Underworld Turmoil in Yunnan and Guizhou 滇黔黑道风云 Even with nothing to your name, you can still shape the world! A poor boy can become a lord! People love reading face-slapping stories about rich families. I, however, want to write an inspiring tale of a poor boy facing one twist in the road after another, surviving countless brushes with death before rising to power! Life never goes exactly as you wish. In all things, be content if things go even halfway your way. Follow the eventful rise of a young man from Nanguang, from hauling bricks to ru 5.2kReads6.6Score24114d adds
- 10 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... 34Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 The Fire Usurper: Ship Without a Shore 篡火者：无岸之舟 The flames of war left Chen Hao an orphan. San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1985: a land of chaos and gold. His second uncle took him in and looked after him. But in a foreign land, he endured scorn and humiliation! Should Chinese people really let others walk all over them? No! No! No! Stir up the storm, and turn into a dragon when the waters rise! Witness a Chinese man’s rise to godfather! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 The Pearl River Delta Rises: The Man in Charge 风起珠三角：话事人 [Decisive and Ruthless] + [Sharp-Witted] + [Brotherhood] + [Industrial Tycoon] Pearl River Delta, 2004. It was the best of times: assembly-line machines roared day and night, and gold seemed to lie everywhere. It was also the worst of times: the urban villages were a tangled mix of people, and might made right. Chen Jun had been driven to the edge of a cliff, with a group of poor brothers who had nowhere else to go behind him. "The rules around here need to change. From now on, I'll be the one m 41Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 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 7.8kReads7.8Score68514d adds
- 14 Storm over Binhai 滨海风云 The jianghu isn't about fighting and killing. It's about human relationships and worldly wisdom. The underworld isn't about fighting and killing either. It's just a way for people to make a living by going down a dark path. Chen Mu, an orphan, was just an ordinary food delivery driver. One late-night delivery brought him together with Chu Wanyin, who had been hurt by love. At the same time, his biological father came looking for him. Liu Xie, also an orphan, chose a path entirely different from 32Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 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
- 16 The Jianghu in Its True Colors 江湖本色 [New book: River Dragon on the Loose] Many years ago, a group of cocky young boys smoked cigarettes that cost just a few yuan a pack and talked big about their dreams. Longing for the day they would grow up, they shouted, “Our future is bright!” Looking back in an instant, the old street is still there, and the stars shine as they always did. But are the brothers from those days still the same? A man remains a boy until the day he dies! Just like youthful passion, it may cool, but it never dies! 982Reads7.2Score10214d adds
- 17 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
- 18 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
- 19 Skybreaker: Born Stubborn 擎天之生来倔强 [Urban + action-packed + youth] From the city’s nightlife to the front lines of the war on drugs, he uses underworld tactics to serve his country and people! In the end, he burns the drug dens to the ground and etches his bloodstained underworld legend into the backbone of his people! 27Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 The Bad Years of Youth 2: Wang Hao Returns to China 不良之年少轻狂2：王浩回国篇 [First-Person] + [Urban Underworld] + [Fan-Fiction Sequel] + [Humorous Style] + [Not Mindless] The two heroes of Beiyuan are both indispensable. During my year and a half in Arabia, I made a name for myself all over again, but a phone call from Sister Nannan left me no choice but to return to that familiar place... One day, Yuan Shao’s Forest Bar was suddenly trashed by a gang of mysterious masked men. And it wasn’t the only place. Yu Chengfei also disappeared while investigating, so I boarded a 4.2kReads—Score18214d adds
- 21 Oh No, This Mob Boss Can Tank a Nuclear Bomb 坏了，这黑老大能硬抗核弹 [Gangsters + No Goody-Two-Shoes + No Mindless Protagonist + Invincible in the Later Stages] Qin Dong transmigrates to the year 2004 in a parallel world, taking over the body of a small-time gangster who has done every evil imaginable and is hated by everyone. He also awakens a System that makes him stronger every time he kills someone. He can increase his strength just by devouring evil people! Infinite toughness! Infinite heat resistance! Infinite bone strength! ... Gangsters hunting him down: 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 Rise to the Top of the Underworld! 引领黑道巅峰！ [Power fantasy] + [Undercover agent] + [Clash of black and white] + [Decisive and ruthless] + [No System] + [Patriotic] Three years, then another three years, and another three years! Jiang Wuqing, you’re a cop! No! I’m the gang’s top enforcer! If you weren’t a cop, why wouldn’t they arrest you when they took down the gang? I play both sides! Years later… Please, when you take them down, take me with them. I can’t take it anymore! There’s really no crime left anywhere in the world. I’ 853Reads6.9Score10614d adds
- 23 Big Brother of the Streets: Starting as a Demobilized Soldier 社会大哥：从退伍军人开始 My name is Wang Yi. Wang as in “king,” Yi as in “number one”! My big brother told me there are three essentials to making it in the underworld: being ruthless, knowing when to endure, and having a plan. But he never told me that life in the underworld would mean blood and tears, death and farewells! Countless bones pile up in the wilderness, and the law's net is wide enough to catch every hoodlum. Of the countless gangsters out there, only one or two ever make something of themselves! And I'm on 8.2kReads8.7Score80914d adds
- 24 Tales of Black and White: Leaping Through the Dragon Gate 黑白往事之跃龙门 (Hardcore underworld, a rise from humble beginnings, ensemble cast, smart characters, a realistic coming-of-age style, not a mindless power fantasy, not first-person! Readers under 18 should exercise caution!) How much impact can one misunderstanding have? Enough to change someone's entire life! Can someone with a damaged brain still be a gang boss? Not only can he, he can be a great one! In the early 1990s, the tide of the market economy swept across all of China, stirring up everyone just like 2.4kReads7.0Score14714d adds
- 25 My Uncle Is Huang Bingyao, and I’m Invincible from the Start 阿叔是黄炳耀，我开局无敌 In Hong Kong's underworld and law enforcement circles, there's one ironclad rule you must never break: You'd be better off provoking the King of Hell than the uncle-and-nephew duo of the Wong family! After transmigrating into a Hong Kong crime drama, I became Wong Bing-yao's nephew. From the start, I acquired a System. In this chaotic era, where gangsters roam the streets and armed criminals spray bullets with AKs, the rules for undercover cops are the rules! My uncle, Wong Bing-yao, is a shrewd 43.7kReads5.7Score4.4k14d adds
- 26 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
- 27 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
- 28 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
- 29 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
- 30 The Game of Fortune: My Life in the Underworld with the Girls of Dongguan 富贵棋局：我和东莞姐们的江湖路 In the 1990s, who ruled Shenzhen’s underworld? That would be Shenzhen King Jia Dai! I was just a hotheaded rookie fresh to the scene, but to protect my beloved Sister Qingshuang, I beat up Zuo Shuai, who was in a wheelchair. Zuo Shuai was Jia Dai’s lifesaver and sworn brother. He’d just had his legs crippled in Macau, and now I’d gone and beaten him up too. Jia Dai promptly put out a hit on me... 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 The King of Hardened Criminals from Prison 监狱出来的悍匪之王 In 2001, Hanjiang City was named the safest city in the country. Chu Tianhong made an indelible contribution to that distinction, because two of his underlings were arrested. 23.9kReads8.8Score1.4k14d adds
- 32 Flame City: The Pinnacle, Memories of No. 4 Middle School 焰城顶点之四中往事 The Past of No. 4 Middle School, at the Top of Yancheng 21Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 A Song for the Underworld 混子的挽歌 [Raise our cups and toast the rugged road through the underworld.] [Through blood and fury, a brotherhood that lasts a lifetime.] A naive, timid young man, to keep from losing the brothers at his side again, chooses to take up a three-foot steel blade and step into a world stained red with blood. Behind the brotherly bravado and drunken revelry of the underworld, the only things that never change are ruthless exploitation and cold reality. The people he meets make him sick. And little by little, 2.4kReads7.3Score23914d adds
- 34 Bandit City 匪城 [Not a wish-fulfillment power fantasy, and the protagonist isn't invincible: a comeback story + underworld conflict + a rock-bottom start + personality reversal + ruthless decisiveness + brains and brawn + ruthless bandits and war criminals abound] I'm Shen Liu. Ever since my father was imprisoned for seriously injuring someone when I was seven, I've endured humiliation at every turn. Then a girl appeared, and my life began to change... Once again, they knocked me down. As they unzipped their —Reads—Score2.2k14d adds
- 35 Tales of the Hong Kong and Macau Underworld 港澳黑道往事 Told from a third-person perspective and set in the otherworldly port city of Aocheng, this novel explores the social issues of a particular era in Hong Kong and Macao. It also depicts the tragic fate of the underworld and the darkness of human nature in another world. At the same time, it reflects on gang culture, showing readers the cruelty and unsustainability of life in the underworld, and the harm it causes to individuals and society. The story is entirely fictional. Please don’t imitate it 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 From School Bully to Big Shot, I Fought My Way to the Top 从校霸到大佬，一路杀疯了 The rating is still low, but it will rise as more people rate it. Read without worry: the characters won’t suddenly become stupid. [Underworld fiction + play the pig to eat the tiger + master strategist + resource consolidation] Lin Feng was born the second young master of an underworld family, yet he was determined to conquer the world through his wits. He gathered his brothers, advanced step by step, and struck decisively. Just as everyone thought he was aiming to become the school’s top bully 93Reads7.3Score—14d adds
- 37 Bloodshed in the Black Abyss 黑渊血戮 (Realistic + Period Setting + Underworld + Political Battles) What is the underworld? It is an endless abyss. Once you take a single step into it, you’ll be trapped forever, with no way out. To make a name for yourself in the underworld, you have to be ready to end up dead in the street or locked away for life at any moment. Now, let me take you back to the late 1980s and show you how the son of a worker gets dragged into this dark abyss and rises step by step to become a crime boss of his era. 898Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 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
- 39 The Delinquent Who Changed the Rules of the Jianghu 不良之江湖换天 Pan Bo, a member of the Black Tiger Gang, had the woman he worshipped stolen from him. In a fit of rage, he castrated a man in broad daylight. After serving 12 years in prison, he is released and tries to reintegrate into modern society. With help from an old friend, he enrolls in a vocational college to turn his life around. How will the story of the Black Tiger Gang continue with Big Brother Wang Hao and Yu Chengfei back on the scene? After his release, Pan Bo will get his revenge and win back 3Reads7.4Score—14d adds
- 40 The Underworld: I Make the Rules 黑道：我才是规矩 Two years in prison, and nothing is as it was. Wherever there are people, there are rivalries and power struggles. Schemes and betrayals are everywhere, and one careless move can destroy an entire family. No matter what, the strong can turn the tables against the odds. Starting today, I make the rules in Philadelphia! 2.4kReads—Score10414d adds
- 41 I Killed My Former Self 我杀死了曾经的自己 My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 169Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 42 The Wolf: A Northeast Gangster 狼性：东北老炮儿 The men of Northeast China are wolves, with wildness in their very bones. The old-school tough guys of the Northeast are a pack of wolves, with an untamed stubbornness running through their veins. I want to tell the story of this pack of wolves, and share it with everyone, because they embody the mark of an era. 260Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 43 Reveling in the Martial World of Liutiao Hutong 柳条胡同之纵情江湖 I'm a huge fan of my brother-in-law, and I really love the Liutiao Hutong universe he's created, especially its characters and storylines. By a twist of fate, Chang Yuan, a modern-day wage slave, transmigrates into his brother-in-law's Liutiao Hutong world. Chang Yuan has only three things to do in Liutiao Hutong: take down Huo Yining! Take down Huo Yining!! And still, damn it, take down Huo Yining!!! Watch Chang Yuan and the brothers of Liutiao Hutong laugh, curse, and live life to the fullest 586Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 My Sister-in-Law Is Too Beautiful. Sorry, I Can't Hold Back! 嫂子太漂亮,抱歉,我顶不住了! Yang Long was reborn in the year 2000. His brother, who had been mixed up in the underworld, died a brutal death, leaving him all alone. After graduation, Yang Long went to Shen City, where Erhu, his brother's good friend, formally led him into the underworld of Northeast China. “Xiaolong, you need to understand that the underworld isn't just about fighting and killing. It's about human relationships and social rules.” “The moment you take your first step into the underworld, there's no turning 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 Winter Reigns Supreme 凛冬为王 In 1998, Frost City was battered by wind and snow. The young Chen Lin had lost his family and been left crippled, suffering one humiliation after another. The moment he entered the underworld, he made ruthlessness his way of life and ruled the streets with his fists. From discarded pawn to overlord, he climbed to the top and became king in the depths of winter. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 The Jianghu: I Am the Kingpin 江湖：我即为枭 [Underworld] [Brothers United] [Mind-Bending] [Passionate and Thrilling] Three years in prison couldn't dull my edge. My name is Wang Xiao. I spent three years behind bars for offending a powerful figure. After my release, I returned to my old stomping grounds with my brothers and the skills my master taught me. Some want to trample me underfoot. Some want to stab me in the back. And my enemies, lurking in the shadows, are watching me like hawks. But my life is no longer something just anyone ca 114Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 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
- 48 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
- 49 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
- 50 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
