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.
- 101 My Days of Being Bullied at School 校园被欺负的日子 The main characters are Wu Ming, Zhang Qiang, and Zhou Yao. This isn’t a brainless power fantasy, but a bumpy story of growing up. When my brothers fight, I run; I’d never touch a friend’s wife, but if my friend’s away, anything goes. A life of gaming on credit and gambling for tokens in the arcade. 11kReads8.2Score67114d adds
- 102 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
- 103 Jinbei Storm: A Black-Market Outlaw 晋北风云：黑道狂徒 Yanbei City is known as the Coal Capital, and coal is also called black gold. Crowds of gold seekers pour into Yanbei City, hoping to get a share of the coal industry. The various factions stop at nothing to achieve their goals. In their eyes, everything has a price, including human life. What is the underworld? The underworld is face. The underworld is brotherhood. The underworld is money. They say the coal of northern Shanxi is black, but few realize that human hearts are blacker still. After 4.2kReads9.0Score22614d adds
- 104 Tales of the Northeast: Fortune Is in Heaven's Hands 东北往事之富贵在天 [Underworld] [Not Mindless] [Ensemble Cast] [Realistic] [Passionate] [Not a Feel-Good Power Fantasy] After spending three years in prison for injuring someone while collecting a debt, Chen Yang’s first move after getting out is to track down the lousy bastard who reported him and got him arrested, then demand forty thousand yuan. But that incident sets off a chain of events that once again leaves Chen Yang at a crossroads, just when he had hoped to settle down. So... will he accept the hand fate 125.8kReads9.1Score11.5k14d adds
- 105 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
- 106 The Blizzard Is Coming: Thirty Years of Turmoil in the Northeast Underworld 雪暴将至：东北黑道三十年浮沉 A criminal underworld swept by a snowstorm across the Northeast, and a bloody saga spanning thirty years. In the early 1990s, the old industrial heartland of Northeast China trembles through the pain of reform. Beilin City, once a source of glory, sinks into confusion and hardship as countless state-owned enterprises go under. With order collapsing and lawlessness taking root, an era of survival of the fittest quietly begins. Gao Yanfeng, the youngest technical section chief at Beilin Machiner 136Reads—Score—14d adds
- 107 Godfather of the Underworld: Planting My Flag in Mong Kok 黑道教父：从旺角插旗开始 Hong Kong is in turmoil, and crime lords rise on every side! Chen Kun is a low-ranking 49er in the 14K triad, with no power or influence. But he's both clever and brave, fearless, and full of brotherly loyalty. With the New World and Wo Shing Wo watching him like tigers, and the ruthless, bloodthirsty Big Circle Gang closing in, he's caught in the maelstrom of a chaotic era. His only way to survive is to risk his life. He rises through bloody underworld battles and makes a name for himself on th 299Reads8.3Score—14d adds
- 108 After Getting Out of Prison, I Married the Underworld Princess 出狱后，我娶了黑道公主 [Multiple heroines + first-person slice of life + retro jianghu customs and human relationships + not for everyone] After the 1999 college entrance exams, I accidentally killed someone while trying to save Xiang Xiaoya and was sentenced to five years in prison. After my release, I followed Brother Wai and became a manager at the most upscale nightclub in Tianlin City. I lived with Xia Shu, the club's star hostess, and enjoyed a life of wine and excess, until I offended Shangguan Yu, the underwor 3.8kReads8.8Score30814d adds
- 109 Tales of the Night, Shrouded in Darkness 夜话无明 [5,000 Words Daily] [Collusion Between Officials and Gangsters] [Profit Above All] [Human Nature Is Evil] [Ruthless and Decisive] [No Formulaic Plot] [Not a Power Fantasy] Walk the night roads and knock on the black door. Beyond it lies a dazzling world, but one wrong step could send you into an abyss with no way back. This path has set countless hearts ablaze, and drawn countless others to follow, one after another, eager to risk everything. What sparks will fly when old-school guardians of hon 219Reads9.3Score—14d adds
- 110 The Endless Underworld 黑道无尽 (Period setting, underworld, gritty realism, high-octane) A savage era. An unconventional underworld boss. A story of the jianghu written in blood and tears. So much happened in those years. You can only see it clearly through blood-tinted glasses... 2.8kReads7.7Score29114d adds
- 111 Dirty Cop 黑警 “I gave my heart to the moon, but the moon shines on the ditch.” As a people's police officer, it is my duty to defend the country, maintain social order, and protect the lives and property of the people. But there are always people who operate in the gray areas, acting with abandon and flouting the law. I have no choice but to step in and wipe them all out... 4.9kReads7.9Score33214d adds
- 112 The Bad Guys 坏家伙们 When the jianghu is no longer traditional, it’s bound to become driven by self-interest! After the turn of the millennium, a new generation of “bad guys,” born in the eighties and nineties, began to take the stage in their own jianghu! These newcomers no longer revered the spirit of chivalry. They let money clear the way and put profit above all else! To carve out a place for themselves in this treacherous jianghu, they had to stop at nothing and plan every move! The great waves sift the sand! M 5.4kReads8.9Score31914d adds
- 113 The Golden Age of the Gangland: A Blood-Red Underworld 黑帮盛世：血色江湖 (Not a mindless power fantasy. Underworld, urban setting, no invincible hero, first person, tight logic, humorous writing. Read with caution if that’s not your thing!) A cursed, tragic fate. A life in the underworld that cannot be escaped. A band of brothers who stand together through life and death, and a dark life longing for redemption. You’ve never endured years of hardship, so of course you can’t understand the underworld in my heart. My story begins after I get out of prison in Ice Cit 112.1kReads9.3Score8.3k14d adds
- 114 I’m No Punk: Three of Us Together 我不是小混混之三人行 Determined not to become a thug, he knows that those who walk different paths cannot work together. Brotherhood, and the revival of the Eight Gates of the underworld. Is a sinister force behind it all, or is something far worse on the horizon...? 323Reads—Score1914d adds
- 115 Making a Living on the Side in Australia 我在澳洲捞偏门 This story is based on real events. I came to Australia with a dream of studying abroad, only to be driven to the brink by reality. From a lowly street-level smuggler to a force to be reckoned with, commanding the underworld and crossing the world, I paved my way to power with cunning and bloodshed. Only when I stood at the summit and looked back did I realize that the most dangerous gamble of all is the one you make with human nature. This is a road with no turning back, but who knows which cor 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 116 Who Cares About Being Young and Reckless? Only the Victor Reigns Supreme 什么年少轻狂？我只知道胜者为王 [Campus Drama]+ [Street Toughs]+ [School Beauty]+ [Underworld]+ [No System]+ [One Heroine]+ [Not a wish-fulfillment story] Original title: Those Wild Years of Youth at School My name is Chen Qing. I never thought I’d end up going down this road after all… Disclaimer: This story is entirely fictional and is not intended to encourage anything improper. Please do not relate it to real life! Reproduction without permission is prohibited and will be prosecuted. New book: "After Getting Out of Prison, 5.7kReads8.4Score36914d adds
- 117 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
- 118 Underworld Jianghu: From Death Row Inmate to King of the Underworld 黑道江湖：从死囚到黑道之王 [Urban + underworld + wish fulfillment + big shots + realism + no System + multiple heroines] Is the underworld all about human relationships and social etiquette? No. It’s about the relationships and social etiquette that come after the fighting. The only people qualified to sit down and talk about such things are those who have earned their place through violence. Plant your flag, make your name, set up shop, stake out your turf. In the underworld, there’s a mountain ahead of you and another b 257Reads8.5Score—14d adds
- 119 The Underworld’s Final Ballad 黑道绝响 (Original title: Black Road, Final Echo) What is the underworld? Is it really not about fighting and killing, but about the ways of human relationships? Wrong. Only those who can still stand after all the fighting and killing have the right to talk about human relationships. My name is Luo Ping. I witnessed the so-called underworld in a corner of the southwest go from its golden age to its decline, until at last its echoes faded away. This is my story, and a glimpse into one corner of the underw 51.3kReads9.4Score5.6k14d adds
- 120 The Alpha Wolf, Who Can Stand Against Me? 头狼，谁与争锋 In the depths of winter, my birth parents abandoned me. Luckily, my adoptive mother took me in and named me Yang Dong. My sister dropped out of school to support my education and went to work in the city. I went to find her with my university acceptance letter, only to witness her being abused to death! Blinded by rage, I took a knife to avenge her, but I was framed and sent to prison instead. Six years behind bars, and my hatred never faded! After getting out, I set off on the road to revenge w 14.5kReads8.9Score1.6k14d adds
- 121 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
- 122 My Life in the Underworld 我的黑道人生 Reborn in a parallel world, life is brutally hard and every day is a struggle. A nobody at the bottom has no money, no connections, and no one to turn to. How are they supposed to get by? Even if this is an unfamiliar world, after being reborn, they have to take a chance and fight their way forward. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 123 The Man Who Reached the Top of the Underworld 黑道触顶之徒 The underworld is shallow waters teeming with big shots. Thousands shout my name: Brother Tian. Xia Tian, a young man from the bottom of society in Northeast China, gets caught up by chance in the feud between two underworld bosses. From then on, he sets out to climb to the top of the criminal world. Benefactors, moles, bandits, desperados… all sorts of characters take the stage, and the action is heart-pounding. Watch as he leads his brothers from small-time nobodies to become the biggest kin 3.7kReads8.8Score25114d adds
- 124 The Pinnacle of Nowhere 1 无人之巅1 I went into the underworld because I didn’t want to be bullied... I stepped into the darkness so I’d never have to turn my back on it again. I cast aside my conscience and sharpened my claws, trampling underfoot each person who had once humiliated me. 240Reads—Score—14d adds
- 125 Dongguan, I Am King! 莞市，我为王！ What kind of legendary path will Li Feng carve out after leaving martial arts school and arriving in Dongguan? In the bright days of youth, ride proud and true. Make the most of your time, and know where you’re headed. May you roam the world for half your life, then return still young at heart... (The original cast of strongmen who rose from vocational school reunites. A new story, a fresh start!) 393Reads7.3Score—14d adds
- 126 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
- 127 Destined for a Life in the Underworld from Birth 从出生开始就注定混黑道 No System! No brainless antics! Packed with thrilling, iconic moments from beginning to end! My big brother told me to go to school and protect the campus belle, but I ended up reading her a love letter in front of the whole school? The son of the boss of a rival gang wants to be my underling? A gorgeous, wealthy woman wants me to marry her? It's gotten to the point where I don't even want to run with the gang anymore. I'm surrounded by gorgeous, wealthy women. I really don't want to work hard a 1.2kReads7.2Score—14d adds
- 128 Hong Kong Films: You Told Me to Shoplift for Free, Now I've Gone Legit and Become a Boss 港片：让你零元购，你洗白当大佬 Ye Tianlong transmigrates into the world of Hong Kong action movies set in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a mainland-born robber! By chance, he gets a Spend-Nothing System that rewards him whenever he gets things for free. At last, his skills have found the perfect use! From the start, he's handed an AK, sweeping across Hong Kong Island and setting off on a path to conquer the world. Ghost Brother, the masked man with an AK, the Dragon Gate leader, the King of Electricity, a glory to the Chinese 14.6kReads7.1Score58914d adds
- 129 After My Sister-in-Law Tricked Me into Going to Northern Myanmar, I Found a Way to Survive 被嫂子骗进缅北后，我绝处逢生 806Reads8.7Score10314d adds
- 130 Jianghu Dragon: Underworld Storm in the Northeast 江湖枭龙：东北黑道风云 Three years in prison, and everything had changed. After his release, Lu Tao found himself at a crossroads in life. The snowstorm that year was so fierce it bent Lu Tao’s back. The friendship that year was so warm it helped him emerge reborn and fight his way upstream. Watch as a close-knit group of friends stand shoulder to shoulder, stride through a turbulent era, and build something magnificent! 19.1kReads9.1Score1.1k14d adds
- 131 Tiger Husband 虎夫 [Born to be somebody, just going through a rough patch for now!!!] 4.4kReads8.8Score37814d adds
- 132 The Youth of Two Generations 两代人的青春 My name is Li Sunan, and I'm a complete... bastard. Please take a moment, settle in, and let me tell you the whole story. From my godfather, Li Zhen, to my second uncle, Cui Lijun, and then to my own dark life. From 1990 to 2020. Thirty tumultuous years in a small city in Northeast China. One act ends, and another begins. Two generations rise and fall, knowing both glory and disgrace. There are no all-powerful crime bosses here. Just a bunch of little people struggling at the bottom... The road 2.3kReads6.9Score10814d adds
- 133 The Strongest Man to Emerge from Vocational School 从职校走出的强者 When Li Feng stepped into vocational school, his life began to change... Youth is meant to be lived boldly and without restraint! A legend is about to unfold! May you roam far and wide, then return still young at heart... 155Reads9.4Score—14d adds
- 134 Be the Fiercest One 做最凶的那个 Lin Yu had always been troubled by a question: Why must good people endure eighty-one trials to become Buddhas, while bad people only need to lay down their butcher's knives? Fairness has never been something the poor get to talk about. If you want fairness, there's only one way: make yourself strong enough to create it. This world has both light and darkness. It won't treat you well just because you're kind. His father was unable to repay his debts and eventually took his own life. The creditor 765Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 135 The Women I Met in Dongguan Back in the Day 那些年，我在东莞遇到的女人们 [Urban underworld + no System + nostalgia + beauties + power struggles + ruthless action + pure wish fulfillment, no self-torture] Back in Dongguan in 2004, he rises from bodyguard to nightclub beauties to the godfather of Dongguan's underworld. Li Zhan moves to Dongguan for work and meets A-Zhen, who works at a nightclub. After an unexpected incident, Li Zhan drives away a customer harassing A-Zhen, only to find himself at odds with the local underworld. To survive, he's forced into the crimina 21kReads8.6Score1.5k14d adds
- 136 Tales of the Northeast: The Turbulent Nineties 东北往事之九零风云 (Hot-blooded) (Brotherhood) (Youth) (Fast-paced, no dragging things out) The law-abiding worry all day, while the mighty sing all night. Those who harm others for their own gain ride in comfort, while the honest and fair go hungry. Those who build bridges and mend roads go blind, while those who kill and set fires have plenty of sons. I went to the Western Heaven to ask Buddha. Buddha said, “There's nothing I can do either.” This novel tells the blood-and-tears story of Shen Congwen, a great und 6.8kReads8.9Score44114d adds
- 137 I'm a Locksmith, and You Want Me to Exorcise Demons and Ferry Souls? 我一个开锁匠，你让我摆妖渡魂？ Guo Cheng is a master locksmith who has never failed. Until one day, he opens a “lock” and unlocks the door to another world. From then on, his clients are no longer limited to people with security doors. They include the demon spirits that wander among the living. He picks locks to “lock” away danger, and ferries spirits so they can depart in peace. In the shadows of the city, demons and ghosts run rampant. Watch as a locksmith uses his skills to forge his own path as a ferryman between the wor 49Reads—Score—14d adds
- 138 Reborn: Forcing My Underworld Boss Dad to Go Straight! 重生：逼着黑道老爸金盆洗手！ [Reborn] [Underworld] [Turning over a new leaf] [Leaving the life behind] In his previous life, Qin Ye and Qin Su were the top leaders of the Fierce Dragon Gang. They had done so much evil that they were executed by firing squad. When Qin Ye opens his eyes again, he has returned to twenty years earlier. In this life, the Fierce Dragon Gang, led by Qin Su, has only just started down the path of organized crime. Everything can still be put right! Qin Su: “Son, we’re already this rich. It’d be a wa 441Reads7.5Score10914d adds
- 139 The Legend of Lu Laoqi 陆老七传奇 In the province of Rehe during the Republican era, a catchy rhyme circulated through the martial world: “Lu Laoqi, Li Changjiu, undefeated throughout Rehe; the Beggar, Detective, and Master Shang; Dalong, Qingshan, and Zheng the Crooked; the Driver, Drunkard, and Wang Chaojie; Pockmark, Du Wu, and Liu Minghu; the Twin Fiends, Kou Haiyang, and Yu Xingba.” It vividly described the eighteen peerless fighters of Rehe at the time. Ranked first was Lu Yishan, a boy from a poor family in the province. 27Reads—Score—14d adds
- 140 When Daylight Ends, the Killing Begins 昼尽而杀 Hong Kong, 1994. Three kingpins, two gangs, police officers, wealthy businessmen, officials, the media, hostesses, assassins, and ordinary people are all caught up in power struggles amid the surging tides of the times. No one can escape, and no one can hide. Fate is never in our own hands. Whether your eyes are open or shut, when night falls, people die. 33Reads—Score—14d adds
- 141 The Peerless Young Master 公子无双 Lin Qi seems like an ordinary delivery driver, but in this city, whether they are business tycoons, renowned doctors, or underworld bosses, everyone treats him with the utmost respect and calls him, "Young Master!" 334Reads9.1Score—14d adds
- 142 Shen Jintang, the Madman of the Martial World 江湖狂人沈金堂 [A thrilling, action-packed tale of brotherhood and honor, where heroes command respect and ambitious leaders vie for supremacy. Handsome men and beautiful women.] The martial world isn’t just about fighting and killing. It’s also about human nature and navigating the ways of the world, all while living by the blade. Build an empire that commands half the land. Thrive in the business world and enjoy the fruits of success with a beautiful, wealthy woman... 185Reads—Score11314d adds
- 143 Tales of Shanghai’s Underworld 沪上黑道往事 My new novel is here! You’re welcome to read my work 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! The male lead of this book loses his father at a young age and depends on his mother. To avenge his father, he goes up a mountain to study martial arts under a master. After completing his training, he comes down and succeeds in taking revenge. To escape the authorities’ pursuit, he brings his mother to Shanghai. By chance —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 144 The Day I Went to Prison: She Blazed a Trail Alone and Smashed My Shackles 入狱当天：她单枪铺路，为我砸镣 [Not Reborn]+ [No System]+ [One Female Lead] The last big sister of the underworld! The day I went to prison, she broke into the jail and smashed my shackles, clearing a path for me with a gun in hand! If the rest of my life is destined to be without light, at least in this moment, she is by my side! Some even call her the last big sister of Southeast Asia! Truth is, she was just forced to take charge in a crisis, with no other choice! Since we're already fugitives, then let's take our dark love 214Reads7.9Score—14d adds
- 145 Irrational Choice 非理性选择 [Hong Kong Tycoon Romance] [Reunion After Years Apart] [Flash Marriage with a Child] [A Battle of Equals] [Cold, ruthless power broker x sweet, scheming genius heiress] Handcrafted newcomers + writing for love + a long-running hidden plot Five years ago, Chen Yanchuan took in a girl with nowhere to go. She stayed in his old house, ate his late-night snacks, and couldn't bring herself to buy a necklace that cost just over six hundred yuan. Three months later, she left without a word, leaving beh 280Reads—Score16114d adds
- 146 1980: A New Order in the Underworld 一九八零：江湖新秩序 What is the martial world? Wherever there are people, there will be conflict! The strong survive, and the weak perish. That is the martial world! Relive the 1980s and pay tribute to a youth long gone! This is the story of Han Yue, and how he rose from the bottom to the top of the provincial capital, only to fall again! The road through the martial world is treacherous. Everyone survives by their own wits! Hold on, and you can make something of yourself. Give up, and you're out... (This book is p 4.4kReads8.7Score28314d adds
- 147 Reborn in the Great Heist, the Black Gold Tycoon Strikes Back 重生大劫案，黑金大佬逆袭记 [Urban rebirth + System + underworld boss + ruthless + scheming] A down-and-out middle-aged man unexpectedly reborn 28 years into the past. Caught in a shocking bank heist, he activates the “Black Gold System.” “Go ahead and make more money. It'll all become my fortune sooner or later anyway. Hahaha!” … Notorious bandit Ye Zhihuan: “Who's tougher than me in the underworld? Lin Dong? Never mind, then.” King of Thieves Zhang Ziqiang: “I once stole 1.2 billion from Li, the richest man in the coun 11.1kReads7.9Score53414d adds
- 148 My Years in the Gang 我混社团那些年 The internet’s most authentic account of Hong Kong’s criminal gangs in the 1960s: Kowloon Walled City, the Four Great Detectives, the four major gang families, the Eighteen Tigers of Kowloon, the Twelve Beauties of Mong Kok, and the rise of influential bosses such as Crippled Ho and Fatty Kun, all revealed one by one! This story is adapted from the oral account of a senior member of a Hong Kong and Macau gang. As he is now over eighty, I recorded and adapted his story myself! For special reasons 20.3kReads9.1Score2k14d adds
- 149 Bloodshed Behind Bars 越狱喋血 A desperate revenge sparked by a dream. To save his younger siblings, protagonist Chen Jianan resolutely breaks out of prison and becomes a shadow of vengeance, mercilessly pursuing those who harmed his family. Meanwhile, police captain Bai Kai leads his team in hot pursuit, balancing law against justice. Family bonds, the law, and justice collide, igniting a thrilling journey of love, hatred, redemption, and sacrifice. This is not merely a life-or-death chase, but also a fierce struggle between 2.1kReads7.3Score16014d adds
- 150 The Hidden Dragon of the Righteous Path 正道潜龙 One of Wei Jie’s four-part series A shooting case. An undercover agent lies dead in the street. An investigator once swore an oath beneath the solemn national emblem. At a crossroads of fate, a twin brother makes a dramatic entrance, leading to a lonely yet passionate story... Back to 1998! Our brotherhood is still here, our youth is still here. From this point, we set sail once more and forge the next great triumph! 39.3kReads9.5Score4.7k14d adds
