Novels like Searching the Underworld for My Missing Son, I Clean Up Crime and Clear My Father's Name
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Searching the Underworld for My Missing Son, I Clean Up Crime and Clear My Father's Name, best match first.
- 1 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! 645Reads6.6Score10214d adds
- 2 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
- 3 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
- 4 From Scavenger to Underworld Kingpin 从捡垃圾到黑道枭雄 The boy who scavenges for food in the garbage is destined to become a king through blood and fire. Lin Bei, an orphan abandoned by the world, curls up on a park bench. His only chance to survive is rummaging through foul-smelling trash cans. With winter approaching, he sets his sights on the “garbage mountain” in the west of the city, the place no one dares touch because it’s “Brother Gou’s” lifeline. When more than a dozen dark figures surround him and cold fists rain down on his head, the wild 1.5kReads7.3Score12714d adds
- 5 The Jianghu Never Sleeps: Song of a Madman 江湖不熄：狂人歌 [Not a power fantasy, not invincible] [Passionate] [Brotherhood] [Youth] A jack can’t hold up a shattered home, and a wrench can’t stop a gang’s blade. The days spent with fingertips stained by grease come to a bloody end! Brothers stand together with burning hearts, enemies tremble at their name. Bai Hao’s dictionary has no word for forgiveness, only the laws of iron and blood! Anyone who stands in his way will be crushed beneath a boulder. No mercy! 403Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Tales of Qingdao: The Jia'ao Brothers 青岛往事：胶澳兄弟连 Nine young men with nothing to their names risked their lives to uphold one word, loyalty, amid an era of upheaval. They lost brothers, lovers, and their health. In the end, some became tombstones, some became legends, and some became ordinary people. But the words they spoke at Xiaogang Wharf in the early hours of the third day of the Lunar New Year in 1998, facing fifty men with machetes, carried more weight than any underworld code: “What the hell is there to be afraid of?” 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 A Man of the Jianghu 江湖混的人 What kind of people are these? They’re a rowdy bunch, a bunch who think they’re better than everyone else. The brothers we ran wild with back in the day. When our youth had passed and we looked back, some familiar faces were nowhere to be seen. Some had gone far away, some had faded into silence, and some were still eating from the same communal pot. Why? Because the road we took was one we could never turn back from. 1.4kReads8.2Score—14d adds
- 8 My First Steps into the Real World! 初闯社会！ A mischievous little punk back in his school days, he somehow ends up getting into police academy through a twist of fate. During his time there, he transforms from a rebellious teenager into a mature, steady, hardworking cadet. Then, by chance, he is sent undercover to infiltrate a criminal organization, gradually building up his own influence... 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 I’m Just a College Student. So What If I Become a Red Pole? 我一大学生，当个红棍怎么了 Qin Yu thought passing the police academy entrance exam would let him escape the harm caused by his family. Instead, his parents framed him and made him take the blame for his younger brother. He met a benefactor in prison, but after his release, how will he rise step by step to become the underworld's overlord? Stay tuned. The coming-of-age story of a college student in the criminal underworld: a classic, blood-pumping power fantasy with no System, astronomical combat power, and a young man who 198Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 I Joined the Underworld to Pay Off My Debts, and Became a Big Shot 我，混黑道，从还债开始当大佬 After his father dies suddenly, leaving behind 300,000 yuan in debt, Lin Mo is forced to enter the rough-and-tumble underworld to pay it off. He becomes the least important underling in the Loyalty Hall. When he first arrives, he's mocked for his soft, delicate appearance and bullied by old hands. The Red Hair Gang, a rival outfit, also marks him as a thorn in its side. But no one knows that this seemingly meek young man hides a fierce streak and a calculating mind. When others make trouble fo —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 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
- 12 Wrong Turn: Northeast China’s Underworld in 1998 歧途：九八年东北黑道风云 [Urban Underworld] [Ensemble Cast] [Underworld Crime Lord] In 1998, Gao Zhengbei, a young man from Northeast China, heads south to find work with three fellow villagers who have criminal records. Their boss has withheld a year’s wages. To stand up for his brother, Gao Zhengnan “kidnaps” the boss’s child without laying a finger on him, forcing the man to pay up by “teaching him a lesson.” Rather than seek revenge, Shan Dabin respects his courage and restraint. Gao Zhengbei glimpses the underworld 17Reads—Score12414d adds
- 13 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
- 14 Me and the Underworld 我与江湖 (First-person, underworld) The underworld isn’t about fighting and killing. It’s about scheming and betrayal… Beneath those four words, “loyal to the death,” lies the truth: everyone puts profit first. More than half of this book is based on real-life people and events. Readers are advised to obey the law and stay out of the underworld. I once waded into those murky waters, but eventually I left, shedding a layer of skin along the way. 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 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
- 16 The Black-and-White Game: Dragon City Tycoon 黑白游戏之龙城大亨 The journey of a post-90s generation, rising step by step from ordinary beginnings to extraordinary heights! This book tells the story of Lu Xu, who grew up in the 1990s and clawed his way up from the countryside, eventually becoming a powerful tycoon in Longcheng with influence over both the legal and criminal worlds. Full of passion, humor, youthful spirit, and helplessness, it portrays the rise of a little man born into humble circumstances. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 Reborn as a Villainous Big Shot: This Damned Conscience of Mine 重生成反派大佬，这该死的良心 Secret agent Gao Fei is toyed with by fate and is reborn in the body of a street thug. He accepts it all with a smile and sets out on the road to world domination. On his way to conquering the world, Gao Fei sets himself four modest goals: 1. Become a master to the strong 2. Become a guiding light to the rich 3. Become a godfather to celebrities 4. Become the boss of the big shots 129Reads5.5Score—14d adds
- 18 Tidal Sting 潮刺 At nineteen, Chen Mo is betrayed by his brother and forced to kneel on a rooftop in Taitung, a steel pipe pressed to his head, his life hanging in the balance. Clutching a shard of broken glass, he saws through his restraints and leaps into the freezing sea. Surviving is a new beginning. Eight brothers who would lay down their lives for one another, and an oath written in blood. “I don’t care about anything else. Anyone who messes with our brothers, we take care of.” From the streets of Taitung 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 The Years I Wandered the Jianghu 我走过的江湖岁月 The day I went to the city with the 3,000 yuan the whole village had scraped together to seek help from my cousin, I caught him kneeling and kowtowing in his rented room, calling a burly man with a fierce face “Boss.” My first lesson in society: I thought my cousin was a respectable man who'd made it in the city. Turns out he was a thug who acted like a dog for others, and he wanted me to serve them tea and water too? I thought the city meant factory assembly lines and shared dormitories, a stab —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 The Underworld: Bullied, I United the Whole Gangland 黑道：被霸凌的我一统江湖 A protagonist who grows over time, and the founding of a power Bullied by others, I received help and unexpectedly embarked on the path of the underworld. From that moment on, my life was rewritten. Wherever this proud young man goes, he will leave his mark! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 The Jianghu's Point of No Return: My Years as the Big Brother 江湖不归路：我做大哥那些年 What is the jianghu? Passion, sorrow, parting, and regret: that is the jianghu. Where is the jianghu? Wherever there are people, there is the jianghu. Drunken indulgence is its outward face, brotherly loyalty its innocence, life-and-death partings its core, and deceit its way of survival. This is a story of the jianghu, a story unique to that era. 196Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 22 The Dark Side of Campus 校园黑途 “Starting today, this street is no longer yours.” A young man returns from the abyss, and this time, he won’t back down. No need for more talk. Just come in and read. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 A Love That Goes Both Ways: The Mafia Heir Falls for Me 双向奔赴：黑帮少爷爱上我 A proud and unruly mafia prince, he moves between the worlds of black and white, living by his own rules. He either lets go or gets what he wants, all so he can keep her safe for the rest of her life. Here’s how the story goes... He went from a carefree rich kid to a feared mafia boss because of her. Because of her, he knew he had to grow stronger so he could keep her safe and at peace for the rest of her life. Because of her, he went from a boy everyone could bully to someone everyone envied. B 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Black, White, and Gray? How Can You Get Ahead Without Getting Your Hands Dirty? 黑白灰？不涉灰怎么出人头地 Brotherhood + slow-burn ensemble cast + one female lead + not overpowered + first-person perspective Some people say black is black and white is white, and anyone who falls into the underworld is a bad person. I wanted to be a good person. I never wanted to fall into the underworld. But does being a good person mean being looked down on? Does it mean being powerless when trouble strikes? Only later did I realize that society isn’t simply black or white. The world’s true colors are black, white, 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 I Took the Place of a Big Shot’s Most Loyal Lackey 我顶替了大佬的死忠小弟 Urban action + one female lead + the underdog rises among his brothers + power plays + personal growth + not invincible Because his face is identical to that of a missing underworld boss, he's forced to take the place of the boss's right-hand man. Alone and posing as a villain, he has no choice but to become one. Standing at the boundary between black and white, what should I choose? And who's pulling the strings? Who's really whose pawn? Stick with it for ten chapters, and things are su —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 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
- 27 I Dabbled in the Underworld and Accidentally Reached the Top 黑道玩票，不小心混到了巅峰 (Underworld + passion + brotherhood) You want to force me to the top of the underworld? Then I’ll give you exactly what you want! I’ve weathered bloody storms! Walked through a hail of bullets! Been betrayed by brothers! Faced life and death with indifference! Endured every vicious scheme! I, Wang Dongsheng, will tear through the darkness and shatter every plot! I’ll lead my brothers to rise on this blood-soaked road! I only ever wanted to be a nobody, but you forced me to become a hyena bristli 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Out of Prison, I Unlock the Underworld Overlord System! 出狱后，解锁黑道霸主系统！ “I'm finally out!” Qi Yuan had just stepped out of the prison gates. Bathed in brilliant sunshine, he savored the warmth and freedom he had missed for so long and greedily drew in a breath. “Kid, don't look back later. Just keep walking straight ahead.” As Qi Yuan looked out at the scenery by the window, a fragment of memory suddenly flashed through his mind. 321Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 The Jianghu Madman 江湖狂人 Personality determines fate. When Chen Yuanshan overcomes his fear, the underworld gains a few more madmen. Absolutely ruthless and decisive: one disagreement, and he pulls a gun! The plot isn’t melodramatic, and the pacing is slow-burn. I’m a new writer, so my writing is limited. Please be understanding if it isn’t very good. 437Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 Who Says the Boss Has to Be a Gangster? Lawyers Can Be Bosses Too 谁说老大一定是混混，律师也可以 [Urban, underworld, big shots, outlaw!] Gao Tian was executed in 2026 during a crackdown, but unexpectedly returned to the 1990s! This time, unwilling to repeat his old mistakes, he chose to enroll in the police academy! But just as he was trying to go straight, he saw the scumbag who had been abusing his beloved older sister since childhood. In a fit of rage, he killed the wife-beater with three punches. Now behind bars, Gao Tian’s career on the straight and narrow was over for good. With no ch 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 After I Got Out of Prison, My Sister Forced Me to Inherit a Billion-Dollar Fortune 出狱后，姐姐逼我继承亿万家产 Food delivery rider + Sanhe drifter + brotherhood in the underworld + rise to the pinnacle of power. Revenge and face-slapping + unexpected fortune + underdog's rise + tight, logical plotting. A Southeast Asian power struggle + fierce mercenary battles + leading your brothers to the top. My ex-girlfriend clings to a rich man and mocks me: “All you'll ever be in this life is a garbage picker!” Late one night, three sexy older women corner me beneath a bridge. “Your parents left you hundreds of mi 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Honor Among Gangsters 黑道有义 My new work is out! Come read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 21Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 Bro, You’re Such a Jerk! 哥，你真的好渣！ Lin Hai was forced to leave his village, and his good buddy Erwa followed him. He had worked many jobs, but because he was handsome and naturally carefree, his bosses would dismiss him for no reason. Then local thugs started giving him trouble. To protect himself, Lin Hai had no choice but to embark on a path of no return, making the major players in the underworld submit to him and winning the hearts of countless beauties... 287Reads7.6Score—14d adds
- 34 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
- 35 Underworld Chronicles: The Road Through the Gangland 黑道往事：黑道风云路 This book tells the story of Liu Yong, the Northeast underworld boss, and his years of turmoil in the jianghu. It blends fact and fiction, hearsay and rumor, with a touch of artful historical embellishment. Told as a novel, the story is entertaining and gripping, giving you something to pass the time with after a meal while offering a glimpse of what the real jianghu is like, and how complicated human nature can be. This book is a real thrill to read! Liu Yong is a name that carries weight. Whet 449Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 Bloodsoaked Underworld: Gangland Storm 浴血江湖之黑道风云 By a stroke of fate, Wang Tian embarked on an extraordinary path: the road of the underworld! An older brother who was like a father and mentor, and five brothers who would share life and death with him. He has been gravely wounded and left on the brink of death, and he has also enjoyed immense wealth and a life of extravagance! This is the story of an ordinary man’s hard-won rise, a cry of defiance from those at the bottom! Wang Tian is determined to create a legendary life! P.S. Wang Tian and 20Reads—Score10614d adds
- 37 A Disciple of the Generation 一代门徒 In the 2000s, we entered a new century. Tower after tower rose from the ground, and people moved from a simple, kindhearted world to one filled with complicated struggles of human nature. The times changed and taught us so much, so very much. We also lost so much, so very much... 109Reads—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! 891Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 The Underworld: From Low-Level Thug to Godfather 黑手：从沙场小弟到江湖教父 [Modern city + underworld + multiple heroines + business rivalry + romance + powerful protagonist] Born at the bottom of society, his only choice is to defy fate and change his destiny. From the day he first wielded the butcher's knife, he could only kill gods when he met them and slay demons when they crossed his path. Then two beautiful women from Xiguan appeared: one wanted his heart, the other wanted him… [Urban power struggles + hard-core business warfare + fated romance] is a novel weaving 90Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 Black Panther: The Bloodstained Throne 黑豹：血色王座 [Black Gangster Revenge Thriller | Two Powerful Leads Raised Together | Strong Female Lead’s Growth | Ensemble Cast | Love Triangle Chaos] At twenty, she became the youngest female gang leader in Dong Province. But her story began in a corner of Dawnlight Orphanage, where Xiao Mo gave her a name. “A smile that can beguile Yangcheng and captivate Xia Cai. I want you to bloom into the most dazzling flower in the world.” She thought they would be together forever, until he fell into the hands of B 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 A Blood-Red Underworld 血红色的江湖 The martial world is a blood-red place... This is not a power fantasy. Through real-life experiences, it shows everyone just how cruel the martial world is, and warns them to stay out of it. Yang Hai, a young man from somewhere in Northeast China, was determined to enter the martial world. Ten years later, his heart has turned cold. The glories of the past have vanished like smoke, and all that awaits him is judgment! 1.7kReads—Score12714d adds
- 42 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
- 43 A Pot of Liquor in Dongguan, Jimei, Come with Me 东莞一壶酒，集美跟我走 [Passionate Wuxia] [Love and Romance] [Humorous and Funny] Chen Hao’s wife died young, and he was so consumed by grief that he couldn’t pull himself out of it. Seeing how much he was suffering, his parents-in-law urged him to head south to Dongguan and seek help from his sister-in-law. But when he arrived in Dongguan, he discovered the shocking reason she had always been single... To save her from this living hell, Chen Hao had no choice but to raise his fists. After spending a while here, h 8.2kReads8.8Score1.4k14d adds
- 44 The Ruthless Underworld King 黑道狂枭 Nine death-row prisons across the country, Thirty-six death-row squads vying for control of the national underworld, Leading a hundred death-row inmates under his command, He builds the Heavenly Gate, battles the Wolf Pack, crushes Red Sky, and slays the Heavenly Dragon! The Heavenly Gate reigns supreme over the underworld! 2.5kReads6.1Score13214d adds
- 45 Black Ice 黑冰 In 1993, in Shenyang’s Tiexi District, mechanic Xu Mo is an honest man, until local gangster Zhao Hu comes knocking and one of his men slaps Xu Mo in the face in front of everyone. His master told him to stay on the straight and narrow before he died, but this world won’t let him live that way. He turns to four brothers: an orphan, a veteran, a laid-off worker, and a petty crook. Five men crushed to the very bottom of society stack their hands together in a rundown repair shop. “Hurt one of us, 459Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 Tales of the Underworld in Dongguan 莞城江湖往事 The jianghu isn’t a world of free-spirited heroes, revenge, and fine clothes atop spirited steeds. It’s a filthy, chaotic reality twisted by darkness! I, Zhang Xingheng, entered the jianghu to play the game of schemes and use my brains. Everything in the world was part of my calculations, including myself! So, you ask why I succeeded? Because every big shot in the jianghu fell victim to my schemes! They fell amid blades, guns, and blood! From the moment I stepped into the jianghu, every big shot 11.6kReads6.9Score66514d adds
- 47 South City's Fierce Eagle: No Way Out 南城雄枭：上天无门 The son of a dockworker starts with nothing but the grief of his father's murder. Over ten years, amid the blood and fire of a southern port city, he builds an underground empire with his own hands. Then, in the sweeping tide of the crackdown on organized crime, he makes the most difficult choice of his life. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 Underworld: The City's Dragon Overlord 黑道江湖：都市枭龙 [Urban] [Rousing] [Male-Oriented] [Feel-Good] [Urban Life] After two years in prison, today is the first day I’m free! I grew up in an orphanage and have my own household registration, but no connections. The moment I decided to make my way in the underworld, I set foot in a turbulent era and began building a towering legacy! 51Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 Objections Overruled 反对无效 [Power fantasy + crime + passion + Hong Kong action movies + no saintly protagonists + no melodrama] Woohoo! Tell me, does this feel good or what? In a dark world, they’ll defy the world and pay an unimaginable price, shouldering the burden of keeping the world’s order intact. (This novel is entirely the author’s own original creation. Do not learn from or imitate it.) He Jifeng: “I’ve got plenty of people. It’s fine.” Yao Zixuan: “I’ve got plenty of connections. I’m not afraid.” Chen Yi: “I’ve 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 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
