Novels like Ambition to Rise: Twenty Years in the Turbulent World of Officialdom
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Ambition to Rise: Twenty Years in the Turbulent World of Officialdom, best match first.
- 101 The Human Struggle Amid the Turmoil of Government 官场风云中的人性挣扎 In the turbulent, unpredictable world of politics, power and desire intertwine, while justice and greed collide. With its sharp, penetrating prose, this novel, “The Struggle of Human Nature Amid Political Turmoil,” paints a remarkable portrait of life in the political arena. The story follows the protagonist’s political career. When he first enters public service, he is full of ideals and ambition, determined to improve people’s lives. But as he climbs the ranks and is shaped by his surrounding 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 102 The Key to a Career in Politics 仕途密钥 From the start, retired special forces king Xia Tao is dragged into a blind date, where he meets a beautiful CEO and begins an inescapable romance... He stumbles his way into government, facing petty scheming and open and hidden attacks. He cuts through every obstacle as he searches for the key to a political career. In a maze of power where truth and lies blur and everyone schemes against everyone else, he crushes his opponents on every front; He risks his life to fight the flood demon, all to —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 103 A Prodigy's Path to Power 天骄仕途 The world of officialdom is full of unseen clashes and schemes, ruthless enough to kill without spilling a drop of blood! It may look like flowers embroidered on brocade, but beneath the surface, it’s a pot boiling over a raging fire! Lu Mingyuan, a small-town exam grinder, rose from humble beginnings, enjoyed a meteoric career, took command of power, and improved people’s lives, composing a magnificent chapter for a new era! 8Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 104 Reborn: Battling for the Road to Power 重生之官路争锋 A career in public service is a long and arduous road! Reborn in the year 2000, Qi Fei enters government service to fulfill his father’s dying wish, only to be assigned by the personnel bureau chief, who is currying favor with the county Party secretary, to the poorest township. Drawing on the advantages of being reborn, he leads the people toward prosperity, outwits his political rivals, and fights his way up from the grassroots through a world of deceit and intrigue. He braves every obstacle a 46Reads—Score—14d adds
- 105 From the Countryside to the Seat of Power 从乡野到中枢 A college graduate serving as a village official steadily rises through the ranks... a true incorruptible official. He takes on corrupt officials in a battle of wits, moving from the countryside to the township, then from the township to the county seat. Each time, his outstanding record earns him another promotion. 124Reads—Score—14d adds
- 106 The Road to Officialdom: Starting at the Grassroots 官道：从基层做起 [Officialdom + Power + Romance + Workplace] Once you figure out how the system works, it’s like activating a cheat code. It’s an exciting ride from the start. This realistic novel about officialdom follows Lin Yaodong’s step-by-step rise from the grassroots to the heights of power. 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 107 The County Party Committee 县委班子 County Leadership tells the story of Linchuan County's officials staying true to their original mission and fulfilling their duties as the county develops. By uniting their efforts to improve governance and drive local development, they show the positive spirit of grassroots officials devoted to serving the people and taking initiative. 5Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 108 A Second Chance at an Official Career 涅槃官途 (The rating has just appeared and will keep rising. These are three completed, million-word political novels with high ratings, so please read with confidence. Feel free to share your valuable feedback: the author is always willing to listen.) This is a thoroughly authentic political novel, portraying every aspect of officialdom's human relations and social conventions, and revealing its culture and political maneuvering. The best part of the game is this: the people who set the traps still don' 321Reads7.1Score5714d adds
- 109 Climbing the Ladder to Success 拾级而上青云 Blow after blow in his previous life left Ye Zifeng trapped in years of self-doubt. He drifted through decades of mediocrity in a grassroots post. Just as he was about to retire, he fell gravely ill and had little time left to live. On the brink of death, Ye Zifeng was unexpectedly reborn, returning to the eve of his college graduation. In this life, watch him break free from his predicament, seize his chance, enter government with confidence, and climb step by step toward the top. 530Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 110 From the Start, I Took the Blame, Then Climbed to the Top 开局背黑锅，我步步登青云 Crisis is opportunity. Seize it, and you can rise to the top. Facing the desperate predicament of being made a scapegoat, Zhao Guodong throws himself into the game, takes aim at entrenched corruption, and pushes his way toward the center of power, plunging into the eye of the storm of political infighting. 64Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 111 Staying True to Your Mission: The Way of an Official 不忘初心之为官之道 Reporter Zhuang Ziyou and prosecutor Lin Ruoxi fell in love at first sight while catching a Peeping Tom, and soon began a sweet and thrilling life together. Other couples go shopping to flirt. These two go shopping to catch thieves! Corrupt officials? They expose every one they find! The underworld? You’re not getting away either! As they take on corruption and organized crime, Zhuang Ziyou rises step by step from a humble reporter to a career in government. But the road through officialdom is f 124Reads—Score—14d adds
- 112 The Deputy Secretary on Temporary Assignment 挂职副书记 Zhuang Xiaobo, vice chairman of the Writers' Association, arrives in Jiangcheng on a transfer order and takes up a deputy secretary post overseeing cultural projects. With nothing but his pen, he pries open a web of corruption. His scholar's cunning cuts to the bone. With no powerful backer, he relies on ink and paper to fight his way through... 153Reads—Score—14d adds
- 113 Reborn: A Smooth Ride to the Top 重生之一路青云直上 Zhu Bingkun arrives in the 1990s. By anticipating trends and policies, and continually making use of various resources, as well as information and skills he acquired ahead of time, he keeps getting promoted and entrusted with important responsibilities. Along the way, he helps many people and receives help from many others. He makes plenty of enemies, and gets back at plenty of them, too. 1.6kReads8.2Score13514d adds
- 114 With the Backing Stone’s Power, Who Could Stop Me in Officialdom? 靠山石附体，官场横行我怕谁？ I’m not reborn, but I have a magical backer stone to guide me and reveal what’s to come. I may not be reborn, but I might as well be! Starting as a township clerk, I fight my way through the political arena, rise steadily through the ranks, and crush my rivals, becoming a fierce anti-corruption champion of the new era! (P.S. Apart from the golden finger, this is a traditional political novel with a realistic storyline, but it’s also a wish-fulfillment story. The author is a veteran of political 726Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 115 Twenty Years in the Political Arena 官场二十年 The ordinary experiences of an ordinary young man in officialdom. There is no expert to guide him and no benefactor to help him, only the authenticity of the little things he has experienced, the loneliness that follows the bustle, and the uncertainty of knowing he still has to keep moving forward. Xiao Heli in this story perseveres, and luck is on his side. He seems to have achieved a little success and looks impressive on the surface, but inside he is in pain. He cannot tell whether the road h 126Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 116 The Ladder to the Azure Clouds 青云之梯 Liu Hongzhi had just arrived in Hongtu Township for work when a major upheaval struck: the township's entire leadership was implicated in a scandal. Amid this turbulent shift, Liu Zhicheng was also dragged into one fierce struggle after another, facing danger at every turn. One careless move could leave him dead and buried... A good official should serve the people and bring prosperity to the region. Staying true to one's principles is the only righteous path! 371Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 117 I Turned Officialdom Upside Down, Starting with a Disciplinary Inspection Inquiry 从被纪委问询开始掀翻官场 Suspended, betrayed, and abandoned by his entire circle. Then, in the cold interrogation room of the Discipline Inspection Commission, he says, “If you want to live, prove it to me.” From then on, he holds the secrets and plays every move carefully, turning her from the woman interrogating him into someone who cannot live without him. 3.5kReads7.6Score22114d adds
- 118 The Self-Cultivation of a Minor Bureaucrat 小官僚的自我修养 What exactly is the system in China? It seeps into every aspect of society and people's hearts, reaching every corner. It is ever-present, like a shadow. This book is a guide to surviving within the system, and can also serve as a case study to learn from. With penetrating thought, firsthand insight, and delicate prose, the author recreates the true story of an ordinary man growing into a minor bureaucrat. The petty rivalries, wine, women, wealth, and power of local officialdom; the humiliation 451Reads8.7Score11814d adds
- 119 The Uncrowned King 无冕之王 Jing Tao is reported during the public notice of his appointment as director. After his promotion falls through, his former leader makes a decision on his own and sends him to gain experience at the grassroots level. Under Jing Tao’s leadership, the community is reborn. Using his strengths, he actively takes part in the process of democratization and helps address a wide range of social issues, including housing, education, healthcare, elder care, and people’s livelihoods. He truly fulfills the 23Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 120 Cultivating Immortality in Officialdom: Being a Good Official Is No Easy Task 官场修仙，好官不好当 [Politics + rebirth + ensemble cast + pseudo-cultivation] A tightly plotted story, so if you only skim, please move along. This novel offers a vivid recreation of the political world of the 1990s. Corruption and integrity, betrayal and loyalty, conservatism and radicalism: all are swept up in the brutal struggle where each side contains traces of the other, then carried by the tide of the times into the river of the new century. Politics is never calm! 3kReads8.4Score35314d adds
- 121 The Winds of Power: Rising from Obscurity 权路风云之微末起青云 Tian Feng starts out as a young man from humble beginnings, working his way up from the grassroots. He puts down roots in his job, tackles the public’s problems with care, works diligently, and treats people with sincerity. Through his ability and sense of responsibility, he grows step by step, achieving remarkable results in an ordinary position. He builds his life through hard work and rises from humble beginnings. Follow this ordinary young man as he stays grounded, honors his original purpos 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 122 I'm a Massive Arms Dealer. How Dare You Investigate Me, Hou Liangping? 我超级军火商，你侯亮平也敢查？ After unexpectedly obtaining a god-tier research System, Xu Jin became chairman of China’s number-one corporation. China’s arms exports ranked first in the world. The Eagle Nation panicked, the Bear Nation fretted, the White Elephant Nation wept, but the biggest customer, the desert camels, were delighted. But just as Xu Jin was busy advancing the tech tree and leading China beyond the solar system, Hou Liangping came to arrest him! China was furious. The military: “If you arrest him, Hou Liangp 236Reads—Score—14d adds
- 123 The Rising Star of the Officialdom 官路枭雄 Wang Jianjun is reborn in 1997. Thanks to his qualifications as a technical college graduate assigned to a job, he enters government service. Starting out as a low-ranking station chief, he is exceptionally promoted three ranks in his very first year... 852Reads8.3Score16014d adds
- 124 Officialdom: A Reborn Playboy’s Ascent to the Top 官场：纨绔重生跨越巅峰 [Reborn + officialdom + political struggles + economic development + patriotism] A spoiled young heir weathered a lifetime of setbacks. Reborn, he used his foresight to lead his family out of hardship. In finance, he guided his brothers to sweep all before them. In politics, he dodged one open and covert attack after another. In the economy, he selflessly served his country and its people. Follow Li Linxuan through the heart-pounding world of officialdom as he devotes his passion to millions of 692Reads7.3Score—14d adds
- 125 Turning Gold into Dust 点金成土 Lin Weimin, a Peking University graduate, arrives in Qingshi County, the poorest county in the province, as a selected government trainee. On his first day, nobody thinks much of this idealistic young scholar. He is assigned to manage archives and energy conservation. In a county tangled up in webs of personal connections, anyone who doesn't know the rules won't last three episodes. In a year, he goes from a marginal department to the core decision-making circle. Using rules set down in black an 83Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 126 The Pinnacle of Power: From Secretary to Rising Star 权力巅峰：从秘书开始平步青云 My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy it. Your support is what motivates me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 30Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 127 The Road to Power 天路官场 After Luo Guan dies, he comes to his senses and regrets his ways. His greed is gone, but his ambition burns bright. How will he start over and rise again? 207Reads8.1Score10514d adds
- 128 From the Start, I Expose the Political Arena’s Dark Secrets and Shock the Corridors of Power 开局掀翻官场黑幕，震撼权力圈 [Power at the peak + feel-good political drama + fast-paced + reborn] His boss is targeted in a staged car accident, his girlfriend cheats on him, and a petty rival pushes him aside to climb the ladder. Wang Chen faces the darkest moment of his career in government, but he isn't worried at all. He's been through all of this before. In his previous life, his timid compliance earned him nothing more than a certificate honoring him as a martyr. In this life, he already sees it all coming, and he's 3.1kReads7.6Score40014d adds
- 129 The Twin Jade Hairpins' Tale 双生簪玉引 A white jade hairpin links the lives of two people whose souls have been switched. An accident turned An Shiyu, a girl from the slums, into Yu Feiwan, the daughter of a noble family in ancient times. A phone from an era that did not belong to her was the only thing she couldn’t bear to leave behind. Meanwhile, the real noblewoman awakened in Yu Feiwan’s body a thousand years in the future, with the white jade hairpin that had traveled through time with her resting by her pillow. “When you touch 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 130 Tides of Officialdom 宦海沉浮 The most powerful relative in his family is his second aunt’s husband, a village deputy director, and their most valuable possession is a radio salvaged from a junkyard. Yet he not only made it to the city, but also became an official. Let the wind howl and waves crash, and I’ll stroll through the courtyard at my own pace. No matter how fierce the winds or rough the seas, I’ll cut through the waves! Spring breeze at my back, I’ll ride my horse at a gallop and see all of Chang’an’s flowers in a s 215Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 131 Reborn: The Road to Power 重生之一条官路 294Reads—Score—14d adds
- 132 A Splendid Rise: Starting as a Seconded Secretary 锦绣青云：从借调秘书开始 A junior secretary is swept into a grand game of power. With his pen as his ladder and his heart as his compass, he navigates the whirlpool of power and emotion, step by careful step, until he rises from a temporary posting onto the path to success that is his alone. 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 133 The Commoner’s Revenge in Officialdom 官道之庶子的逆袭 Su Mu is an illegitimate son. After passing the civil service exam, his biological father urges him to give up his appointment for the sake of the family. When persuasion fails, his father uses threats and sends him to the poorest township in the most remote province in the northwest, planning to make him waste his life there. Watching his colleagues, a group of people on the verge of retirement, give up and coast through their days, Su Mu decides to shed the township's poverty-stricken label an 6.2kReads8.6Score21214d adds
- 134 The Great Way Is for the People 大道为民 Are generals and ministers born to their stations? Even commoners can change the world. He was extraordinarily talented, yet willingly started from scratch in one of the country’s officially designated poverty-stricken townships. He had a fortune, yet chose to seize the moment and venture boldly into the changing times. And he had the power to foresee his beloved’s future, so he swore to protect the woman he loved. In that noisy, restless era, an era brimming with hope, everything was just begin 5.1kReads8.9Score63414d adds
- 135 The Cold and Warmth of the Halls of Power 官场冷暖 Zhang Ming is an ordinary grassroots civil servant. Navigating the gap between personal relationships and the rules, he climbs step by step to the pinnacle of power. This is a story of political maneuvering, difficult choices, and personal redemption. The protagonist, Zhang Ming, starts out as a low-ranking township clerk. After demonstrating extraordinary courage and ability during an unexpected incident, he catches the attention of his superiors. In the treacherous world of officialdom, he 23Reads6.8Score10014d adds
- 136 Reborn: Notes from the New Officialdom 重生之新官场笔记 A friendly warning: readers who like mindless power fantasies can move along. You won't be able to get through this book! The officialdom has never been a place where you can charge in on sheer passion, and power is no game of settling scores on a whim. Authority and high office are never won through sheer courage alone. Only by knowing how to weigh your options can you hold fast to the limits of when to advance and when to retreat. 961Reads8.1Score10814d adds
- 137 Reborn in 2003: The Road to Rising from the Grassroots 重回零三年，基层扶摇路 He has spent half his life in public service, working diligently for the common good. For twenty-two years, Tian Jingchen proved that diligence and hard work can never outweigh factional power struggles and political scheming. When a major corruption case was finally settled, everyone in high office rushed to distance themselves and protect their own interests. Only he, a hardworking official with no connections, was pushed forward to take the blame and make the sacrifice, dying with bitter regr 10Reads—Score214d adds
- 138 White Mountains, Black Waters 白山黑水 In a small forestry town in Northeast China, an ordinary vocational high school graduate steps into society. He starts out as a forest ranger, seizes an opportunity to transfer to a government office, and enters public service. By a stroke of luck, he gets involved in the seedling trade and becomes a profit-driven plant dealer, earning his first fortune. Gradually, he realizes that getting further in life requires the backing of power. So he earns money while cultivating his political career. A 130Reads8.8Score11914d adds
- 139 After Divorcing, I Ride on My Ex-Wife's Family's Coattails to the Top 离婚后，踩着前妻全家青云直上 Song Qiushi runs a gym. For ten years, he has worked hard to support his family, loved his wife, and spoiled his daughter. It hasn’t been easy, but he has never resented it. He believes that as long as he keeps his head down, takes good care of his wife, raises his child well, and looks after the family, he will have a perfect marriage. But every one of his dreams shatters when his wife brings a strange man home. He can put up with anything else, but not this. Divorce... His father-in-law uses h 132Reads—Score—14d adds
- 140 The Road Through Officialdom 宦路 The character for “official” has two mouths: if they say you're capable, then you're capable; if they say you're not, then you're not! The political arena is full of deceit and scheming, and one wrong step can leave you shattered. Zhou Yang knows this all too well. With no powerful backers, no connections, and no money, how can he survive? He has no choice but to keep going. He works hard and fights on, rising step by step to a position of power... 8.4kReads9.0Score85614d adds
- 141 The Pinnacle of Power: My Formidable Backing Is Revealed 权力巅峰：我的强大背景曝光了 [Traditional political drama + no System] Breaking news! After a leader dies under mysterious circumstances, secretary Qin Yang is dragged into the scandal because every clue points to his girlfriend! He goes from a rising star at work to a public enemy. His political career hangs by a thread, and his life sinks into darkness. At the crucial moment, an order transfers him to a village post. He thinks he's been exiled, but it turns out to be the starting point of his comeback. During his time in 12.1kReads8.4Score1.4k14d adds
- 142 Officialdom: Starting Out as a Township Party Secretary 官场：从乡镇书记开始 This book is also titled The Long Road Home. The main text is a continuation of the bonus chapters for Part One, Reborn: The Red Officialdom. Part One had a limit on how many bonus chapters could be published, so the rest are included in this book. Please take note. 17Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 143 The Pinnacle of Power: A County Secretary's Extraordinary Career 权利巅峰：县委秘书的妖孽仕途 To be an official, you need two things: a heart devoted to speaking up for the people, and an unwavering sense of justice. Follow a county Party committee secretary as he climbs step by step toward the pinnacle of power in a cutthroat political game of schemes and betrayals. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 144 Exiled to the Countryside, I Rose Rapidly Through the Ranks 发配乡下后，我的仕途一路狂飙 After the old Party secretary falls from power and his wife betrays him, Chen Yuan, once a top aide, never dreamed he'd be sent deep into the mountains to take a post at an abandoned resort that had been left undeveloped for years. In his memory, the place was a remote backwater where not even birds would shit. His career and marriage are both in ruins, and he thinks his life is completely over! However, during the new leader's first inspection after taking office, he specifically chooses the ab 51.9kReads8.5Score4.8k14d adds
- 145 The Police Badge Shines 警徽闪耀 The whole family is reborn + people's police + criminal investigation + solving cases + experience across multiple police divisions + slow-paced + character growth + a touch of officialdom! Yun Zheng started work at sixteen and spent forty years as a veteran police officer, only to be wrongfully imprisoned just before retirement. Perhaps Heaven could not bear to see him suffer and took pity on him. By a twist of fate, he was reborn in his youth! It was 1980! Even more amazingly, he gradually dis 659Reads8.4Score11414d adds
- 146 Aspiring to the Azure Clouds 欲上青云 My new story is here! Feel free to 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! 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 147 Straight to the Top: From Reporter to the Pinnacle of Power 青云直上：从记者登顶权力巅峰 A former journalist, he sees things coming before anyone else. With a pen in hand, he can also wield power. From the ivory tower to the political arena of Changzhou, what others call “not fitting in” is, to him, a false premise. A fresh perspective can break with convention, and swimming against the current reveals a man’s true mettle. Watch Chen Xin enter the game with a journalist’s eye and break through with hard work. With the help of benefactors, he seizes every opportunity and advances ste 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 148 The Official's All-Seeing Eye: Rising From the Bottom 透视官眼：从最基层开始崛起 Banished to a judicial office at the very lowest level, Wu Haoran watched the aging director, who had spent his entire career in this post and was nearing retirement, face a situation even worse than Qi Tongwei's. Now that his official's eye had been activated, Wu Haoran secretly vowed to rise from here and surpass Qi Tongwei. From that day on, he reveled in the company of beautiful women and wielded power over the realm, making his way through the officialdom. 19Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 149 The Pinnacle of Power: Rising Through the Ranks from Police Officer 权力巅峰：从警员开始步步高升 After an intelligence leak led to an ambush, Chen Lexing was gravely wounded and beyond saving. He returns to the time of his graduation. In this life, he’ll reenter government service, care for his wife and daughter, and keep his family safe. He’ll clear his father’s name and right the wrongs done to him, then rise steadily through the ranks and enjoy a smooth career in government! 579Reads—Score—14d adds
- 150 You Said Your Love Was Unbreakable, So Why Are You Two at Each Other’s Throats? 说好的情比金坚，你俩咋就杠上了 After transmigrating into a female-oriented cultivation novel as the late-stage Golden Core villain Xin Buqi, he wants nothing to do with it. The plot has reached the scene where the male and female leads, both in tears, demand to know why he is standing in the way of their true love. Watching the Foundation Establishment heroine and Qi Refining hero put on their “you’re heartless, you’re cruel” act, Xin Buqi silently opens his modifier. “Your Dao hearts are unshakable, huh? I’ll give you a ‘lov 2Reads—Score—14d adds
