Novels like The Jianghu: I Am the Kingpin
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Jianghu: I Am the Kingpin, best match first.
- 151 The Days We Spent Running Wild Together 那些年我们一起混的日子 Those were the days we spent together. I want to say that no matter what happened, we were brothers. Later, some of us went our separate ways, and some of us died. Only then did we understand that we were true brothers. The wind carries the words we never got to finish. “Either win on your feet or die lying down. That’s our rule.” “Hello, everyone. I’m one of those guys from back in the day.” 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 152 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
- 153 Underworld Storm: The Uncrowned King 黑道风云：无冕王侯 (First person, period setting, underworld) A big brother? A big brother isn't some glamorous, all-powerful emperor who does whatever he pleases. A big brother is just the guy who picks up the tab. The underworld? It's brotherly loyalty, deceit and betrayal. It's a place that strips the tenderness from gentle-hearted men and hardens them, and turns green young boys into grizzled old gangsters. My name is Zhao Qingfeng. I've been around the underworld, and I was once a big brother! 37.3kReads9.2Score3.9k14d adds
- 154 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
- 155 Blood Prison's Mad Overlord 血狱狂枭 The down-and-out youth Zhao Tian suffered the slaughter of his entire family as a boy. After vanishing for many years, he returned to exact revenge, rise to power, establish the Blood Prison, and dominate the world. With a band of brothers who would lay down their lives for him, he embarked on one journey after another, stirring up waves of bloodshed across the martial world… 15.7kReads8.5Score1.1k14d adds
- 156 Bad Boy: King of the Streets 坏小子：街道之上，我为王 Li Yizhen was an ordinary student at Jiangchuan No. 1 High School. But the school bully, He Min, singled him out, teasing and tormenting him as she pleased. Too timid to fight back, he endured group beatings and was even forced to eat ice pops mixed with dirt. She also led him astray, getting him to smoke and drink. Day after day, year after year… Then, when Li Yizhen finally confessed his feelings to the school belle, she mocked him in front of the whole class. He Min joined in, too. Overcome w 285Reads—Score—14d adds
- 157 Tales of Liangzhou: Underworld Turmoil 梁州往事之黑道风云 The jianghu has never been just about fighting. It is about navigating human relationships and weighing the pros and cons. After years moving through the gray areas, I have seen the warmth and coldness of human nature, and witnessed betrayal and scheming time and again. With no one to rely on in my youth, I endured a bitter, hard life. Some took a wrong turn and ended up behind bars, their lives ruined before they were halfway through. I clawed my way up from the very bottom of society, swallowi 141Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 158 Sons and Daughters of the Jianghu: That Midnight Sun 江湖儿女：那一轮午夜的太阳 The rules of midnight are a way of life much like the law of the jungle. At midnight, what you see may be the moon, but in their eyes, it is their sun. Set against the real-life underworld of the 1990s, this story follows Zhou Shenghua's life in the jianghu. 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 159 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
- 160 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
- 161 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
- 162 The Boss of the Underworld 江湖话事人 [Not many readers, so the rating just won’t go up] One wrong turn brought me into the jianghu. Watch as I summon storms with one hand and calm them with the other. Starting from nothing, I’ll carve out a path through the jianghu. They say you become what you eat, so if you want to climb higher, there’s only one thing to eat... 2.7kReads7.8Score20314d adds
- 163 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
- 164 Days Spent Getting By 平凡混过的日子 My name is Lu Pingfan! I'm a gangster... I founded the "Student Council" back in middle school! Years later, my brothers live ordinary lives by day, but after dark, they take their place in the underworld! I used to think that justice and honor were the guiding principles of the world! It wasn't until I heard all the things left unsaid that I realized those supposedly "high-minded" principles were nothing but the emperor's new clothes! So I decided to uphold the principles of my world in my own 29Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 165 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
- 166 Forced to Fall! The Gangland Boss Won’t Stop Fighting to Claim Me 强制沦陷！黑道大佬他又争又抢 [Arrogant, obsessive foreign power broker VS beautiful, strong, and tragic stubborn agent] [Combative couple + star-crossed love + mortal enemies + devoted power couple + unrequited love + twisted obsessive forced romance] Born the only son of one of the world's most powerful families, Bai Jinghe was destined to get whatever he wanted from the moment he came into the world. He excelled at school from a young age and made a name for himself early. Later, he crushed every local gang and claimed th 656Reads8.1Score10314d adds
- 167 Storms in the Southeast: The Crime Boss 东南风云：大角头 [Southern underground world + a clash of black and white, a slow-burn story with a fresh premise] [No System, not brainless, not a power fantasy. Read with caution if that's not your thing.] Local Bosses, the Youth Association, and the Grand Temple Council. Together, these three groups form the Fengnan Clan Association. Though outsiders have never heard these terms, they describe Fengnan's true uncrowned king, the sole ruler of its underground order. [The only gangland novel online centered on l 9Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 168 Underworld Tales: From Prisoner to Underworld Legend! 黑道往事：从劳改犯到黑道传奇！ Bai Zimo was once a mighty special forces champion, but after being framed by a villain, he was wrongfully imprisoned for ten years. Three years into his sentence, a mysterious woman appeared and exposed a shocking conspiracy. She also made him a harsh offer: bring down and kill a crime boss within three months, and he could get out and take his revenge. No one expected Bai Zimo’s first targets after his release to be his own brother and sister-in-law! A thrilling battle in the shadows begins! 20Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 169 I Have Thousands of Underlings, Yet They Insist I'm a Model Citizen 手下几千小弟，非说是三好青年 [Underworld] + [Reborn] + [System] + [Going Straight] + [Campus Life] + [Multiple Heroines] + [Business Savvy] In prison, Han Zu, the gang's second-in-command who held all the group's major criminal records, was ambushed. “Brother Zu, you're old. The only way I can get ahead is by taking you out!” “As long as you're alive, plenty of people won't be able to sleep!” At the moment he closed his eyes, his past flashed before him: brothers dying tragic deaths, leaving his home behind, and dying in pr 397Reads—Score—14d adds
- 170 From Top Gaokao Scorer to Underworld Boss 从高考状元到黑道霸主 Those who hate me call me cold-blooded and heartless, Those who love me cry out for justice on my behalf, All this is destined on the road to success, No one can change it, this is a king’s fate. Destined, I will stand against this world, I will shock this world, I will change this world, I will conquer this world… 138Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 171 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
- 172 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
- 173 I'm a Respectable College Student, So How Did I Become a Gang Boss?! 我正经大学生，咋成黑帮大佬了！ [Urban]+ [System]+ [Reborn]+ [Wild Imagination]+ [Decisive and Ruthless] Kill and rob, and you’ll strike it rich. Build bridges and roads, and you’ll die without a grave. In his previous life, Chen Yang’s family was destroyed by the oppression of the criminal underworld. Now Reborn, Chen Yang unexpectedly activates the [Strongest Underworld System]. He casts off his former cowardice and timidity: I’d rather betray the world than let the world betray me! Chen Yang has three principles: First, if 3Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 174 The Dragon City Kingpin 龙城枭雄 At the end of the last century, Longcheng was a haven for countless criminal gangs, and most of its people were driven onto a path of no return... In that era of flashing blades and bloody battles, a man named Yao Chutian unleashed a storm of bloodshed and chaos. 5Reads—Score114d adds
- 175 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
- 176 After Getting Fired, I Became the Strongest Bodyguard to a Mafia Heiress 我被开除后成黑道千金的最强打手 The rating just came in, so it’ll go up later. [For adults only. No one under 18 may read this.] [Urban + underworld + multiple heroines + all-powerful protagonist + brotherhood] Lu Fei was expelled from middle school for fighting and spent four years guarding his village... At last, he came of age! Newly 18, Lu Fei hadn’t even had time to establish his own gang in the village before the aunt he lived with kicked him out and sent him to the big city to stay with her daughter. After arriving in 55Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 177 The Underworld King of Campus: The Campus Belle Falls for Me 高校黑道枭雄，校花为我倾倒 Qin Ling should have grown up happily under his parents' protection, but they were brutally murdered. Qin Ling had a rough childhood and even spent three years in prison after being framed. By the time he left prison, he had grown into a young man standing 194 centimeters tall. He also happened to find his way onto a university campus. [Violence?]“Sorry! I like it too.” [Stealing?]“My bad! I'll pay you back double.” [Loan sharks?]“Isn't this basically free money?” [Human traffickers?]“Prepare to 712Reads5.8Score—14d adds
- 178 [The Underworld: The Storm Rises Again] 【黑道，风云再起】 “Once you’ve drawn the bow, there’s no turning back.” “When I chose the path of the underworld,” “I’d already passed the point of no return.” “Then I’ll stand at the very top of the underworld,” “so the world can only look up to me, and everyone will know my name: Lin Mo...” 155Reads—Score—14d adds
- 179 I Didn’t Stab a Man, I Stabbed This Rotten World 老子捅的不是人，是世道 [Urban Underworld | Reborn Comeback | Brotherhood and High-Octane Gang Battles] 1991. Fu’an. Heavy snow. Fang Xiao knelt on the storeroom’s concrete floor, Zhao Changshui’s blood still on his hands. He was reborn, carrying memories of his brothers’ horrific deaths and his family’s ruin in his previous life. This time, he wouldn’t take the blame for anyone or be anyone’s lackey. He would wade through the filth and lead a band of brothers who had been dragged through the mud, determined to make 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 180 Hong Kong Crossover: Starting in Tsuen Wan, Rebuilding a Money Empire 港综：从荃湾开始，重铸金钱帝国 “Big D, you're a big shot now. Stop going around hacking people up, and try to be a little more level-headed.” White smoke rose from the cigarette between Zhang Zhen's fingers as he spoke with a hint of teasing. “Out here, if you don't hack people up or fight for territory, how are you supposed to make money? Ah Zhen, didn't you say there were three things you needed to make it big: people, money, and the guts to take risks?” Big D said from the sofa, holding a glass of liquor. “Remember this, B 43.3kReads5.6Score2.5k14d adds
- 181 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
- 182 Searching the Underworld for My Missing Son, I Clean Up Crime and Clear My Father's Name 失子入江湖扫黑恶，父冤得伸 (Passionate urban action, a comeback! Multiple female leads!) Also known as "Lost Son Enters the Underworld to Fight Crime, Father’s Wrongful Conviction Finally Overturned" I am the son of a soldier. After getting lost during a sorrowful journey, I was raised to adulthood by a kind rural couple surnamed Ye. I thought it was pure chance that my master taught me peerless martial arts. From then on, I became the greatest martial artist in Nan Yue! Later, to improve my family’s financial situation, 5.8kReads8.8Score38414d adds
- 183 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
- 184 Tales of Dragon City: Stories of a Small Town 龙城往事之小城故事 A realistic portrayal of northeastern China from the late 1980s to the present, full of grudges, grievances, and social change. Follow a group of impressionable young people as they face a host of challenges and opportunities and discover what it means to grow up. Realistic fiction, not a wish-fulfillment story, with a slow build. 102Reads—Score—14d adds
- 185 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
- 186 My Beijing Girl 我的北京女孩 A young man with nothing going for him can't move on after a breakup. When he accompanies a friend to Beijing, he encounters new things and new people... His life quietly changes course. What kind of love story will he find as he sets out to reclaim his dream? 127Reads—Score1314d adds
- 187 I Can Turn My Hand to Anything: Two Horizontal Strokes and One Vertical, That's How We Get Things Done 翻手为云：两横一竖就是干 My name is Wang Xiao, and my nickname is Xiao San’er. Those who respect me call me Third Brother. This book is dedicated to the youth I’ve lost and the days I once spent running with a rough crowd. A butterfly spends its life in love with flowers, wandering with their fragrance to the ends of the earth. Through countless hardships, I have no regrets about my golden years. 240Reads—Score—14d adds
- 188 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
- 189 The King of the Underworld, Forged in the Dark District 从暗黑区走出的黑道之王 (Tough gangsters + big shots from every walk of life + rich young heirs in the capital + starts at school + ruthless + a thrill ride from start to finish) The first book, The King of the Underworld: From the Dark Zone, is complete. Read with confidence, there isn't a dull moment. The sequel, King of the Underworld: I Rule with Unrivaled Power, is currently updating. The author can post ten thousand words a day, so remember to threaten him in the comments. One day, twelve young men came from the 414Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 190 Tales of the North: A New Storm Rises 北方往事之风云再起 [Multiple heroines + no harem + big sisters on the dark side of society] A group of little nobodies from the bottom of society climb their way up, step by step. Brotherhood means everything. Their lives are full of grit and heart, and the life they fight their way into is bound to be exciting! Note: This story is entirely fictional! 12kReads7.7Score64814d adds
- 191 The Path of an Ordinary Person 小人物的路 A person has to make many choices in life. Everyone has choices of their own. Everyone has their own path. As for whether a path is right or wrong, no one has a definitive answer. (The story spans quite a lot.) 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 192 Underworld Storm: Southeast Asia 黑道风云之东南风云录！ In the 1990s, the southeastern provinces were a chaotic mix, with criminal gangs flourishing everywhere. They controlled the underworld, disregarded the law and morality, and kept crime rates high… In Min City, Minzhou Province, Li Tianju is forced back onto the road of no return after getting out of prison. He rises like a storm, crushing all challengers until he becomes a crime boss in his own right! (This book has no harem, no formulaic tropes, no invincible protagonist, and no filler. It’s h 140Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 193 Standing Up to Bullies: From Silence to Throwing Punches 对抗霸凌，从沉默到挥拳 Bullying exists everywhere, from schools to workplaces. Thugs are like a gang of robbers, bullying people at will and trampling on their dignity. This book shows how the protagonist, Liu Tian, fights back and turns the tables when he comes up against them. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 194 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
- 195 Underworld Saga: My Big Sister in the Capital 黑道风云：我的京城姐姐 [Not for Young Readers] [Hot-Blooded Underworld] [Brutal Underworld Battles] [The Many Faces of Officialdom] [Face-Slapping Comeback] [Clever, Satisfying Read] He began cultivating at nine and went to prison at thirteen. In jail, Chu He mastered an arsenal of extraordinary skills. With nowhere to turn after his release, he headed for the capital and entered the underworld, winning the support of the capital's most captivating women. With ruthless methods, Chu He outmaneuvered every faction. Sta 3kReads7.9Score33014d adds
- 196 The Pinnacle of Flame City 焰城顶点 Underworld fiction, urban setting. Beneath the plane trees at Yancheng No. 4 High School, more eyes were watching than there were cicadas singing. Some stared at Chen Shun's dazzling blond hair, as if checking whether a certain rumor was true. Some remembered the pale pink scar at Li Huafeng's temple, as though it still held a trace of his unspent fury. Guo Qiang's silent bulk was like a moving wall wherever he went, blocking out the sunlight and the prying eyes alike. No one knew that these few 33Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 197 Desire for Black Gold 欲黑金 [Underworld, Passion and Strategy, Multiple Heroines] Six years ago, Cao Zhishuang broke into the room of the campus belle, a teacher, and ended up behind bars. Now that he’s just been released, an invisible hand has already closed around him. Cao Zhishuang resolutely steps into the game, vowing to uncover the true cause of his father’s death and kill his enemies with his own hands. From then on, he sets out on a one-way road paved with desire and dirty money… 6.4kReads8.1Score67914d adds
- 198 The Absolute Kingpin 绝对枭雄 After transferring schools, I find out my beautiful desk mate is actually my former enemy. And then... New book: Call Me a Con Artist. I hope you’ll check it out and show it some support! 279Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 199 The Underworld: My Dongguan Girlfriend 黑道：我的东莞女友 At the turn of the millennium, I headed south to Dongguan with just 800 yuan in my pocket. Someone stole my wallet on the train, and I staggered into town after going hungry for three meals. I planned to keep my head down and work on an assembly line, but on my very first day, the team leader told me to take off my pants. I beat him up. Then I beat up the fourteen guys who came after me with machetes. Then I took on the whole street. The female owner of a nightclub handed me a gun and a stack of 590Reads6.3Score10914d adds
- 200 Godfather of the Underworld: From Prison Dragon to the Pinnacle of Power! 黑道教父：从狱中龙到权势巅峰！ [Urban + Underworld + One Female Lead + Powerful Boss + All-Controlling + Influence] “If kindness is useless, then from now on, I'll cast it aside!” After three years in prison for a crime he was framed for, Zhou Ye is released and sees the light of day once more. Betrayed by his brother and his girlfriend, and devastated by his parents' mysterious deaths, he resolutely sets out on the path of revenge. To avenge his parents and achieve his goals, he vows, “If a god stands in my way, I'll slay 2.9kReads7.7Score23514d adds
![[The Underworld: The Storm Rises Again]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/0cae1de5c88ccd2e877db8cc30ae3440~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
