Rebirth to 1990s | MC is reborn in 1990s China in a high school in a factory town. MC drops out of school and begins... more>> to build his investment empire one step at a time. This is a fascinating story and goes into great detail about real world business events of the time, including the opening of the Shanghai stock market, bond and futures trading (so exciting right! yeah I'm a nerd...) and the optical disk wars of the 90s. <<less

Rebirth to 1990s | MC is reborn in 1990s China in high school. Using his memory of future events he hustles to make money, then... more>> invests in the Shenzhen stock market and real estate. This is similar to 'Investment Life' (also on this list) but spends more time on MC's family and school life. <<less

Rebirth 9 years in the past | Before his accidental death MC failed in various jobs mostly through being unlucky. When he's reborn, he avoids making the same mistakes and puts his knowledge of the future to good use, accepting a job offer to work as an assistant to CEO ML, and earning money by investing in movies and stocks. ... more>>

This is from the author of 'Very Happy' and is more like a typical fluffy danmei story with face-slapping and a doting ML. <<less

Rebirth | Illegitimate 2nd son MC was betrayed by his s*um mother and younger brother and died in jail. After he's reborn, MC decides to dismantle his mom's schemes and cozy up to his dad and his vastly superior older half-brother ML (don't worry, not actually related) . MC relies on his knowledge of the future to build his own businesses instead of vying to inherit, while taking revenge on everyone who betrayed him before.... more>>

Controversial because a chunk of the story takes place when MC is supposedly thirteen years old, and five-years-older ML starts liking him a bit too much. In that way. Since MC is a transmigrator he's actually in his thirties, but it got a bit too OTT for me in one instance (the cosplay...). Anyway, they don't cross the line so if you can overlook this aspect of the story you may enjoy it. Lots and lots of fluff and pampering.

My favorite parts are when MC is developing his business and his relationship with his dad. The grandpa is great. In later chapters the story gets a bit random, the revenge is a little too OTT in some instances, and there's such an overload of vaguely described smut you wish the author would stop writing it. Overall this is one of the very, very few BL novels I've read twice.  <<less

e-circle, rebirth - Outgoing and energetic 18th tier actor MC dies despised and rejected by his wealthy birth family and nasty white lotus "brother", then is reborn at the beginning of his career. He hooks investor ML with his knowledge of the future, then builds a social media and entertainment empire while enrolled in college. Lots of military-themed movies + rah rah Chinese patriotism, but it didn't feel super over the top.... more>>

MC was raised in an orphanage and also apprenticed to a traditional Chinese chef, so in addition to the rebirth, college stuff, e-circle stuff, and building his business empire, he kinda has a lot going on. The rebirth backstory turned out a lot more complicated than I was expecting, and the romance takes a back seat to everything else, which is common in this author's novels. Overall very good, esp. if you like to watch MC build a successful business. <<less

e-circle, transmigration, ability cores | Bold and calculating composer tycoon MC transmigrates from an apocalypse world into the body of a slag wannabe idol, where his rich family forces him to marry sickly domineering CEO ML.  MC immediately negotiates with ML for 500 million to start his own entertainment company. This is more of a typical danmei story with e-circle plot elements, a golden finger special ability, heavy romance focus, and fluff, but MC has genuine business talent in addition to music. ... more>>

MC addresses his haters on Weibo: "There is also the matter of my father selling me. Yes, my father sold me to a tall, handsome and rich man for 500 million. Are you jealous?"

The first 40 or so chapters are better written than 95% of danmei stories and will make you fall in love with MC just like ML did. Fascinating mechanics of MC's "ability core" vs the female protagonist's adoration system.  <<less

Rebirth | MC dies alone of cancer while his lover of ten years, CEO ML, takes everything for granted and is narcissistically unaware MC is even sick. After his tragic death, MC is reborn in the 3rd year of middle school. He vows to avoid love this time while focusing on getting rich and doing well in school. He starts out a poor student and builds his business step by step through high school and college, selling merchandise and eventually launching the equivalent of taobao. ML is also reborn, and he's obsessed with getting back together with the lover he now realizes he wronged before. Most of the story follows MC as he builds his... more>> business, though there are also a lot of chapters covering school life.

This story has a heart-breaking first chapter that makes you root like hell for MC! Later, as he concentrates on caring for his mom and building his business, he actually dates people other than ML, which is virtually unheard of in this genre.  <<less

Transmigration | MC transmigrates into another world, waking up as a poor college dropout living on his parents' farm in the 1980s. He has a toddler son, the result of unexplained mpreg, and starts an ice-cream selling business with a neighborhood friend to earn much-needed cash. His friend's young uncle is business owner ML, who is grand enough to own a car in this era, but isn't on the level of a fairy tale fantasy CEO. MC starts a small shop selling various things, then works his way up to greenhouse agriculture.... more>>

The kid is really cute and obsessed with cars. The rural conditions are stark (s*um stepbrothers who steal food, no electricity, no fridge, no phones, using handcarts to transport goods). Since there's farming, this story reminded me a lot of all those ancient peasant novels, but thankfully MC doesn't earn his fortune by selling hot sauce (like everyone else). <<less

Transmigration | MC transmigrates into the triad-run, poverty-stricken Kowloon Walled City of 1970s Hong Kong, becoming the sickly best friend of young triad member ML. He has to prevent his best friend from becoming an amoral mu*derer while avoiding run-ins with the triads that run the Walled City and also trying to raise himself and his grandmother out of poverty. MC and ML eventually get involved in the burgeoning movie industry of 1970s Hong Kong. ... more>>

Given the setting, this is a unique and flavorful story, slightly less business-oriented than other stories on this list but very highly recommended. <<less

Rebirth | MC who always regretted not going to college is reborn at age 11 and decides to make money and study hard. He gradually buys property and builds a business, then goes to college while participating in math competitions. Stock market genius, somewhat autistic ML becomes his college roommate, but had a secret crush since middle school.... more>>

Great business-focused MC. I typically don't like school life stories, but here the presence of school stuff remains interesting and doesn't dominate. There's a weird reality show-style competition later in the novel, but it's only about 5 chapters and easy to skip. <<less