One of the best discoveries I’ve ever made with learning Chinese is the tremendous value of jumping headlong into something incredibly long, and sticking with it. That first chapter/episode is completely impossible at first, but if you grab onto it and refuse to let it go, then the rest of the series will really open up.
I chose this audiobook completely at random, having not a clue what I was getting myself into: https://www.ximalaya.com/youshengshu/7235715/
I also found a text file and loaded it into Pleco.
If I’d had any idea what I was getting myself into, I never would have done it, so I’m very glad of my ignorance. I thought 阴阳先生 was the guy’s name! I listened to the first chapter at least a dozen times. For at least half of those times, I had no idea what I was hearing. I then waded through the text in Pleco numerous times, making flashcards for all kinds of words.
As I gradually began to understand that first chapter, I moved on. Chapters 2 through 5 I heard at least 5 times each, then chapters 6 through 10 I heard at least twice. After that, I was able to follow the story with only one or two listenings.
By the time I got to the really exciting stuff in the chapter 15-25 range, I was so hooked I didn’t want to quit to go to bed!
After hearing the story, I can go to the text version in Pleco and read it quite easily, picking up words all over the place. It’s a method I can’t recommend too highly.
I’m still working my way through reading it in Pleco, and I’m over half way through my second time listening.