At China Construction Fifth Engineering Division (CCFED), there is an employee who traveled thousands of miles to Algeria. Carrying her longing for family, she joined the cause of building government-subsidized housing for the people of Algeria. In her work, she weathered storms and setbacks, shouldering one burden after another on her frail shoulders, overcoming one client after another through sheer perseverance, while reserving her gentleness and kindness for her family and the colleagues she worked alongside. She is a strong woman in the eyes of the client, a beloved big sister among her colleagues at CCFED's Algeria company, and a devoted mother far away in a foreign land. She is CCFED's outstanding employee—Xiao Shifen.
　　I. First Encounter with the Storm
　　On April 9, 2008, Xiao Shifen joined the Algeria company to work in commercial contracts. In September 2009, she was assigned the closing-out work of the Batna 1,000-unit project. The Batna 1,000-unit project was the largest of the first batch of projects undertaken by CCFED's Algeria company upon entering Algeria. The later closing-out work presented unforeseeable difficulties.
　　The first negotiation with the client over the provisional acceptance issue ran into a problem. In the Batna 1,000-unit project, two buildings' underground commercial floors each had a stairway entrance that, per the client's requirements, had been designed without a security door. Yet at provisional acceptance, the client demanded that security doors identical to those in other buildings be installed at both stairway entrances, or acceptance would not be granted.
　　Faced with this problem, Xiao Shifen thought it over carefully. The issue seemed simple but was in fact thorny. First, these two security doors were not in the design and fell outside CCFED Algeria's scope of construction; given that the construction itself had no problems, the client's demand was unreasonable. Second, supplying the security doors was a problem: the earlier doors had been purchased from China, and installing identical ones would require ordering and shipping from China, taking several months. By then, when provisional acceptance could begin, the schedule would certainly be delayed, and the company would face hefty delay penalties.
　　Faced with this, Xiao Shifen did not back down. She negotiated and bargained with the client repeatedly, but the result was still "install security doors"!
　　Xiao Shifen was not discouraged.
　　"There must be a better solution!" she told herself silently.
　　Xiao Shifen calmed down and reorganized her thinking. Suddenly she realized: why not approach the problem from a different angle? By fixating on how to install the security doors as the client demanded, she had only become trapped in the problem, and continued deadlock with the client would not help advance the project's closing-out work.
　　So Xiao Shifen changed her approach, turning passivity into initiative, and decided to give the client two welded iron doors. The two welded iron doors were commissioned from the Setif 500-unit prison project, with the cost borne by the Batna 1,000-unit project. Thus a series of problems—the design and the purchase of security doors from China—were all resolved at once. The client also strongly endorsed this proposal. For this thorny matter, Xiao Shifen achieved a result satisfactory to both sides at the lowest cost.
　　The difficulties encountered in the closing-out work went far beyond these. In dealing with the client, Xiao Shifen was quick-minded, not confined to the problem at hand, and flexible and adaptable, resolving various problems satisfactorily with her unique approach. While negotiating solutions, Xiao Shifen placed even greater emphasis on corporate image and professional ethics, convincing others through reason: she never shirked responsibilities that were ours, and never yielded an inch on issues that were not. This approach not only earned the client's trust but also established a genuine cooperative relationship, advancing the closing-out work of the Batna 1,000-unit project.
　　From taking over the closing-out work of the Batna 1,000-unit project in September 2009 to obtaining the provisional acceptance PV in November 2009, Xiao Shifen had all the provisional acceptance PVs issued at dates earlier than originally scheduled to varying degrees. Through unremitting efforts, the project obtained the final acceptance PV in April 2010.
　　The Batna 1,000-unit project was the first among the 35,000-unit housing projects of China Construction Algeria Branch at the time to obtain the final acceptance PV, and also the first for CCFED's Algeria company to obtain the final acceptance PV. At the same time, it was the first project on which Xiao Shifen handled closing-out work. Xiao Shifen admitted frankly that without experiencing storm-like difficulties, how could one grow? Xiao Shifen's path of commercial negotiation in Algeria thus began—this was not the end, but only the start.
　　II. No Regrets Through the Storm
　　Xiao Shifen successively took on the closing-out work of more than 10 projects, including the Batna 1,000-unit residential buildings, the Ain El Malha 500-unit residential buildings, Phase I of the Setif Anti-Cancer Hospital, Phase II of the Setif Anti-Cancer Hospital, and the 6,000-seat teaching building of the Setif University Town.
　　The closing-out work was fraught with difficulties. After numerous negotiations, numerous confrontations, numerous heartfelt exchanges, and numerous instances of winning people over through dedication, and with the support of the leadership of CCFED's Algeria company, by this day in 2014, multiple projects had obtained the final acceptance PV, and all settlement and payment collection, release of performance bonds, and other work had been completed.
　　While handling closing-out work, Xiao Shifen also took charge of commercial contract negotiations for the Constantine 4,050-unit project. She participated in negotiations over out-of-contract quantities and unit prices for the 4,050-unit project. After arduous and repeated negotiations, the out-of-contract unit prices for the 4,050-unit project secured more favorable rates than those in the new 20,000-unit contract. Through countless negotiations with clients, Xiao Shifen accumulated rich negotiation experience and came to understand the mindset of local Algerian clients. Combined with her refusal to back down in the face of problems and her optimistic, proactive search for solutions, both the closing-out work and the commercial negotiations for the 4,050-unit residential buildings achieved gratifying results.
　　Xiao Shifen often says: without going through the storm, how can you see the rainbow?
　　The rainbow after the storm is beautiful indeed, but the bitterness of weathering the storm is known to her alone.
　　III. The Beauty of the Rainbow
　　Xiao Shifen has worked in Algeria for more than six years. Beyond work, what weighs most on her mind is her son and family far away in China. Although she cannot personally care for her son and family, her love for them has not diminished in the slightest.
　　In daily work and life, Xiao Shifen looks after everyone like a big sister. In daily life, she gives her colleagues meticulous care; when her female colleagues feel unwell, you will see Xiao Shifen brewing ginger and brown sugar water. At the same time, Xiao Shifen is also a close confidante to her female colleagues. When they are in a bad mood, they all like to confide in Xiao Shifen; like a caring sister, she counsels her colleagues and gives them care and help.
　　Difficulties and setbacks cannot stop Xiao Shifen's advance, and the time difference and distance long ago ceased to be obstacles between her and her child. The rainbow after the storm sets off her beauty all the more.
　　Xiao Shifen pours her love for her family and child into the government-subsidized housing blocks of Algeria, into the construction cause that seeks the welfare of the Algerian people. It is precisely this selfless spirit of sacrifice and unremitting pursuit of her work that make Xiao Shifen shine with both strength and courage and bloom with kindness and gentleness.
　　Carrying her longing for family and her concern for her son's growth and education, facing countless setbacks and difficulties at work and weathering storm after storm, she has raised a brilliant rainbow over the skies of Algeria for CCFED!