During his tenure, the GDP grew rapidly. Zhou Senfeng was promoted after serving as mayor of Yicheng for less than two years. Netizens were talking about it: what kind of ability does he have that made him be promoted so fast? The reporter reviewed the work reports of Yicheng municipal government in recent two years and found that Yicheng maintained a relatively rapid development during Zhou Senfeng's term. In 2009, facing the serious impact of the international financial crisis, the annual regional GDP reached 8.3 billion yuan, increasing by 16% year-on-year. In 2010, the GDP of Yicheng reached 11 billion yuan, increased by 17% over the previous year, breaking through the threshold of 10 billion yuan for the first time. In terms of development strategy, Zhou Senfeng was keen on making Yicheng the "vice-central city of Xiangyang". When delivering the government work report in 2010, Zhou Senfeng proposed that one of the major goals of Yicheng's socio-economic development in the "12th Five-Year Plan" is to "build three cities", namely, "the vice-central city of Xiangyang, a regional trade and logistics central city, and an important industrial city in the region of Xiangyang-Jingmen-Suizhou." At the "two sessions" of Xiangfan held in March 2010, Zhou Senfeng also proposed that "Among the counties (cities) around Xiangfan, Yicheng is closest to the urban area of Xiangfan. It only takes half an hour drive between the two places. If we can promote the integrated construction of infrastructure between Xiangfan and Yicheng, and build a fast channel for transportation and logistics, it will greatly promote the rapid development of industry, commerce, logistics, and urban construction in Yicheng." The Xiangfan Daily reported at the time that "the leaders of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government approved this suggestion." According to media reports, many of Zhou Senfeng's suggestions were adopted by superior leaders. In 2006, a report on Xiangfan introducing high-level talents set up a "parties feeling" column. Zhou Senfeng, then deputy director of the Xiangfan Construction Committee, said: "Seeing my suggestions entering the party committee decision-making, and the projects I guided being completed one by one, all the hardships and fatigue are forgotten, this is the happiness and sense of accomplishment of getting things done." Zhou Senfeng is also a workaholic. The Yicheng municipal government website disclosed the whereabouts of municipal leaders. The reporter found that from December 29, 2010 to April 6, 2011, Zhou Senfeng attended 29 public activities, averaging one public activity every three days, including research, meetings, condolences, accompanying leaders' inspection, etc. In August 2006, the Xiangfan Daily published a long article titled "Why Do Hundreds of Master's and Doctoral Students Chase Xiangfan" which mentioned Zhou Senfeng. The report at the time said: "After working at the grassroots level, the affairs were very complicated. For several days, he has been running around at the construction site, working more than ten hours a day." Although his achievements were outstanding, at the same time, Zhou Senfeng was also questioned by citizens. In 2010, netizen "Chujiang Daughter" posted questions to Zhou Senfeng regarding a case of hooliganism and knife injury. The post said: "As an eyewitness at the time, as an uninvolved passerby, I want to ask three questions to Zhou Senfeng, the youngest mayor in the country: 1. Why is the social security in Yicheng so bad? Is it a necessary consequence of economic development? 2. Are the public security organs in Yicheng really so corrupt? 3. When can the people be given a safe living environment?"