In the winter of 1939, Păun was writing for Zaharia Stancu's newspaper, "Lumea Românească". Apparently, while acting as a liaison between Stancu and the communists he found himself caught in between as the newspaper published articles condemning the Soviet invasion of Finland; reprimanded by Paraschivescu and Gulian, Stancu decided to make a clean break with these communists (although he would eventually build a very successful literary career under the communist regime), and sacked Păun. At about the same time, Banuș, who still had doubts about Marxism (although she would eventually become an official, albeit somewhat conflicted, poetess of the regime), recorded in her diary that she felt "ashamed" to confront Păun about everything that she herself did not have the courage and energy to do.