 Their private circle now included Marxist philosopher Constantin Ionescu Gulian, and poets Virgil Teodorescu and Tașcu Gheorghiu.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.