SHANGHAI—Diners at a local Haidilao hotpot restaurant were left reeling after discovering that two teenage boys had secretly urinated into the communal broth, which was then unknowingly consumed by multiple patrons.

The shocking revelation came after CCTV footage surfaced of the two 17-year-olds discreetly relieving themselves into the bubbling pot of soup at a popular pay-what-you-eat hotpot chain. The footage shows multiple other diners enthusiastically ladling the “flavorful” broth into their bowls, blissfully unaware of its highly unauthorized additional ingredients.

“I thought the soup had a unique umami depth,” admitted one victim, Mr Lin, who had been happily dunking wagyu beef into the contaminated broth for nearly an hour.

Restaurant staff were only alerted after CCTV footage of their actions began circulating online.

“At first, I thought it was some new herbal seafood infusion,” said one diner, who had complimented the restaurant earlier for its ‘bold unconventional layered flavours reminiscent of the twilight zone between winter and spring’.

The teenagers, in their defense, said, “In marital arts show, the pee of male virgins has curative powers that can cause drinkers to gain the power of flight and decimate bamboo forests with a well-placed palm strike. Our mothers said that our extra virgin pee is immensely potent. We are blessing these people.”

Legal experts say the teenagers could face serious consequences under public nuisance and food safety laws, but perhaps the greatest punishment is the lifelong trauma inflicted upon every customer who unknowingly and cheerfully slurped up their crime.