Alright, let's solve this problem step by step. We have 538 and 999 and we're adding them together.

Step 1: We'll start by adding the digits 8 & 9 in column 1 and get 17.
We'll write down the last digit 7 and carry the 1 to the next column.

Step 2: We'll start by adding the digits 3 & 9 in column 2 and get 13.
We'll write down the last digit 3 and carry the 1 to the next column.

Step 3: We'll start by adding the digits 5 & 9 in column 3 and get 15.
We'll write down the last digit 5 and carry the 1 to the next column.

So, 538 + 999 = 1537.

