OK, let's crack this. We're given 553 and our task is to multiply it by 9. Essentially, we'll be adding 553 to itself 9 times.
Step 1: 0 + 553 = 553
Step 2: 553 + 553 = 1106
Step 3: 1106 + 553 = 1659
Step 4: 1659 + 553 = 2212
Step 5: 2212 + 553 = 2765
Step 6: 2765 + 553 = 3318
Step 7: 3318 + 553 = 3871
Step 8: 3871 + 553 = 4424
Step 9: 4424 + 553 = 4977

So, 553*9 = 4977