Alright, let's solve this problem step by step. We have 542 and 9246 and we're adding them together.

Step 1: We'll start by adding the digits 2 & 6 in column 1 and get 8.

Step 2: We'll start by adding the digits 4 & 4 in column 2 and get 8.

Step 3: We'll start by adding the digits 5 & 2 in column 3 and get 7.

Step 4: We'll start by adding the digits 0 & 9 in column 4 and get 9.

So, 542 + 9246 = 9788.

